Nehemiah 5:1-10

Ne 5:1

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

Then there was a sad situation which occurred among the people and they brought these accusations against their own people.  It seems the enemy was within their own people which would cause dissension among them and that would be detrimental to the plans for the completion of the wall.  Sometimes hindrances to the work of God crops up from among his own people and not from outside sources.  Since Judah had been back in the land for 71 years, there would have been some wealthy people who had built dynasties already and were financially oppressing their own people.  This was one of the sins that sent Judah into exile for 70 years.

Ne 5:2

For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.

They laid out the dire situation before Nehemiah and told him what was happening.  They were not complaining about the number of children they had because they believed much children was a blessing of the LORD.  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. (Psalm 127:3)  They were speaking about the fact that they had to purchase grain for the purpose of survival in the middle of a dearth of food.  They protested because they had to pay extremely high prices for the food.

Ne 5:3

Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

The prices for food were so exorbitant that the people had to mortgage everything they owned including their houses and lands.  The famine in Judah was very bad but as usual there are always the wealthy folks who take advantage of a person’s situation and attempt to make money off of people who are already in dire straits.

Ne 5:4

There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

Then on top of the exorbitant prices for food there was the tribute they were required to pay the king of Persia since they were still under his authority.  They borrowed against their lands and vineyards so those who had the money to lend would reap the financial benefits.  The people had to pay high taxes as well as high interest rates.  A man named Jacob Egebi whose family name was found on many cuneiform tablets was a Jew who was carried away to Babylon was the first to start loaning money at high rates of usury or interest.  He is called the Father of modern banking.

Ne 5:5

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

In Exodus 21:1-11,the law of Moses did not forbid indentured servitude but it is highly regulated.  The people were being taxed so high and forced to pay high prices for food that some of the families had to sell their children into bondage to serve others to pay the debts of the family.  It was happening for a while already and the financial situation was very bleak and those families were unable to redeem the people sold into bondage because all the lands and houses were mortgaged which means no equity in them to redeem the family members.

Ne 5:6

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

When Nehemiah heard these things he was very angry which was an anger like a blazing fire. The cry was made by a group who apparently had told Nehemiah what was going on and the sad situation they were in.  These things could have affected the building of the wall because those who were servants to other families, had the right to take their servants from the wall and bring them to their house as house servants thus reducing the workforce needed to complete the wall.

Ne 5:7

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.

Then Nehemiah took counsel with himself to see what he would say to the nobles when he approached them about the situation.  He then went to them and rebuked them which was censure or reproving them for exacting usury which was high rates of interest.  What they did was in violation of the law of God.  If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. (Exodus 22:25)  Then Nehemiah had brought in a large assembly of people which may have been the very ones that these rich people were oppressing.  That same situation continues today with credit cards charging high interest rates for charges and cash advances which could be as high as 30%.  I remember many years ago I co-signed a small loan for a friend of mine so he could rebuild his credit.  It was from Beneficial Finance Company.  I had a great credit rating so there was no problem and the loan went through.  Then a few weeks later I get a letter from Beneficial with an offer to loan me $1000 at 28% interest.  I sent the letter back with a note that I would loan them $1000 at 28% interest.  I never heard from back from them.  Just for example, if I was to borrow that $1000 and pay it back over a three year period, the total repayment would be $1489.09.  The interest would be 489.09 making it 49% of the initial loan.

Ne 5:8

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.

Nehemiah tells these nobles that the Jews were sold into slavery by God because of their sins against him.  They should remember what is was like to be the servants of the heathens with all their ways which were against the law of God and how they suffered emotionally and spiritually in that situation.  Then Nehemiah chided them with a question, will you also sell your brethren?  You choose not to remember what it was like and you want to put these others under that bondage?  Will you sell your own brethren into slavery?  These were cutting questions and when Nehemiah faced these nobles off, they could say nothing in their defense because they knew they were guilty of these violations of the law of Moses.

Ne 5:9

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?

Nehemiah tells them plainly that what they are doing is not good or proper.  Then he tells them that they should be walking in the fear of the LORD because they have enemies which still want to destroy them and if they keep breaking the law of God then God may allow the enemy to become strong and overtake Jerusalem and once again punish them by taking them into captivity.  If they are obedient unto the Lord then God would protect them but if they once again start walking against the law of God, then God may remove his hand of protection and put them in peril of the enemy.

Ne 5:10

I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.