Nehemiah 5:8

Nehemiah 5:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.
• New Living Translation (NLT)At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense.

Context of Nehemiah 5:8

6When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 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 and 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? 10I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!

Nehemiah 5:8 word by word

וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֗ם אֲנַ֣חְנוּ קָ֠נִינוּ אֶת־אַחֵ֨ינוּ הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤ים לַגּוֹיִם֙ כְּדֵ֣י בָ֔נוּ וְגַם־אַתֶּ֛ם תִּמְכְּר֥וּ אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶ֖ם וְנִמְכְּרוּ־לָ֑נוּ וַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּ וְלֹ֥א מָצְא֖וּ דָּבָֽר׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, We after our abilityדַּיday · sufficiencyH1767
• have redeemedקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
• our brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• which were soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
• unto the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• unto us? Then held they their peaceחָרֵשׁchârash · be quietH2790
• and foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• nothingדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697

Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:8

• Matthew 25:15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
• 2 Corinthians 8:12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
• Galatians 6:10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
• Leviticus 25:47“ ‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan,
• Exodus 21:16“Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
• Deuteronomy 24:7If someone is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite and treating or selling them as a slave, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you.
• Romans 14:15If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.
• 1 Corinthians 8:11So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.
• Job 29:10the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
• Job 32:15“They are dismayed and have no more to say; words have failed them.
• Matthew 22:12He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
• Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:8

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Nehemiah contrasts his own example with that of the rich Jews. He had spent money in redeeming some countrymen in servitude among the pagan; they were causing others to be sold into slavery among the Jews.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. 1-13Severe financial problems almost stopped the wall's completion (Nehemiah 5:1–5), but Nehemiah found a solution (5:6–13).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 5:8

• Beneficence
• Borrowing
• Country
• Covetousness
• Creditor
• Example
• Interest
• Kindness
• Lending
• Poor
• Repentance
• Reproof
• Rich, the
• Rulers
• Servant
• Usury

In the dictionaries

• Jubilee
• Shake
• Cupbearer
• Malachi
• Nothing
• Redeemer; Redemption
• Salvation
• Tax; Taxing
• Versions, Georgian, Gothic, Slavonic

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