to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 1st person common singular
good
ט֥וֹבTov
H2896
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense · adjective, masculine singular absolute
that
הַדָּבָ֖רha.da.Var
H1697
a word · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
do
עֹשִׂ֑ים'o.Sim
H6213
to do or make · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
walk
יָלַךְyâlak
H3212
to walk (literally or figuratively)
fear
בְּיִרְאַ֤תbe.yir.'At
H3374
fear (also used as infinitive) · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
God
אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙'e.lo.Hei.nu
H430
gods in the ordinary sense · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix
reproach
מֵחֶרְפַּ֖תme.cher.Pat
H2781
contumely · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
heathen
הַגּוֹיִ֥םha.go.Yim
H1471
a foreign nation · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
enemies
אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ'oy.Vei.nu
H341
hating · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Leviticus 25:36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee…
Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
Romans 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which th…
Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Genesis 13:7-8 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled th…
Genesis 20:11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 5:6-13
It should seem the foregoing complaint was made to Nehemiah at the time when he had his head and hands as full as possible of the public business about building the wall; yet, perceiving it to be just, he did not reject it because it was unseasonable; he did not chide the petitioners, nor fall into a passion with them, for disturbing him when they saw how much he had to do, a fault which men of business are too often guilty of; nor did he so much as adjourn the hearing of the cause or proceedings upon it till he had more leisure. The case called for speedy interposition, and therefore he applied himself immediately to the consideration of it, knowing that, let him build Jerusalem's walls eve…
THE USURERS REBUKED. (Neh 5:6-19)
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 rich creditors not only to abandon their illegal and oppressive system of usury, but to restore the fields and vineyards of the poor, so that a remedy might be put to an evil the introduction of which had led to muc…
Ought 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.
John Gill on Nehemiah 5:9
Dictionary and topics
Jubilee — A joyful shout or clangour of trumpets, the name of the great semi-centennial festival of the Hebrews. It lasted for a year. During this year the land was to be fallow, and the Israelites were only…
Beneficence · .The Jews who returned from the exile — .The Jews who returned from the exile
Borrowing · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Consistency · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Country · LOVE OF — LOVE OF
Creditor · OPPRESSIONS OF — OPPRESSIONS OF
Creditors · Often cruel in exacting debts — Often cruel in exacting debts
Example · GOOD — GOOD
Gentiles · Characterised as: Blasphemous and reproachful — Characterised as: Blasphemous and reproachful
Inconsistency · .The Jews, in oppressing the poor — .The Jews, in oppressing the poor
Interest · but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates) — but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
Kindness · .The Jews to the people — .The Jews to the people
Lending · General scriptures concerning
Also I said, it is not good that ye do,.... The meaning is, that it was very bad; it is a "meiosis", by which more is intended than is expressed:
ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God; in reverence of him and his law, and according to that:
because of the reproach of the Heathen our enemies? whose mouths will be open to reproach the true religion, and the good ways of God; and say, these are the men that pretend to fear God, and serve him, and yet break his law, and use their brethren ill, see Romans 2:24.
Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 5:6-13
The abolition of usury. - Neh 5:6 Nehemiah was very angry at this complaint and these things, i.e., the injustice which had been brought to his knowledge.
Neh 5:7
"And my heart took counsel upon it (ימּלך according to the Chaldee use of מלך, Dan 4:24), and I contended with the nobles and rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury every one of his brother." ב נשׁא means to lend to any one, and משּׁא, also משּׁאה, Deu 24:10; Pro 22:26, and mashe', is the thing lent, the loan, what one borrows from or lends to another. Consequently משּׁא נשׁא is to lend some one a loan; comp. Deu 24:10. This does not seem to suit this verse. For Nehemiah cannot reproach the nobles for lending loans, when he and h…
walk in the fear of our God: See Lev 25:35-43. • avoid being mocked: See also Neh 1:3; 2:19; 4:1-3.
Rashi on Nehemiah 5:9
The thing...is not good The thing is evil in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He.
because of the reproach because of the reproach of the heathens who are our enemies.
Usury Or Interest · The Jews: Required to restore — The Jews: Required to restore
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
