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Green's Literal Translation

Nehemiah 5:5

yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers; as their sons, so are our sons; and, behold, we are bringing our sons and our daughters into bondage, to be slaves; yea, there are some of our daughters brought into bondage.And there is no power for our hand, and our fields and our vineyards are in the possession of other men.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Borrowing;   Children;   Country;   Covetousness;   Creditor;   Debtor;   Interest;   Land;   Lending;   Poor;   Repentance;   Rich, the;   Usury;   Thompson Chain Reference - Nehemiah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Servants;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Debtor;   Restitution;   Servant;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Lending;   Malachi;   Slave;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Family Life and Relations;   God, Names of;   Joel, Theology of;   Money;   Violence;   Wealth;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jubilee;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Children;   Jubilee;   Usury;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Banking;   Borrow;   Crimes and Punishments;   Malachi;   Merchant;   Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Debt;   Flesh;   Nehemiah;   Poverty;   Slave, Slavery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Usury;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bondage;   Child;   Father;   Malachi;   Poverty;   Relationships, Family;   Salvation;   Slave;   Tax;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Antislavery Movement and the Jews;   Father;  

Parallel Translations

Geneva Bible (1587)
And nowe our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, and our sonnes as their sonnes: and lo, we bring into subiection our sonnes and our daughters, as seruants, and there be of our daughters nowe in subiection, and there is no power in our handes: for other men haue our landes and our vineyardes.
Christian Standard Bible®
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
Hebrew Names Version
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children: and, behold, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
Easy-to-Read Version
We are as good as the others. Our sons are as good as their sons. But we will have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some of us have already had to sell our daughters as slaves. There is nothing we can do. We have already lost our fields and vineyards. Other people own them now."
English Standard Version
Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."
Amplified Bible
"Now our flesh (skin) is the same as that of our brothers (relatives), and our children are like their children, yet here we are forcing (selling) our sons and our daughters to be slaves; and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are powerless [to redeem them] because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
American Standard Version
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 into bondage already: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
Contemporary English Version
We are Jews just as they are, and our children are as good as theirs. But we still have to sell our children as slaves, and some of our daughters have already been raped. We are completely helpless; our fields and vineyards have even been taken from us."
Complete Jewish Bible
Now our flesh is no different from the flesh of our kinsmen, and our children are the same as their children; yet we are bringing our sons and daughters into bondage as slaves. Some of our daughters have gone into slavery already, and it's beyond our power to do anything about it, because other men have our fields and vineyards."
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 into bondage already; neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.'
King James Version (1611)
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and loe, wee bring into bondage our sonnes and our daughters, to bee seruants, and some of our daughters are brought vnto bondage already, neither is it in our power to redeeme them: for other men haue our lands and vineyards.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.
English Revised Version
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 into bondage already: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
Berean Standard Bible
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
Lexham English Bible
Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our sons are like their sons. Look, we are subduing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and there are some from our daughters being molested. We are powerless, and our fields and vineyards belong to others."
New Century Version
We are just like our fellow Jews, and our sons are like their sons. But we have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been sold. But there is nothing we can do, because our fields and vineyards already belong to other people."
New English Translation
And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people."
New King James Version
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards."
New Living Translation
We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others."
New Life Bible
Our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers. Our children are like their children. Yet we are made to sell our sons and daughters to work for others. Some of our daughters have already been sold and taken away. We cannot do anything, because our fields and vines belong to others."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.
George Lamsa Translation
And there were also those who said, Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children; and, 1o, we are compelling our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are already compelled to become maidservants; and yet they do not raise their hands in protest before God; and our fields, our vineyards, and our goods are given for other men.
Good News Translation
We are of the same race as the other Jews. Aren't our children just as good as theirs? But we have to make slaves of our children. Some of our daughters have already been sold as slaves. We are helpless because our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us."
New American Standard Bible
"And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
King James Version
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And now our fleshe is as the fleshe of our brethren, and our children as their children: and loe we bring into subiection our sonnes and our daughters as seruauntes, and some of our daughters are subdued vnto bondage alredie, and no strength is there in our handes to redeeme them, and other men haue our landes and vineyardes.
New Revised Standard
Now our flesh is the same as that of our kindred; our children are the same as their children; and yet we are forcing our sons and daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been ravished; we are powerless, and our fields and vineyards now belong to others."
Darby Translation
yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And now as the fleischis of oure britheren ben, so and oure fleischis ben; and as ben the sones of hem, so and oure sones ben; lo! we han maad suget oure sones and oure douytris in to seruage, and seruauntissis ben of oure douytris, and we han not wherof thei moun be ayenbouyt; and othere men han in possessioun oure feeldis, and oure vyneris.
Young's Literal Translation
and now, as the flesh of our brethren [is] our flesh, as their sons [are] our sons, and lo, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are of our daughters subdued, and our hand hath no might, and our fields and our vineyards [are] to others.'
World English Bible
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children: and, behold, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
Revised Standard Version
Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children; yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved; but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."
Update Bible Version
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our sons as their sons: and, look, we bring into slavery our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are brought into slavery [already]: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
Webster's Bible Translation
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 to bondage [already]: neither [is it] in our power [to redeem them]; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
Bible in Basic English
But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children: and now we are giving our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants, and some of our daughters are servants even now: and we have no power to put a stop to it; for other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now are oure brethrens bodies as oure awne bodies, and their children as oure children: els shulde we subdue oure sonnes and doughters vnto bondage, and some of oure doughters are subdued allready, and no strength is there in oure handes, and other men shal haue oure londes and vynyardes.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
Legacy Standard Bible
But now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into subjugation, and we have no power in our hands to help, and our fields and vineyards belong to others."

Contextual Overview

1 And there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives, against their brothers the Jews. 2 For some were saying, With our sons and our daughters, we are many. Let us take up grain for them, so that we may eat and live. 3 Some also were saying, We have mortgaged our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses; let us take up grain because of the famine. 4 And some were saying, We have borrowed silver for the king's tax, on our fields, and our vineyards, 5 yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers; as their sons, so are our sons; and, behold, we are bringing our sons and our daughters into bondage, to be slaves; yea, there are some of our daughters brought into bondage.And there is no power for our hand, and our fields and our vineyards are in the possession of other men.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

our flesh: Genesis 37:27, Isaiah 58:7, James 2:5, James 2:6

we: Exodus 21:1-11, Leviticus 25:39-43, 2 Kings 4:1, Matthew 18:25

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:13 - bought Exodus 21:7 - sell Exodus 21:26 - General Leviticus 25:48 - General Deuteronomy 5:14 - thy manservant Esther 7:4 - But if we Job 24:9 - General Job 31:15 - Did not he Proverbs 22:7 - the borrower Proverbs 29:13 - meet Isaiah 50:1 - or which Ephesians 6:9 - ye Colossians 4:1 - give Revelation 18:13 - slaves

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until your return to the ground. For you have been taken out of it; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Genesis 5:7
And after he fathered Enos, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years. And he fathered sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:8
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years And he died.
Genesis 5:10
After he fathered Cainan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and he fathered sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:11
And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years. And he died.
Genesis 5:12
And Cainan lived seventy years and fathered Mahalaleel.
Genesis 5:14
And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years. And he died.
Genesis 5:21
And Enoch lived sixty five years and fathered Methuselah.
Genesis 5:22
And Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he fathered Methuselah. And he fathered sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:32
And Noah was five hundred years old. And Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren,.... We are of the same nature, nation, stock, and religion: our children as their children; are circumcised as they, and have a right to the same privileges in church and state:

and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and daughters to be servants; shall be obliged to it, unless relieved:

and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already; sold to be servants, as they might in case of the poverty of parents, Exodus 21:7, and some were sometimes taken to be bondmen in payment of their parents' debts, 2 Kings 4:1

neither is it in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards; as pledges for money borrowed.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The power of a father to sell his daughter into slavery is expressly mentioned in the Law Exodus 21:7. The power to sell a son appears from this passage. In either case, the sale held good for only six years, or until the next year of jubilee (see the marginal references).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 5:5. We bring in to bondage our sons — The law permitted parents to sell their children in times of extreme necessity, Exodus 21:7.


 
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