Nehemiah 5:5

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)

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

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.