New International Version
Nehemiah 5:7
7I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them
Nehemiah 5:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them
- New King James Version (NKJV)After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.
- New Living Translation (NLT)After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.
Context of Nehemiah 5:7
5Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.” 6When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. 9So 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?
Read all of Nehemiah 5Nehemiah 5:7 word by word
וַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜י עָלַ֗י וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙ אֶת־הַחֹרִ֣ים וְאֶת־הַסְּגָנִ֔ים וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מַשָּׁ֥א אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֖יו אַתֶּ֣ם נֹשְׂאִים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם קְהִלָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then I consultedמָלַךְmâlak · to adviseH4427
- with myselfלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- and I rebukedרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- the noblesחֹרchôr chôr · nobleH2715
- and the rulersסָגָןsâgân · rulerH5461
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, Ye exactנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: aidH5375
- unto them, Ye exactנָשָׁהnâshâh · to lendH5383
- unto them, Ye exactנָשָׁאnâshâ' · to exactH5378
- usuryמַשָּׁאmashshâ' · interestH4855
- every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- of his brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- And I setנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- assemblyקְהִלָּהqehillâh · assemblyH6952
Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:7
- Psalms 4:4Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.
- Psalms 27:8My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.
- Leviticus 19:15“ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict.
- Psalms 82:1God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”:
- Proverbs 27:5Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
- Galatians 2:11When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
- 1 Timothy 5:20But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.
- Exodus 22:25“If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.
- Leviticus 25:36Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you.
- Deuteronomy 15:2This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.
- Deuteronomy 23:19Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest.
- Deuteronomy 24:10When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into their house to get what is offered to you as a pledge.
- Psalms 15:1Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?
- Ezekiel 22:12In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Ye exact usury - This was expressly contrary to the law of God; and was doubly cruel at this time, when they were just returning out of the land of their captivity, and were suffering from the effects of a dearth. Some think that it was about the time of a Sabbatical year, when their land must have lain at rest without cultivation, and during which they were expressly commanded not to exact any debt. Deuteronomy 15:2. I set a great assembly against them…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Ye exact usury - The phrase is unique to Nehemiah, and is best explained by the context, which shows the practice of the rich Jews at the time to have been not so much to lend on usury as to lend on mortgage and pledge.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. 6-7Nehemiah was very angry, but he controlled himself. He thought it over and then spoke to resolve the conflict instead of worsening it (see James 1:19–20).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 5:7
In the dictionaries
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
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