Nehemiah 5:7

5:7 I considered these things carefully ¹  and then registered a complaint with the wealthy ²  and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral ³  from your own countrymen!” ⁴  Because of them I called for ⁵  a great public assembly.

Nehemiah 9:10

9:10 You performed awesome signs ⁶  against Pharaoh, against his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that the Egyptians ⁷  had acted presumptuously ⁸  against them. You made for yourself a name that is celebrated to this day.

[5:7]  ¹ tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”

[5:7]  ² tn Heb “nobles.”

[5:7]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[5:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “I gave.”

[9:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “signs and wonders.” This phrase is a hendiadys. The second noun functions adjectivally, while the first noun retains its full nominal sense: “awesome signs” or “miraculous signs.”

[9:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁸ tn Or “arrogantly” (so NASB); NRSV “insolently.”