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 Living Translation (NLT)The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way.

Context of Nehemiah 5:15

13Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this promise. 14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions. 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. 16Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work. 17And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• But the formerרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: previousH7223
• governorsפֶּחָהpechâh · governorH6346
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• me were chargeableכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: heavyH3513
• unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and had takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• of them breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: allowanceH3899
• and wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• besideאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
• shekelsשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
• of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• yea, evenגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• their servantsנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• bare ruleשָׁלַטshâlaţ · to domineerH7980
• but so didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• not I, becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
• of the 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 sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”
• 1 Samuel 8:15He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.
• Proverbs 29:12If a ruler pays attention to lies, All his servants become wicked.
• Matthew 5:47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
• 2 Corinthians 11:9And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.
• 2 Corinthians 12:13For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!
• Nehemiah 5:9Then 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?
• Job 31:23For destruction from God is a terror to me, And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.
• Psalms 112:1Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
• Psalms 147:11The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.
• Proverbs 16:6In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
• Ecclesiastes 12:13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
• Isaiah 50:10“Who among you 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 upon his God.
• Luke 18:2saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.

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