TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
Complete Jewish Bible
I thought the matter over and then took issue with the nobles and rulers. I charged them, "You are lending against pledges, everyone to his brother"; and I summoned a great assembly to deal with them.
Berean Standard Bible
and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
American Standard Version
Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I held a great assembly against them.
World English Bible Messianic
Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And I thought in my minde, and I rebuked the princes, and the rulers, and saide vnto them, You lay burthens euery one vpon his brethren: and I set a great assemblie against them,
Young's Literal Translation
and my heart reigneth over me, and I strive with the freemen, and with the prefects, and say to them, `Usury one upon another ye are exacting;' and I set against them a great assembly,
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In the KJVVerse 12,390 of 31,102
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Commentary on Nehemiah 5 verses 6–13
6 ¶ And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.
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 ever so high, so thick, so strong, the city could not be safe while such abuses as these were tolerated. Now observe, What method he took for the redress of this grievance which was so threatening to the public.
I. He was very angry (Neh 5:6); he expressed a great displeasure at it, as a very bad thing. Note, It well becomes rulers to show themselves angry at sin, that by the anger itself they may be excited to their duty, and by the expressions of it others may be deterred from evil.
II. He consulted with himself, Neh 5:7. By this it appears that his anger was not excessive, but kept within bounds, that, though his spirit was provoked, he did not say or do any thing unadvisedly. Before he rebuked the nobles, he consulted with himself what to say, and when, and how. Note, Reproofs must be given with great consideration, that what is well meant may not come short of its end for want of being well managed. It is the reproof of instruction that giveth life. Even wise men lose the benefit of their wisdom sometimes for want of consulting with themselves and taking time to deliberate.
III. He rebuked the nobles and rulers, who were the monied men, and whose power perhaps made them the more bold to oppress. Note, Even nobles and rulers, if they do that which is evil, ought to be told of it by proper persons. Let no man imagine that his dignity sets him above reproof.
IV. He set a great assembly against them. He called the people together to be witnesses of what he said, and to bear their testimony (which the people will generally be forward to do) against the oppressions and extortions their rulers were guilty of, Neh 5:12. Ezra and Nehemiah were both of them very wise, good, useful men, yet, in cases not unlike, there was a great deal of difference between their management: when Ezra was told of the sin of the rulers in marrying strange wives he rent his clothes, and wept, and prayed, and was hardly persuaded to attempt a reformation, fearing it to be impracticable, for he was a man of a mild tender spirit; when Nehemiah was told of as bad a thing he kindled immediately, reproached the delinquents, incensed the people against them, and never rested till, by all the rough methods he could use, he forced them to reform; for he was a man of a hot and eager spirit. Note, 1. Very holy men may differ much from each other in their natural temper and in other things that result from it. 2. God's work may be done, well done, and successfully, and yet different methods taken in the doing of it, which is a good reason why we should neither arraign the management of others nor make our own a standard. There are diversities of operation, but the same Spirit.
V. He fairly reasoned the case with them, and showed them the evil of what they did. The regular way of reforming men's lives is to endeavour, in the first place, to convince their consciences. Several things he offered to their consideration, which are so pertinent and just that it appeared he had consulted with himself. He lays it before them, 1. That those whom they oppressed were their brethren: You exact every one of his brother. It was bad enough to oppress strangers, but much worse to oppress their poor brethren, from whom the divine law did not allow them to take any usury, Deu 23:19, Deu 23:20. 2. That they were but lately redeemed out of the hand of the heathen. The body of the people were so by the wonderful providence of God; some particular persons among them were so, who, besides their share in the general captivity, were in servitude to heathen masters, and ransomed at the charge of Nehemiah and other pious and well-disposed persons. "Now," says he, "have we taken all this pains to get their liberty out of the hands of the heathen, and shall their own rulers enslave them? What an absurd thing is this! Must we be at the same trouble and expense to redeem them from you as we were to redeem them from Babylon?" Neh 5:8. Those whom God by his grace has made free ought not to be again brought under a yoke of bondage, Gal 5:1; Co1 7:23. 3. That it was a great sin thus to oppress the poor (Neh 5:9): "It is not good that you do; though you get money by it, you contract guilt by it, and ought you not to walk in the fear of God? Certainly you ought, for you profess religion, and relation to him; and, if you do walk in the fear of God, you will not be either covetous of worldly gain or cruel towards your brethren." Those that walk in the fear of God will not dare to do a wicked thing, Job 31:13, Job 31:14, Job 31:23. 4. That it was a great scandal, and a reproach to their profession. "Consider the reproach of the heathen our enemies, enemies to us, to our God, and to our holy religion. They will be glad of any occasion to speak against us, and this will give them great occasion; they will say, These Jews, that profess so much devotion to God, see how barbarous they are one to another." Note, (1.) All that profess religion should be very careful that they do nothing to expose themselves to the reproach of those that are without, lest religion be wounded through their sides. (2.) Nothing exposes religion more to the reproach of its enemies than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of the professors of it. 5. That he himself had set them a better example (Neh 5:10), which he enlarges upon afterwards, Neh 5:14, etc. Those that rigorously insist upon their right themselves will with a very ill grace persuade others to recede from theirs.
