Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Nehemiah 5:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Nehemiah 5:3. Because of the dearth. — About the time of Zerubbabel, God had sent a judicial dearth upon the land, as we learn from Haggai, Haggai 1:9, c., for the people it seems were more intent on building houses for themselves than on rebuilding the house of the Lord: "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it is come to little because of mine house that is waste; and ye run, every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground brought forth; and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands." This dearth might have been continued, or its effects still felt; but it is more likely that there was a new dearth owing to the great number of people, for whose support the land that had been brought into cultivation was not sufficient.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The greed of the rich (5:1-19)

Another problem that Nehemiah dealt with was the tension that had developed over the years between the rich and the poor. Those in financial difficulty borrowed money from the rich to buy food and pay their land taxes to the Persian government. The rich took advantage of them by charging heavy interest. Then, when the poor could not pay, the rich took their land from them in payment, and in some cases took their children as slaves. Troubles increased when a famine hit the land, and with the rebuilding of the wall these troubles increased further, since the workers were not able to earn a normal living. The poor saw no way out of their difficulties and appealed to Nehemiah for help (5:1-5).
Nehemiah knew the greed and cunning of the rich. One of their schemes was to sell Jews to foreigners as slaves, knowing that Nehemiah’s policy was for the state to buy them back (6-8). Therefore, he commanded the rich to return any people or property they had seized, and to remove all interest on loans (9-13).
Throughout the twelve years of his governorship, Nehemiah gave the people an example to follow. He did not claim benefits that were lawfully his, as he did not want to place added burdens on the people. He even fed his employees and guests out of his personal funds (14-19).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

A MAJOR SOCIAL CRISIS CONFRONTS NEHEMIAH

"Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many: let us get grain that we may eat and live. Some also there were that said, We are mortgaging our fields and our vineyards, and our houses: let us get grain, because of the dearth. There were also those that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and our vineyards. 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."

There are three classes of protesters here: "These were (1) the landless who were desperately short of food (Nehemiah 5:2), (2) the landowners who, because of famine had been compelled to mortgage their properties (Nehemiah 5:3), and (3) those who had been forced to borrow money at exorbitant rates to meet the Persian king's property taxes (Nehemiah 5:4)."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 407.

Man's inhumanity to man is tragically visible in the sad circumstances that precipitated this uprising of the people.

There are also three causes of the situation, as enumerated by Rawlinson. "These were over-population (Nehemiah 5:2), recent famine (Nehemiah 5:3), and heavy taxation (Nehemiah 5:4)."Ibid.

"Because of the dearth" "Dearth is the usual word for famine, as in Genesis 12:10, and in many other places."Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Vol. 16, p. 257.

One reason for accepting this chapter as a record of events unrelated to the wall-building, is this mention here of a widespread shortage of food, due to famine. There was no hint of such a shortage during the building of the wall; besides that, "The wall-building did not take long enough (less than two months) to cause widespread suffering."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 440.

"For other men have our fields and our vineyards" Keil explained the tragic significance of these words: "Since our fields and vineyards belong to others, what they produce does not come to us, and we are not in a position to be able to put an end to the sad necessity of selling our sons and our daughters for servants."C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries, 3c, p. 210.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 5

Now in chapter 5, further problems arose, and this time from within. If Satan can't defeat you from his forces from without, then he seeks to wreck you from the forces within. Many times the greatest enemies of the church aren't the atheists or those godless forces outside the church, but it is actually the church itself. Factions within the church. And usually the thing behind it all is jealousy, which springs, usually, in the church from greed. "Oh, the church is being blessed more than we are." And the tragedy of the infighting that goes on within the church! You would think that the church would wake up to the fact that we are all one body working together for one King, one Lord.

Someone this morning was telling me of some pastor here in Orange County who warned his people not to go to Calvary Chapel. Well, that's fine. We don't have room for them anyhow. But I'm not worried about you going to another church. I thank God that people from Calvary Chapel are filling all the churches around the area, because wherever they're going they're taking the love of Jesus Christ with them, and the love of Christ is sparking revival and a work of God all over the place. And to me that's exciting that God is working.

And it's a tragic thing that the churches cannot realize that we should be striving together for the cause of Christ. Our problem is that we haven't properly identified the enemy. Our enemy isn't the church across town that's being greatly blessed of God. Far be that from being an enemy. That's a joy and a blessing and something to rejoice and praise God for, not to get jealous about or envious because the Lord is working in their behalf in such a wonderful way. "Oh, but they're Baptist, you know." God loves the Baptists, the Nazarenes; He even loves us. And we need to realize the oneness of the body, and when one member is exalted, they are all exalted. And when one area is being blessed, we're all being... it's the kingdom that's being blessed. I'm a part of the kingdom.

