NEHEMIAH 5:1 Nehemiah Deals with Injustices in the Community; Nehemiah’s Personal Contribution to the Project. Nehemiah takes measures to end the exploitation of the weak in the community by its powerful members, who are ignoring God’s commandments. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:2 LET US GET GRAIN. Perhaps the men who are working full time on the building project cannot do their usual work to feed their families. Some of them were MORTGAGING their FIELDS and HOUSES to pay the heavy tax charged by the Persians. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElem... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:5 FORCING OUR SONS AND OUR DAUGHTERS TO BE SLAVES. Temporary debt-slavery (but not permanent chattel-slavery) was permitted in Mosaic law among Israelites. It was often the only way a debt could be paid (see Deuteronomy 15:12). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTa... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:7 THE NOBLES AND THE OFFICIALS within the Jewish community are accused of oppressing their own people. Oppression of the weak by the strong had been one of the reasons for the exile (see Isaiah 5:7; Amos 2:6). EXACTING INTEREST. Property might be taken in pledge, pending... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:8 SOLD... SELL... SOLD. In his anger, Nehemiah points out the irony of the Jews being redeemed from exile only to be sold into slavery by their own brothers. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:9 FEAR OF OUR GOD. See note on 1:11. TAUNTS. See Nehemiah 4:1. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:10 LET US. Nehemiah suggests that he himself has been guilty of this injustice. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:11 RETURN... THEIR FIELDS. This commands returning the illegitimately seized interest, but it also seems to order a return of the items pledged to secure the loans. This goes beyond plans for debt-release (Deuteronomy 15:1) or jubilee (Leviticus 25:1), since it is to be d... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:13 SHOOK OUT THE FOLD. A symbolic action matching the words of the curse that follow. SO MAY GOD SHAKE OUT. This type of curse-formula was a way of compelling people to do something. By saying AMEN, the whole assembly agreed to the terms of Nehemiah’s curse. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var im... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:14 GOVERNOR. This is the first indication that Nehemiah held this official post in the province of Yehud (Judea), within the larger province of Beyond the River. TWENTIETH... TO THE THIRTY-SECOND YEAR. 445 to 433 B.C. Nehemiah returned to Susa in 433, and then returned to... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:15 FORMER GOVERNORS. Nehemiah’s predecessors had used the people to enrich themselves and their SERVANTS. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:16 I ALSO PERSEVERED. Nehemiah has made himself equal with his fellow Jews, laboring with them and not using his position for gain. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:17 AT MY TABLE seems to refer to Nehemiah’s obligations as governor. Those WHO CAME... FROM THE NATIONS may have been diplomatic visitors. This heavy burden makes Nehemiah’s self-sacrifice of the FOOD ALLOWANCE all the more remarkable. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElem... [ Continue Reading ]
NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 5:19 REMEMBER. The first of Nehemiah’s prayers asking God to remember either his deeds or his opponents’ deeds (compare Nehemiah 6:14; Nehemiah 13:29). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]