VI. He earnestly pressed them not only not to make their poor neighbours any more such hard bargains, but to restore that which they had got into their hands, Neh 5:11. See how familiarly he speaks to them: Let us leave off this usury, putting himself in, as becomes reprovers, though far from being any way guilty of the crime. See how earnestly, and yet humbly, he persuades them: I pray you leave off; and I pray you restore. Though he had authority to command, yet, for love's sake, he rather beseeches. See how particularly he presses them to be kind to the poor, to give them up their mortgages, put them again in possession of their estates, remit the interest, and give them time to pay in the principal. He urged them to their loss, yet, urging them to their duty, it would be, at length, to their advantage. What we charitably forgive will be remembered and recompensed, as well as what we charitably give.
VII. He laid them under all the obligations possible to do what he pressed them to. 1. He got a promise from them (Neh 5:12): We will restore them. 2. He sent for the priests to give them their oath that they would perform this promise; now that their convictions were strong, and they seemed resolved, he would keep them to it. 3. He bound them by a solemn curse or execration, hoping that would strike some awe upon them: So let God shake out every man that performeth not this promise, Neh 5:13. This was a threatening that he would certainly do so, to which the people said Amen, as to those curses at Mount Ebal (Deu. 27), that their throats might be cut with their own tongues if they should falsify their engagement, and that by the dread of that they might be kept to their promise. With this Amen the people praised the Lord; so far were they from promising with regret that they promised with all possible expressions of joy and thankfulness. Thus David, when he took God's vows upon him, sang and gave praise, Psa 56:12. This cheerfulness in promising was well, but that which follows was better: They did according to this promise, and adhered to what they had done, not as their ancestors in a like case, who re-enslaved those whom a little before they had released, Jer 34:10, Jer 34:11. Good promises are good things, but good performances are all in all.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–13. Public domain.
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BedeAD 735
Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah
And he rebuked the nobles and magistrates, etc. As the best leader of the heavenly army, and a wise architect of the city of God, what he wanted the nobles and magistrates of the people to do, he first declared that he himself had done; namely, giving alms to the poor, and seeking nothing from them except the observance of the law of God and the edification of his city. In this reading, it is not appropriate for us to seek the sense through allegory, but rather to diligently observe the very text of the letter; that is to say, apart from the daily fruits of alms, we should be concerned, when a general time of famine and poverty afflicts the people, to lend to the needy whatever we can, and also to remit the tributes which we used to demand from our subjects as if justly, to the extent that our Father may also forgive us our debts. A very terrible conclusion is imposed on this reading, when it is said:
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Nehemiah 5:7 encapsulates a pivotal moment in the post-exilic restoration of Jerusalem, where Nehemiah, after profound personal deliberation, courageously confronts the Jewish nobles and rulers. These powerful figures were exploiting their fellow Israelites through the unlawful practice of usury, forcing them into debt and servitude. This verse vividly portrays Nehemiah's decisive and righteous leadership, his unwavering commitment to social justice, and his willingness to publicly challenge the community's elite to uphold God's covenant standards and restore moral integrity.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Nehemiah 5:7 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. The most evident is Direct Discourse, as Nehemiah's precise words of rebuke ("Ye exact usury, every one of his brother") are quoted, lending an immediate and authentic voice to the confrontation and emphasizing its gravity. There is a compelling sense of Juxtaposition between Nehemiah's quiet, internal deliberation ("Then I consulted with myself") and his bold, public action ("I rebuked the nobles... And I set a great assembly against them"), highlighting the crucial transition from personal conviction and prayerful discernment to courageous public leadership. The very term "usury" (Hebrew mashshâʼ), particularly when considered with its related root nâshak ("to bite"), carries an implied Metaphor or Imagery, evoking the painful and destructive "bite" or "sting" of exploitation, vividly conveying the insidious nature of the practice. Finally, the verse presents a clear Antithesis between the divinely ordained ideal of covenantal brotherhood and mutual support within Israel and the harsh, sinful reality of economic exploitation and oppression perpetrated by those who should have been protectors.