Nehemiah 5

Chap. V. Ver. 1—19. The people complain of usury and oppression from their richer brethren. Nehemiah obliges them to make compensation, and sets a liberal example.—One would think it impossible that any of the children of Israel, seeing the distress of their brethren, should add to it by oppression; but such is human nature, not only among Jews, but Christians. The situation of the poor was such, that they had difficulty to provide bread for themselves and children. In a time of dearth, (described by Haggai, (Nehemiah 1:9), &c.) they were obliged to mortgage their houses and lands, not only to get food, but to pay the king’s tribute. And though their children were as dear to them as were the children of the rich, they had been obliged to sell some of them into bondage, and instead of being able to redeem them, they had the prospect before them these obliged to sell their other children, and perhaps themselves.

The good Nehemiah, on hearing this, was very angry with “the nobles and the rulers,” who were, as it appears, the chief offenders, and had been guilty of exacting usury, contrary to the law; and reproved them with so much spirit and earnestness, that he made them utterly ashamed; then bound them by oath to restore what they had unlawfully taken, and by a most expressive symbolic action, (the shaking out his lap,) imprecated poverty and ruin on all who were false to their engagements. Further to shame them, he reminds them, (of what they must have known,) that for the twelve years which he had been over them, he had maintained his family, and himself in the rank of governor, without burdening them or the state. Former governors, it seems, had not only received the king’s allowance, but had been burdensome to the people, and even suffered their servants to oppress them; “but so did not I,” (says he,) “because of the fear of God!” What an important and impressive maxim!

Notes on the verses

Chap. V. Ver. 11. The hundredth part, &c.—{This was probably the rate of interest which they obliged their poor debtors to pay each month, which would amount to about twelve per cent. Volney states that this is the lowest rate of interest in Syria: the usual rate is twenty; and it is sometimes as high as thirty per cent.|— Bagster. Ver. 13. I shook my lap.—This was a significant sign, and such as was common with the ancients. ‘When the Roman ambassadors entered the Senate of Carthage, they had their toga gathered up in their bosom. They said, We carry here peace. Sethe you may have which you will. The Senate answered, Give us which you please. They then shook their toga, and said, We bring you war.”: P Ver.

14. The bread of the governor.—That is, he neither received any salary, nor had his table furnished by the Jews; on the contrary, he fed 150 Jews at his own table, besides strangers. ‘: Ver. 18. Daily was one ox, &c.—[This was food sufficient for more than 200 men. Pococke says, that the Bey of Tunis had daily twelve sheep, with fish and fowls, soups, oranges, eggs, onions, boiled rice, &c. &c. His nobles dined with him; after they had done, the servants sat down; and when they had finished, the poor took what was left. Here the Bey’s twelve are equal to Nehemiah’s one ox and six choice sheep; and probably the mode of living between the two was nearly alike. It is still the practice in the East to calculate the expenses of the table, not by the money paid, but by the provisions consumed by the guests.

|—Bagster. ‘; GHav. VI. Ver. 5. With an open letter.—This was an insult. The Persians roll up their letters, fasten them with gum, and seal them with ink. ‘To persons of distinction, they are generally inclosed in a purse of silk.—Harmer. Ver. 10. Who was shut up.—Some think he was a recluse, that pretended peculiar sanctity. Ver. 14. Prophetess Noadiah.—Who the feminine termination a mistake. Ver. 15. The twenty-fifth of Elul.—Answering to part of our August and September. [There seems no difficulty in supposing that several thousand workmen, each of whom was working as for God, should be able to complete the wall in fifty-two days.

Several parts of the old wall were doubtless entire; in many places the foundations still remained: and the materials of the old wall were still at hand. This work was little when compared with what Titus did at Jerusalem, who built a wall round it of 5000 paces in three days, besides thirteen towers of ten stadia in circuit: and Q. Curtius and Arrian inform us, that Alexander the Great built the walls of Alexandria, on the Tanais, nearly eight miles in compass, in the space of between twenty and thirty days. |—Bagster.