Nehemiah 5:15

Nehemiah 5:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
• New International Version (NIV)But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

Context of Nehemiah 5:15

13I also shook out the front of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every person from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this promise; just so may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord. Then the people acted in accordance with this promise. 14Furthermore, since the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance. But the previous governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of my fear of God. 16I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17Moreover, there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

Nehemiah 5:15 word by word

וְהַפַּחוֹת֩ הָרִאשֹׁנִ֨ים אֲשֶׁר־לְפָנַ֜י הִכְבִּ֣ידוּ עַל־הָעָ֗ם וַיִּקְח֨וּ מֵהֶ֜ם בְּלֶ֤חֶם וָיַ֙יִן֙ אַחַר֙ כֶּֽסֶף־שְׁקָלִ֣ים אַרְבָּעִ֔ים גַּ֥ם נַעֲרֵיהֶ֖ם שָׁלְט֣וּ עַל־הָעָ֑ם וַאֲנִי֙ לֹא־עָשִׂ֣יתִי כֵ֔ן מִפְּנֵ֖י יִרְאַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear

• But the previousרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: previousH7223
• governorsפֶּחָהpechâh · governorH6346
• whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• were beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• laidכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
• on the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• from them breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: allowanceH3899
• and wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• besidesאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
• shekelsשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
• of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• evenגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• their servantsנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• domineeredשָׁלַטshâlaţ · to domineerH7980
• But I did not doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• soכֵּןkên · soH3651
• becauseמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
• fearיִרְאָהyir'âh · fearH3374
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:15

• 1 Samuel 2:15Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take cooked meat from you, only raw.”
• 1 Samuel 8:15And he will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and his servants.
• Proverbs 29:12If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.
• Matthew 5:47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same?
• 2 Corinthians 11:9and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brothers came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.
• 2 Corinthians 12:13For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
• Nehemiah 5:9So I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the taunting of the nations, our enemies?
• Job 31:23For disaster from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing.
• Psalms 112:1Praise the Lord! Blessed is a person who fears the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commandments.
• Psalms 147:11The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His faithfulness.
• Proverbs 16:6By mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
• Ecclesiastes 12:13The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
• Isaiah 50:10Who is among you who fears the Lord, Who obeys the voice of His servant, Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.
• Luke 18:2saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:15

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Forty shekels of silver - A daily sum from the entire province. For such a table as that kept by Nehemiah Nehemiah 5:18, this would be a very moderate payment.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-19Verses 14-19 Those who truly fear God, will not dare to do any thing cruel or unjust. Let all who are in public places remember that they are so placed to do good, not to enrich themselves. Nehemiah mentions it to God in prayer, not as if he had merited any favour from God, but to show that he depended upon God only, to make up to him what he had lost and laid out for his honour. Nehemiah evidently spake and acted as one that knew himself to be a sinner…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The former governors were likely Nehemiah’s immediate predecessors, not Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8, around 90 years earlier) or Zerubbabel (Haggai 1:1, around 80 years earlier).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. the former governors ... had taken ... bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver--The income of Eastern governors is paid partly in produce, partly in money. "Bread" means all sorts of provision. The forty shekels of silver per day would amount to a yearly salary of £1800 sterling.Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 5:15

• Civil Service
• Conscience
• Country
• Example
• Fear of God
• Integrity
• Kindness
• Love
• Unselfishness

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jubilee
• Shake
• Charge; Chargeable
• Malachi
• Money
• Tax; Taxing
• Versions, Georgian, Gothic, Slavonic
• Taxes

Commentaries on Nehemiah 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings