Tree of Life Version
Nehemiah 5:9
9Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good! Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, in order to avoid the reproach of our Gentile 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
7I pondered them in my heart and then I opposed the nobles and the officials, saying to them, “Usury! Each of you is putting his brother in debt!” So I convened a great assembly to deal with them. 8I said to them, “As much as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the nations. Now you also are selling your brothers so that they will be sold back to us?” Then they became silent and could not find anything to say. Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good! Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, in order to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10Even I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let this usury stop, now! 11Now, return to them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, as well as the hundredth that you have extracted from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil.”
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Also I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- not goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- thatדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- ye doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- ought ye not to walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- in the fearיִרְאָהyir'âh · fearH3374
- of our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- because of the reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
- of the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- our enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:9
- 1 Samuel 2:24No, my sons! For this is not a good report that I hear Adonai’s people spreading around.
- Proverbs 16:29A violent person lures his neighbor, leading him down a path that is no good.
- Proverbs 17:26Also, to punish a righteous person is not good, nor to beat up an honorable one for his integrity.
- Proverbs 18:5Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.
- Proverbs 19:2Zeal without knowledge is not good, or to act hastily and miss the way.
- Proverbs 24:23These sayings are also from the wise: Partiality in judgment is not good.
- Nehemiah 5:15The earlier governors, those preceding me, placed heavy burdens on the people, and took bread and wine from them, in addition to forty shekels of silver. Their attendants also lorded over the people. But I did not do so, out of fear of God.
- Genesis 20:11Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘There is certainly no fear of God in this place, so they’ll kill me, because of my wife.’
- Genesis 42:18Then Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and you will live. I fear God.
- Leviticus 25:36Take no excessive interest from him, but fear your God, so that your brother can live with you.
- Acts 9:31So Messiah’s community throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had shalom and was built up. Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, it kept multiplying.
- Genesis 13:7So there was a quarrel between the shepherds of Abram’s livestock and the shepherds of Lot’s livestock. (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land then.)
- 2 Samuel 12:14However, because by this deed you have made the enemies of Adonai greatly blaspheme, so even the child born to you will surely die.”
- Ezekiel 36:20Wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy Name, since it was said about them, ‘These are the people of Adonai, yet they had to leave His land.’
- Romans 2:24For as it is written, “the name of God is slandered among the nations because of you.”
- 1 Timothy 5:14Therefore, I want the younger widows to get married, have children, manage a household, and give no opportunity to the enemy for slander.
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
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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