Nehemiah 5:9

Also I said -And I said." The C'thib in the Hebrew text (which is probably due to an error of transcription) gives the meaning -and it was said," i.e. by Nehemiah. The rendering -and I said" follows the reading of the K'ri, LXX., Vulg.

It is not good that ye do R.V. The thing that ye do Is not good. The R.V. rendering is in itself preferable to that of the A.V. In addition it enables the English reader to recognize the exact correspondence of this clause with words in Exodus 18:17. The sentence is so simple that too much must not be made of the resemblance. But the supposition that Nehemiah's words perhaps unconsciously repeated a familiar sentence from -the book of the law" is not to be lightly dismissed. That the words of Jethro to Moses should be used by Nehemiah to the money-lenders indicates the courtesy of his expostulation. Fiercer language would have only exasperated them.

ought ye not, &c. or -will ye, or should ye, not," &c.

walk in the fear of our God This precise phrase does not, apparently, occur elsewhere in the O. T. It condenses the thought of Deuteronomy 10:12, -And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways," (cf. Nehemiah 8:6). We find it in the N. T. in Acts 9:31, -The church … walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost was multiplied." -The fear of God," cf. Nehemiah 5:15. -The fear of the Lord" is the usual expression, espec. in Pss. and Prov. -The fear of God," cf. Genesis 20:11; 2Sa 23:3; 2 Chronicles 26:5, R.V. Marg. The fear of God's hatred of oppression should be before the eyes of all. Cf. Proverbs 14:31, -He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker."

because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies Though the general sense is obvious, there is some uncertainty as to the exact shade of meaning to be attached to these words. (1) It may mean -on account of the reproach wherewith our enemies havereproached us; since, so long as we have not walked in the fear of our God, we have been feeble and weak and have deserved the reproach of our enemies. If we walk in His fear, He will bless us and remove the cause of their reproach." Cf. chap. Nehemiah 4:4. (2) It may mean -for fear of incurring the just reproach of our enemies," seeing that, if they hear of your cruel and ungenerous action to your brethren, they will have good cause to rebuke and ridicule our people. Cf. Nehemiah 6:13.

-the heathen our enemies." On -the heathen" see Nehemiah 5:8. The two words are only here combined in these books. For -our enemies" cf. Nehemiah 4:15; Nehemiah 6:1; Nehemiah 6:16. For the general meaning see 2 Samuel 12:14, -thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme." Cf. Isaiah 52:5.