New American Standard Bible 2020
Nehemiah 5:9
9So I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of 1the taunting of the nations, our enemies?
Nehemiah 5:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
- New International Version (NIV)So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
Context of Nehemiah 5:9
7So I thought it over and contended with the nobles and the leading people, and said to them, “You are lending at interest, each to his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. 8And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. So 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? 10And likewise I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let’s do without this interest. 11Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, as well as the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are charging as interest from them.”
Read all of Nehemiah 5Nehemiah 5:9 word by word
וָאוֹמַ֕ר לֹא־ט֥וֹב הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲל֞וֹא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ מֵחֶרְפַּ֖ת הַגּוֹיִ֥ם אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear
- So I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- you are doingעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- is not goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- should you not walkהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
- in the fearיִרְאָהyir'âh · fearH3374
- of our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- becauseמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
- the tauntingחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
- of the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- our enemiesאָיַב'âyab · be hostileH340
Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:9
- 1 Samuel 2:24No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the Lord’s people circulating.
- Proverbs 16:29A person of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good.
- Proverbs 17:26It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
- Proverbs 18:5To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Nor to suppress the righteous in judgment.
- Proverbs 19:2Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And one who hurries his footsteps errs.
- Proverbs 24:23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Nehemiah 5:15But 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.
- Genesis 20:11Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
- Genesis 42:18Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God:
- Leviticus 25:36Do not take any kind of interest from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may live with you.
- Acts 9:31So the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace, as it was being built up; and as it continued in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it kept increasing.
- Genesis 13:7And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.
- 2 Samuel 12:14However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the Lord, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.”
- Ezekiel 36:20When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, yet they have left His land.’
- Romans 2:24For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.
- 1 Timothy 5:14Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and give the enemy no opportunity for reproach;
Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God - If ye wish to accredit that religion ye profess which comes from the God of justice and mercy; should you not, in the sight of the heathen, abstain from injustice and cruelty? Can they credit your profession, when they see such practices? The inconsistent conduct of some professors of religion does much harm in the Church of God.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-13Verses 6-13 Nehemiah knew that, if he built Jerusalem's walls ever so high, so thick, or so strong, the city could not be safe while there were abuses. The right way to reform men's lives, is to convince their consciences. If you walk in the fear of God, you will not be either covetous of worldly gain, or cruel toward your brethren. Nothing exposes religion more to reproach, than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of the professors of it. Those that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9walk in the fear of our God: See Leviticus 25:35–43. avoid the reproach: See also Nehemiah 1:3; 2:19; 4:1–3.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-196-12. I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words--When such disorders came to the knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against the perpetrators of the evil. Having summoned a public assembly, he denounced their conduct in terms of just severity. He contrasted it with his own in redeeming with his money some of the Jewish exiles who, through debt or otherwise, had lost their personal liberty in Babylon. He urged the…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 5:9
In the dictionaries
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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