How thankful I am for the day that God delivered me from narrow sectarianism and allowed me to see the whole body. Where I didn't any longer have to feel jealous because another church was prospering or being blessed. But I could rejoice because the whole kingdom of God is expanding and rejoice with all my heart. And I believe that I can say with all honesty, and of course, only God knows my heart, but I rejoice in every great work of God around the country that people are being brought to Jesus Christ. I thank God for the ministry of Jerry Falwell and for the ministry of Pat Robertson and these others who are touching so many people for God. Rex Humbard. So many of these fellows who are just being used to reach so many lives. Praise God for it!

Now, I may not agree with their methods. Nor I may not agree with them all the way in the various aspects of the doctrines. And yet, I shouldn't allow what minor differences that we may have to stand in the way of the rejoicing and the fact that God is using them, and through them people are being brought into the kingdom of God.

Paul acknowledged that there were people there in Rome who were preaching Christ from different kinds of motivations. He said, "I could care less. Christ is being preached. Praise the Lord! They think that they're adding to my own bonds and afflictions. They think that it's bothering me but not so. I rejoice that Christ is being preached." And that needs to be our attitude.

But the next problem that came to them actually came from within. It's no longer Tobiah and Sanballat and the outside forces that are seeking to hinder the work of God. But now it's forces from within. And so often Satan will begin to strike from within. And not only will he strike by divisions and strifes within the body, but also by the introduction of many what I call sterile ideas or beliefs that he will inculcate within the body of Christ. And these sterile doctrines have the effect of destroying a person's fruitfulness. When a person is sterile he can no longer reproduce. And there are certain doctrines that will create spiritual sterility. They're not so evil or awful of themselves, but the effect of them is that they will keep you from really beginning to or continuing to reproduce for Jesus Christ. You become sterile.

So many of the doctrines that make the person so totally inward. Looking at myself. Looking at my own conditions. "I'm not worthy to bring anybody to Christ until I'm mature enough to shepherd them into full maturity. Therefore, I shall not witness anymore until my shepherd tells me that I'm capable and mature enough to shepherd someone to full maturity." Well, what is the effect of that? It stops me from witnessing. It creates a sterility. And soon those groups are just feeding off of themselves. They are no longer really a real light within a community.

The deliverance. Devil, devil, who's got the devil? And so anxious to go around and exorcise whatever demon may have come into the room tonight. And if you burped, you're guilty of having the demon of gluttony and so exorcism is in order. Well, you get so inbred, and of course, you know the effect of inbreeding is idiocy. And it's also sterility. You get to where you just don't reproduce healthy sheep any longer. Satan, his attacks from within the church.

What happened here in Israel is that there were certain people, and the priests were among them, and the rulers who took advantage of the people's plight. And the people needed to borrow money in order to plant their crops and these guys were charging exorbitant interest so that they weren't able to pay back the money and they were having to give their crops for the money. Then they started selling their children as slaves in order to get enough money to exist. And they were having large families; they just couldn't feed their families. And the rulers were just taking advantage of the people and putting them into total bondage. And here were families selling their daughters and their sons as slaves in order that they might just get by. And it was great discouragement to the people because of the high interest and the advantage that the wealthy class were taking over the poor class. Actually, just making themselves richer and richer while they were oppressing the poor.

And this really got to Nehemiah and he called these rulers together and he said, "What you are doing is not right. Let's get rid of this usury. These high interest rates that you're charging. Set the servants that you bought free and let's start having an equanimity among us." And so they hearkened unto Nehemiah and they obeyed his voice. He was so upset he just shook his lap and he said, "And so let God shake the person who is guilty of this exorbitant interest rates and the oppressions over his brothers." And so the people agreed to it. They all said, "Amen," and they praised the Lord together.

Now Nehemiah was a beautiful example unto the people in that he did not take a salary from the people. He did not take of their taxes, but he supported himself completely all the while that he was there. Not exacting taxes upon the people in order that he might live a luxurious kind of life. The governors that had been there before him all lived off of the people, but Nehemiah lived off of his own resources, showing really that his heart was in his office. It was not just a job; it was a real calling of his heart. And he even fed his guests, and he had 150 people eating at his table everyday. So it took one oxen, a half a dozen sheep and all to feed all of these people that came. But he took all of that out of his own pocket. And at the end of the chapter he says:

Lord, think upon me for good [because I'm a pretty good guy] according to all that I have done for this people ( Nehemiah 5:19 ).

Now Nehemiah went a step further than I would ever dare to go at that point. I have never asked the Lord to think upon me for good, for the good that I have done. I always just say, "Think upon me, Lord, in grace and in mercy because You are gracious and merciful. Lord, think about me." And I come to God on the basis, not of what I have done or the good of my own life, but I always come to God on the basis of His grace and His mercy.

