Nehemiah 5:15

the former governors thathad been before me R.V. the former governors that were before me. The governors or Pekhahs here referred to by Nehemiah are those of Jerusalem and the neighbouring district. Zerubbabel was the first. We do not know how many there had been in the interval, nor whether they like Nehemiah were Jews.

were chargeable unto R.V. marg. -Or, laid burdens upon". Literally the word means -made heavy;" and we should expect here some such word after it as -their yoke" or -burden," as in Isaiah 47:6. -Upon the aged hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke." Lamentations 3:7, -he hath made my chain heavy." 1 Kings 12:10, -Thy father made our yoke heavy," and 14; (2 Chronicles 10:10; 2 Chronicles 10:14); Habakkuk 2:6. The object is expressed in the other phrases, -harden the heart" (Exodus 8:15; Exodus 8:32; Exodus 9:34; Exodus 10:1) and -make the ears heavy" (Isaiah 6:10; Zechariah 7:11) in which this verb occurs. The only other instance in which this causative word is used absolutely appears to be 2 Chronicles 25:19, -to boast."

had taken of them R.V. took of them.

bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver -beside," R.V. marg. -Or, at the rate of, Or, afterward." The expenses of the governor's table were defrayed at the cost of the province or district. As may be gathered from the R.V. margin, there is considerable doubt with regard to the word rendered -beside." Literally the Hebrew runs -bread and wine, after forty shekels of silver."

(a) The rendering -beside" of the A.V. and R.V. can hardly be correct. There is no other instance of the use of the Hebrew preposition in this sense; and the addition of the statement -beside forty shekels, &c." conveys no meaning without the mention of the time, whether by day, month, or year, at which this extra charge was exacted.

(b) The rendering -afterward," which is maintained by Keil, is even more improbable. A sentence to the effect that the governors took from the people bread and wine, and afterwards took forty shekels of silver, conveys no intelligible meaning. Keil thinks that it -expresses the thought that this money was afterwards demanded from the community for the expenses of the governor's table," in other words that the governor first exacted the food and then required its value in money.

(c) The rendering -at the rate of" i.e. -at the price of forty shekels and over," which is certainly preferable, puts a severe strain upon the simple preposition -after." It explains the mention of the forty shekels. The sentence then means that the governor (daily, it must be presumed) required provisions to be supplied him by the province, the cost of which was never less than forty shekels.

(d) The rendering of the LXX. ἔσχατον ἀργύριον does not help us. The Vulgate -quotidie" may imply a different reading. The Hebrew for -one" (ekhâd) could very easily by a copyist's slip be read -after" (akhar). A very simple conjectural emendation would give us -bread and wine to the value of, in one day, forty shekels of silver" (-v'yayin yôm ekhâd" instead of -v'yayin akhar"). Forty shekels of silver would amount to about £5: this sum shows clearly that a rate -per diem" and not -per mensem" is indicated.

yea, even their servants Cf. Nehemiah 4:16, i.e. the governor's household.

bare rule R.V. marg. -Or, lorded over." The word probably conveys a sense of arbitrary exercise of authority. Cf. -have rule" Esther 9:1; Ecclesiastes 2:19; Ecclesiastes 8:9.

but so did not I Nehemiah neither exacted excessive charges from his countrymen as his predecessors in office had done, nor did he presume upon his official position in the way that his predecessors" households had been apt to do. Like St Paul, Nehemiah could say, -Nevertheless we did not use this right" (1 Corinthians 9:12), and -In everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you" (2 Corinthians 11:9).

because of the fear of God See on Nehemiah 5:9. Nehemiah defends himself against a false supposition. His motive was not the desire for popularity with his countrymen; but the recognition of the Divine presence in all things quickened his sense of duty. Proverbs 16:6, -By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."