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Nehemiah 5:7 stands as a powerful theological statement, asserting that genuine spiritual revival and national restoration are inextricably linked to social justice and ethical conduct within the community of faith. Nehemiah's righteous indignation and decisive action against economic exploitation reflect God's own character, which consistently champions the cause of the poor and condemns the oppression of the vulnerable. The sin of usury, as exposed here, was not merely an economic misstep but a profound violation of the covenant relationship, undermining the very principles of love for neighbor and communal solidarity that God established for Israel. This passage teaches that true worship and faithfulness to God must manifest in practical righteousness and a commitment to equitable dealings among believers, ensuring that no one is exploited for another's gain. It underscores that God's people are called to be a distinct community, reflecting His justice and compassion to the world, starting from within their own ranks.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Nehemiah 5:7 provides a timeless blueprint for courageous and compassionate leadership, challenging believers in every era to not only be aware of injustice but to act decisively against it, even when it involves confronting those in positions of power or influence within our own communities. Like Nehemiah, we are called to cultivate a deep sense of discernment and righteous indignation, allowing God's heart for justice to shape our responses. This means moving beyond passive observation to active intervention, whether in addressing economic exploitation, social inequalities, or any form of oppression that undermines the dignity of individuals created in God's image. The passage also reminds us that the true health and vitality of a spiritual community are measured not just by its outward activities or numerical growth but by the ethical integrity of its internal relationships and its unwavering commitment to caring for its most vulnerable members. We are urged to examine our own practices and the systems we participate in to ensure they reflect biblical principles of fairness, generosity, and compassion, rather than perpetuating cycles of debt, disadvantage, or exploitation.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Nehemiah's internal consultation important before he acted?
Answer: Nehemiah's act of "consulting with myself" (Hebrew: mâlak with lêb, meaning "to consult in one's heart/mind") signifies deep, thoughtful, and likely prayerful consideration. This was crucial because he was about to confront powerful individuals—the nobles and rulers—who were exploiting the vulnerable. A rash or emotional reaction could have backfired, leading to greater division, undermining his authority, or even jeopardizing the rebuilding efforts. His deliberate process demonstrates wise leadership, strategic thinking, and a reliance on divine wisdom, ensuring his actions were grounded in conviction and principle rather than impulsivity. It sets an example for leaders to seek discernment and spiritual guidance before taking on complex and sensitive issues.
What was wrong with "usury" (charging interest) in ancient Israel, and how does it apply today?
Answer: In ancient Israel, the Mosaic Law strictly prohibited charging interest on loans to fellow Israelites, especially the poor (e.g., Exodus 22:25, Leviticus 25:36-37, Deuteronomy 23:19-20). This prohibition was rooted in the covenantal understanding of brotherhood and communal solidarity. Charging interest to a "brother" was seen as exploiting their distress, leading to perpetual debt, poverty, and even debt slavery, which undermined the social fabric and God's design for a just society. While modern financial systems are complex and charging interest is common, the underlying principle remains: God condemns exploitative financial practices that oppress the poor and vulnerable. This applies today to predatory lending, exorbitant interest rates that trap people in debt, and any economic system that prioritizes profit over human dignity and justice, particularly within the community of faith. Believers are called to practice generosity and equity, especially towards those in need, reflecting God's compassionate character.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Nehemiah's righteous indignation and courageous confrontation of injustice in Nehemiah 5:7 powerfully foreshadow the ministry of Jesus Christ, the ultimate righteous leader and champion of the oppressed. Just as Nehemiah rebuked those who exploited their "brothers" and violated God's law, Jesus consistently challenged the religious and political establishments of His day for their hypocrisy, legalism, and oppression of the vulnerable. His dramatic cleansing of the Temple, where He overturned the tables of money-changers and those selling doves, was a direct and forceful act of confronting economic exploitation and the perversion of true worship, declaring, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13). Furthermore, Nehemiah's deep concern for the poor and the oppressed reflects the very heart of God, which is supremely revealed in Christ's incarnate ministry. Jesus proclaimed His mission to "preach good news to the poor... to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18). Ultimately, while Nehemiah could only rebuke and set an assembly to address sin, Jesus not only confronted sin but bore its full weight on the cross, providing the perfect and complete solution to humanity's brokenness and injustice. Through His atoning sacrifice, He establishes a new covenant community, the Church, called to embody true justice and righteousness, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out the principles of love, equity, and compassion that Nehemiah championed, anticipating the full realization of God's just kingdom where all exploitation, sorrow, and pain will cease (Revelation 21:4).