There are times when I might be tempted to come to God on my own goodness right after I have done some gracious, benevolent act. But I'd have to come in a hurry, because I might not be able to come in ten minutes because I can blow it so quickly. So I would just rather come on the basis of God's grace and mercy, because then I can always come. The door is never closed. It's always open to me. I'm never turned away, because God is gracious and God is merciful unto those that call upon Him.

But Nehemiah had done a very magnanimous job and in a magnanimous way, and thus, he asked the Lord to think upon him for good for the good that he had done to the people. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

3. The strife among the workers ch. 5

This chapter evidently describes a situation that prevailed for more than the 52 days the wall was under construction (cf. Nehemiah 5:14). The writer probably included it in the text here because it was another situation that threatened to block the fulfillment of God’s will.

"Up to this point Nehemiah’s challenges as a spiritual leader focused primarily on those outside of Judah. But before the walls were finally rebuilt, he encountered the most difficult and intense kind of problem almost every spiritual leader has to face sometime-problems within." [Note: Getz, p. 683.]

The underlying problem this chapter chronicles sprang from pride. Instead of putting God’s interests first and seeking the welfare of their brethren, the Jews were putting their own interests first and taking advantage of their brethren (cf. Matthew 22:37-39). The Mosaic Law forbade Israelites from charging interest when they made loans to fellow Jews (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-38). Evidently Nehemiah and some of his fellow Jews had paid money to certain Gentiles in Babylonia who owned Jewish slaves in order to liberate those Israelites so they could return to Judah (Nehemiah 5:8). How inconsistent it was, then, for the Jews in Jerusalem to enslave them again. Evidently the people of the land were criticizing the Jews for enslaving their brethren (Nehemiah 5:9). Nehemiah himself seems to have made loans to the poorer Jews in Judah, though he did not say he charged them interest (Nehemiah 5:10). Now he called for a stop not only to usury (charging exorbitant interest) but also to lending. He believed the "haves" should give, not lend, to the "have nots" out of love for God and their brethren. Nehemiah spoke out against social injustice. The people agreed to do as Nehemiah asked (Nehemiah 5:12). The "hundredth part" (Nehemiah 5:11) was the interest rate that, if calculated on a monthly basis, would amount to 12 percent per year.

Nehemiah’s unselfish example for the welfare of the community should be a challenge to any leader of God’s people (Nehemiah 5:14-19). The plans of God and the welfare of His people were most important to him.

"One cannot be certain that Nehemiah was originally given a twelve-year appointment as governor by Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:6). Perhaps his original appointment was for a briefer period, but was extended to twelve years." [Note: Laney, p. 92.]

The people the governor ruled would have provided his food allowance (Nehemiah 5:14). Rather than taking advantage of his opportunity to acquire real estate, Nehemiah gave his attention to rebuilding the wall (Nehemiah 5:16). He also provided for the needs of over 150 Jews who worked on the wall out of his own pocket (Nehemiah 5:17-18).

"According to the Persian custom, as governor of Judah Nehemiah had to entertain a number of people at his table." [Note: Fensham, p. 198.]

As Paul later did, Nehemiah gave up what was legitimately his due, in order to provide a good example for those he led (cf. 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8). [Note: See H. G. M. Williamson, "The Governors of Judah under the Persians," Tyndale Bulletin 39 (1988):77-82.]

"Leadership means going further than those one is leading." [Note: Idem, Ezra, Nehemiah, p. 246.]

Nehemiah asked God to reward him for what he had done (Nehemiah 5:19). This is not an improper request since God has promised to bless those who put Him first (Deuteronomy 28:1-14; cf. Matthew 6:33; Mark 10:29-30).

"The invocation of God’s favour is not so much a plea for a reward as an emphatic way of claiming that he [Nehemiah] has acted in good faith and from right motives. It is a statement of confidence that God is judge, and judges favourably those who sincerely seek to do his will." [Note: McConville, p. 102.]

The formula "Remember me, O my God . . ." (also in Nehemiah 13:14; Nehemiah 13:22; Nehemiah 13:31) has some parallels in Egyptian literature of this period. [Note: See Joseph Blenkinsopp, "The Mission of Edjahorresnet and Those of Ezra and Nehemiah," Journal of Biblical Literature 106:3 (1987):414-14.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Some also there were that said, we have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses,.... Made them over to others, put them into their hands as pledges for money received of them:

that we may buy corn; for the support of their families:

because of the dearth; or famine; which might be occasioned by their enemies lying in wait and intercepting all provisions that might be brought to them; for this seems not to be the famine spoken of in Haggai 1:10 for that was some years before this, and for a reason which now was not.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.   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.   3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.   4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.   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.

      We have here the tears of the oppressed, which Solomon considered, Ecclesiastes 4:1. Let us consider them as here they are dropped before Nehemiah, whose office it was, as governor, to deliver the poor and needy, and rid them out of the hand of the wicked oppressors, Psalms 82:4. Hard times and hard hearts made the poor miserable.

      I. The times they lived in were hard. There was a dearth of corn (Nehemiah 5:3; Nehemiah 5:3), probably for want of rain, with which God had chastised their neglect of his house (Haggai 1:9-11) and the non-payment of their church-dues, Malachi 3:9; Malachi 3:10. Thus foolish sinful men bring God's judgments upon themselves, and then fret and complain of them. When the markets are high, and provisions scarce and dear, the poor soon feel from it, and are pinched by it. Blessed be God for the mercy, and God deliver us from the sin, of fulness of bread,Ezekiel 16:49. That which made the scarcity here complained of the more grievous was that their sons and their daughters were many,Nehemiah 5:2; Nehemiah 5:2. The families that were most necessitous were most numerous; here were the mouths, but where was the meat? Some have estates and no children to inherit them; others have children and no estates to leave them. Those who have both have reason to be thankful; those who have neither may the more easily be content. Those who have great families and little substance must learn to live by faith in God's providence and promise; and those who have little families and great substance must make their abundance a supply for the wants of others. But this was not all: as corn was dear, so the taxes were high; the king's tribute must be paid, Nehemiah 5:4; Nehemiah 5:4. This mark of their captivity still remained upon them. Perhaps it was a poll-money that was required, and then, their sons and their daughters being many, it rose the higher. The more they had to maintain (a hard case!) the more they had to pay. Now, it seems, they had not wherewithal of their own to buy corn and pay taxes, but were necessitated to borrow. Their families came poor out of Babylon; they had been at great expense in building them houses, and had not yet got up their strength when these new burdens came upon them. The straits of poor housekeepers who make hard shift to get an honest livelihood, and sometimes want what is fitting for them and their families, are well worthy the compassionate consideration of those who either with their wealth or with their power are in a capacity to help them.

      II. The persons they dealt with were hard. Money must be had, but it must be borrowed; and those that lent them money, taking advantage of their necessity, were very hard upon them and made a prey of them. 1. They exacted interest from them at twelve per cent, the hundredth part every month, Nehemiah 5:11; Nehemiah 5:11. If men borrow large sums to trade with, to increase their stocks, or to purchase land, there is no reason why the lender should not share with the borrower in his profit; or if to spend upon their lusts, or repair what they have so spent, why should they not pay for their extravagances? But if the poor borrow to maintain their families, and we be able to help them, it is certain we ought either to lend freely what they have occasion for, or (if they be not likely to repay it) to give freely something towards it. Nay, 2. They forced them to mortgage to them their lands and houses for the securing of the money (Nehemiah 5:3; Nehemiah 5:3), and not only so, but took the profits of them for interest (Nehemiah 5:5; Nehemiah 5:11), that by degrees they might make themselves masters of all they had. Yet this was not the worst. 3. They took their children for bond-servants, to be enslaved or sold at pleasure, Nehemiah 5:5; Nehemiah 5:5. This they complain of most sensibly, as that which touched them in a tender part, and they aggravate it with this: "Our children are as their children, as dear to us as theirs are to them; not only of the same human nature, and entitled to the honours and liberties of that (Malachi 2:10; Job 31:15), but of the same holy nation, free-born Israelites, and dignified with the same privileges. Our flesh carries in it the sacred seal of the covenant of circumcision, as well as the flesh of our brethren; yet our heirs must be their slaves, and it is not in our power to redeem them." This they made a humble remonstrance of to Nehemiah, not only because they saw he was a great man that could relieve them, but a good man that would. Whither should the injured poor flee for succour but to the shields of the earth? Whither but to the chancery, to the charity, in the royal breast, and those deputed by it for relief against the summum jus--the extremity of the law?

      Lastly, We will leave Nehemiah hearing the complaint, and enquiring into the truth of the complainants' allegations (for the clamours of the poor are not always just), while we sit down and look, (1.) With a gracious compassion upon the oppressed, and lament the hardships which many in the world are groaning under; putting our souls into their souls' stead, and remembering in our prayers and succours those that are burdened, as burdened with them. (2.) With a gracious indignation at the oppressors, and abhorrence of their pride and cruelty, who drink the tears, the blood, of those they have under their feet. But let those who show no mercy expect judgment without mercy. It was an aggravation of the sin of these oppressing Jews that they were themselves so lately delivered out of the house of bondage, which obliged them in gratitude to undo the heavy burdens,Isaiah 58:6.