Nehemiah 5:1

Nehemiah Intervenes on behalf of the Oppressed

5:1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. ¹ 

Nehemiah 5:7

5:7 I considered these things carefully ²  and then registered a complaint with the wealthy ³  and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral ⁴  from your own countrymen!” ⁵  Because of them I called for ⁶  a great public assembly.

[5:1]  ¹ tn Heb “their brothers the Jews.”

[5:7]  ² tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”

[5:7]  ³ tn Heb “nobles.”

[5:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “taking a creditor’s debt.” The Hebrew noun מַשָּׁא (masha’) means “interest; debt” and probably refers to the collateral (pledge) collected by a creditor (HALOT 641-42 s.v.). This particular noun form appears only in Nehemiah (5:7, 10; 10:32); however, it is related to מַשָּׁאָה (masha’ah, “contractual loan; debt; collateral”) which appears elsewhere (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; cf. Neh 5:11). See the note on the word “people” at the end of v. 5. The BHS editors suggest emending the MT to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”), following several medieval Hebrew MSS; however, the result is not entirely clear: “you are bearing a burden, a man with his brothers.”

[5:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[5:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “I gave.”