Nehemiah 4:23

4:23 We did not change clothes ¹  – not I, nor my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water. ² 

Nehemiah 5:10

5:10 Even I and my relatives ³  and my associates ⁴  are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! ⁵ 

[4:23]  ¹ tn Heb “strip off our garments.”

[4:23]  ² tc Heb “a man, his weapon, the waters.” The MT, if in fact it is correct, is elliptical and difficult. Some scholars emend the MT reading הַמָּיִם (hammayim, “the waters”) to בִּמִנוֹ (bimino, “in his right hand”; cf. NAB, NRSV) or מִינוּ(י)הֵ (heminu, “they held on the right side”).

[5:10]  ³ tn Heb “brothers.”

[5:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “lads.”

[5:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt.