Nehemia 5:1--9:38
Konteks5:1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. 1 5:2 There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain 2 grain in order to eat and stay alive.” 5:3 There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.” 5:4 Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king 3 on our fields and our vineyards. 5:5 And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, 4 and our children are just like their children, 5 still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. 6 Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, 7 since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.” 8
5:6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 9 5:7 I considered these things carefully 10 and then registered a complaint with the wealthy 11 and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral 12 from your own countrymen!” 13 Because of them I called for 14 a great public assembly. 5:8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews 15 who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, 16 so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.
5:9 Then I 17 said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! 18 Should you not conduct yourselves 19 in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 5:10 Even I and my relatives 20 and my associates 21 are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! 22 5:11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest 23 that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”
5:12 They replied, “We will return these things, 24 and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials 25 swear to do what had been promised. 26 5:13 I also shook out my garment, 27 and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out 28 this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. 29
5:14 From the day that I was appointed 30 governor 31 in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes – twelve years in all – neither I nor my relatives 32 ate the food allotted to the governor. 33 5:15 But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to 34 forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God. 5:16 I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing 35 a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work.
5:17 There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely, 36 in addition to those who came to us from the nations 37 all around us. 5:18 Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people.
5:19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
6:1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates), 6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me saying, “Come on! Let’s set up a time to meet together at Kephirim 38 in the plain of Ono.” Now they intended to do me harm.
6:3 So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am engaged in 39 an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?” 6:4 They contacted 40 me four times in this way, and I responded the same way each time. 41
6:5 The fifth time that Sanballat sent his assistant to me in this way, he had an open letter in his hand. 6:6 Written in it were the following words:
“Among the nations it is rumored 42 (and Geshem 43 has substantiated 44 this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors 45 you are going to become their king. 6:7 You have also established prophets to announce 46 in Jerusalem 47 on your behalf, ‘We have a king in Judah!’ Now the king is going to hear about these rumors. So come on! Let’s talk about this.” 48
6:8 I sent word back to him, “We are not engaged in these activities you are describing. 49 All of this is a figment of your imagination.” 50
6:9 All of them were wanting 51 to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”
So now, strengthen my hands! 52
6:10 Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home. 53 He said, “Let’s set up a time to meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let’s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.”
6:11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life? 54 I will not go!” 6:12 I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. 55 6:13 He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I 56 would be discredited. 57
6:14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs – also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were trying to scare me!
6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in just fifty-two days. 6:16 When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw 58 this, they were greatly disheartened. 59 They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
6:17 In those days the aristocrats of Judah repeatedly sent letters to Tobiah, and responses from Tobiah were repeatedly coming to them. 6:18 For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him, 60 because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jonathan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 6:19 They were telling me about his good deeds and then taking back to him the things I said. 61 Tobiah, on the other hand, sent letters in order to scare 62 me.
7:1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had positioned the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 7:2 I then put in charge over Jerusalem 63 my brother Hanani and Hananiah 64 the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do. 7:3 I 65 said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened in the early morning, 66 until those who are standing guard close the doors and lock them. 67 Position residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their guard stations and some near their homes.” 7:4 Now the city was spread out 68 and large, and there were not a lot of people in it. 69 At that time houses had not been rebuilt. 7:5 My God placed it on my heart to gather the leaders, 70 the officials, and the ordinary people so they could be enrolled on the basis of genealogy. I found the genealogical records 71 of those who had formerly returned. Here is what I found written in that record: 72
7:6 These are the people 73 of the province who returned 74 from the captivity of the exiles, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile. 75 They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city. 7:7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of Israelite men 76 was as follows:
7:8 the descendants 77 of Parosh, 2,172;
7:9 the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;
7:10 the descendants of Arah, 652;
7:11 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (from the line 78 of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818;
7:12 the descendants of Elam, 1,254;
7:13 the descendants of Zattu, 845;
7:14 the descendants of Zaccai, 760;
7:15 the descendants of Binnui, 648;
7:16 the descendants of Bebai, 628;
7:17 the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;
7:18 the descendants of Adonikam, 667;
7:19 the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067;
7:20 the descendants of Adin, 655;
7:21 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;
7:22 the descendants of Hashum, 328;
7:23 the descendants of Bezai, 324;
7:24 the descendants of Harif, 112;
7:25 the descendants of Gibeon, 95;
7:26 The men of Bethlehem 79 and Netophah, 188;
7:27 the men of Anathoth, 128;
7:28 the men of the family 80 of Azmaveth, 42;
7:29 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
7:30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
7:31 the men of Micmash, 122;
7:32 the men of Bethel 81 and Ai, 123;
7:33 the men of the other Nebo, 52;
7:34 the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;
7:35 the descendants of Harim, 320;
7:36 the descendants of Jericho, 345;
7:37 the descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;
7:38 the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.
7:39 The priests:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family 82 of Jeshua), 973;
7:40 the descendants of Immer, 1,052;
7:41 the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;
7:42 the descendants of Harim, 1,017.
7:43 The Levites:
the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodaviah), 74.
7:44 The singers:
the descendants of Asaph, 148.
7:45 The gatekeepers:
the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 138.
7:46 The temple servants:
the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 7:47 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon, 7:48 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai, 7:49 the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, 7:50 the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, 7:51 the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzzah, the descendants of Paseah, 7:52 the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, 7:53 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 7:54 the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 7:55 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 7:56 the descendants of Neziah, the descendants of Hatipha.
7:57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida, 7:58 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 7:59 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon.
7:60 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon, 392.
7:61 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify 83 their family connection 84 or their ancestry, 85 as to whether they were really from Israel):
7:62 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 642.
7:63 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). 7:64 They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded 86 from the priesthood. 7:65 The governor 87 instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult 88 the Urim and Thummim.
7:66 The entire group numbered 42,360, 7:67 not counting their 7,337 male and female servants. They also had 245 male and female singers. 7:68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 7:69 (7:68) 89 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 7:70 Some of the family leaders 90 contributed to the work. The governor contributed to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 91 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments. 7:71 Some of the family leaders gave to the project treasury 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. 7:72 What the rest of the people gave amounted to 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.
7:73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their cities.
When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites 92 were settled in their cities, 93 8:1 all the people gathered together 94 in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked 95 Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had commanded Israel. 8:2 So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first day of the seventh month.) 8:3 So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon 96 before the men and women and those children who could understand. 97 All the people were eager to hear 98 the book of the law.
8:4 Ezra the scribe stood on a towering wooden platform 99 constructed for this purpose. Standing near him on his right were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masseiah. On his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 8:5 Ezra opened the book in plain view 100 of all the people, for he was elevated above all the people. When he opened the book, 101 all the people stood up. 8:6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
8:7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah – all of whom were Levites 102 – were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing. 8:8 They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it 103 and imparting insight. Thus the people 104 gained understanding from what was read.
8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, 105 Ezra the priestly scribe, 106 and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, 107 “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law. 8:10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. 108 Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
8:11 Then the Levites quieted all the people saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy. Do not grieve.” 8:12 So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food 109 with others 110 and to enjoy tremendous joy, 111 for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.
8:13 On the second day of the month the family leaders 112 met with 113 Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law. 8:14 They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through 114 Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 8:15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message 115 in all their cities and in Jerusalem: 116 “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.”
8:16 So the people went out and brought these things 117 back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple 118 of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. 8:17 So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy. 119 8:18 Ezra 120 read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last. 121 They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly 122 as was required. 123
9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered with dust. 9:2 Those truly of Israelite descent 124 separated from all the foreigners, 125 standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. 126 9:3 For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins 127 and worshiping the LORD their God. 9:4 Then the Levites – Jeshua, Binnui, 128 Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani – stood on the steps and called out loudly 129 to the LORD their God. 9:5 The Levites – Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah – said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God!”
“May you be blessed, O LORD our God, from age to age. 130 May your glorious name 131 be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise. 9:6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, 132 along with all their multitude of stars, 133 the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You impart life to them all, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
9:7 “You are the LORD God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham. 9:8 When you perceived that his heart was faithful toward you, you established a 134 covenant with him to give his descendants 135 the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites. You have fulfilled your promise, 136 for you are righteous.
9:9 “You saw the affliction of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cry at the Red Sea. 137 9:10 You performed awesome signs 138 against Pharaoh, against his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that the Egyptians 139 had acted presumptuously 140 against them. You made for yourself a name that is celebrated to this day. 9:11 You split the sea before them, and they crossed through 141 the sea on dry ground! But you threw their pursuers 142 into the depths, like a stone into surging 143 waters. 9:12 You guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night to illumine for them the path they were to travel.
9:13 “You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You provided them with just judgments, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. 9:14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath; you issued commandments, statutes, and law to them through 144 Moses your servant. 9:15 You provided bread from heaven for them in their time of hunger, and you brought forth water from the rock for them in their time of thirst. You told them to enter in order to possess the land that you had sworn 145 to give them.
9:16 “But they – our ancestors 146 – behaved presumptuously; they rebelled 147 and did not obey your commandments. 9:17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. 148 But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. 149 You did not abandon them, 9:18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,’ or when they committed atrocious 150 blasphemies.
9:19 “Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by day, 151 nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel. 9:20 You imparted your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths; you provided water for their thirst. 9:21 For forty years you sustained them. Even in the desert they never lacked anything. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
9:22 “You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and you allocated them to every corner of the land. 152 They inherited the land of King Sihon of Heshbon 153 and the land of King Og of Bashan. 9:23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky. You brought them to the land you had told their ancestors to enter in order to possess. 9:24 Their descendants 154 entered and possessed the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites who were the inhabitants of the land. You delivered them into their hand, together with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with as they pleased. 9:25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses full of all sorts of good things – wells previously dug, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate until they were full 155 and grew fat. They enjoyed to the full your great goodness.
9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. 156 They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies. 9:27 Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from 157 their adversaries.
9:28 “Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to 158 their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again. 9:29 And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances – those by which an individual, if he obeys them, 159 will live. They boldly turned from you; 160 they rebelled 161 and did not obey. 9:30 You prolonged your kindness 162 with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, 163 so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. 164 9:31 However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.
9:32 “So now, our God – the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity 165 – do not regard as inconsequential 166 all the hardship that has befallen us – our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people – from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day! 9:33 You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully. 167 It is we who have been in the wrong! 9:34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them. 9:35 Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible 168 goodness that you had lavished 169 on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set 170 before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.
9:36 “So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy 171 its good things – we are slaves! 9:37 Its abundant produce goes to the kings you have placed over us due to our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they see fit, 172 and we are in great distress!
9:38 (10:1) 173 “Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant 174 in written form; 175 our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have affixed their names 176 on the sealed document.”
[5:1] 1 tn Heb “their brothers the Jews.”
[5:2] 2 tn Heb “take” (so also in v. 3).
[5:4] 3 tn Heb “for the tax of the king.”
[5:5] 4 tn Heb “according to the flesh of our brothers is our flesh.”
[5:5] 5 tn Heb “like their children, our children.”
[5:5] 6 tn Heb “to become slaves” (also later in this verse).
[5:5] 7 tn Heb “there is not power for our hand.” The Hebrew expression used here is rather difficult.
[5:5] 8 sn The poor among the returned exiles were being exploited by their rich countrymen. Moneylenders were loaning large amounts of money, and not only collecting interest on loans which was illegal (Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:19-20), but also seizing pledges as collateral (Neh 5:3) which was allowed (Deut 24:10). When the debtors missed a payment, the moneylenders would seize their collateral: their fields, vineyards and homes. With no other means of income, the debtors were forced to sell their children into slavery, a common practice at this time (Neh 5:5). Nehemiah himself was one of the moneylenders (Neh 5:10), but he insisted that seizure of collateral from fellow Jewish countrymen was ethically wrong (Neh 5:9).
[5:7] 10 tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”
[5:7] 12 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
[5:7] 13 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[5:8] 15 tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.”
[5:8] 16 tn Heb “your brothers.”
[5:9] 17 tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).
[5:9] 18 tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.
[5:9] 19 tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”
[5:10] 22 tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt.
[5:11] 23 tc The MT reads וּמְאַת (umÿ’at, “and the hundredth”) which is somewhat enigmatic. The BHS editors suggest emending to וּמַשַּׁאת (umasha’t, “and the debt”) which refers to the interest or collateral (pledge) seized by a creditor (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; see HALOT 641-42 s.v. מַשָּׁא). The term מַשַּׁאת (masha’t) is related to the noun מָשָּׁא (masha’, “debt”) in 5:7, 10.
[5:12] 24 tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[5:12] 25 tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:12] 26 tn Heb “according to this word.”
[5:13] 28 tn Heb “cause to stand.”
[5:13] 29 tn Heb “according to this word.”
[5:14] 30 tc The BHS editors suggest reading צֻוֵּאתִי (tsuvve’ti, “and I was appointed”) rather than the reading of the MT, אֹתִי צִוָּה (tsivvah ’oti, “he appointed me”).
[5:14] 31 tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew
[5:14] 33 tn Heb “the food of the governor.” Cf. v. 18.
[5:15] 34 tc The Hebrew term אַחַר (’akhar) is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense here. Some scholars emend it to אַחַד (’akhad) and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.” Cf. TEV “40 silver coins a day for food and wine.”
[5:16] 35 tn Heb “we did not purchase.”
[5:17] 36 tn Heb “who were gathered around us at my table.”
[5:17] 37 tn Or “from the Gentiles.” The same Hebrew word can refer to “the Gentiles” or “the nations.” Cf. the phrase in 6:16.
[6:2] 38 tn It is not entirely clear whether the Hebrew word כְּפִירִים (kÿfirim) is a place-name not mentioned elsewhere in the OT (as indicated in the present translation; so also NAB, NASB) or whether it means “in [one of] the villages” (so, e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT; see BDB 499 s.v.; HALOT 493 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it in the latter sense. Some scholars connect this term with the identically spelled word כּפירים (“lions”) as a figurative description of princes or warriors (e.g., Pss 34:11; 35:17; 58:7; Jer 2:15; Ezek 32:2, 13; Nah 2:14; see HALOT 493 s.v.): “let us meet together with the leaders in the plain of Ono.”
[6:4] 41 tn Heb “and I answered them according to this word.”
[6:6] 43 tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.
[6:6] 45 tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.
[6:7] 47 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[6:7] 48 tn Heb “Let us consult together.”
[6:8] 49 tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.”
[6:8] 50 tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”
[6:9] 51 tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
[6:9] 52 tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).
[6:10] 53 tn Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not stated. BDB 783 s.v. עָצַר suggests that it had to do with the fulfillment of a vow or was related to an issue of ceremonial uncleanness.
[6:11] 54 tn Heb “go into the temple and live.”
[6:12] 55 tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”
[6:13] 56 tc The translation reads לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the MT reading לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”).
[6:13] 57 tn Heb “would have a bad name.”
[6:16] 58 tc The MT understands the root here to be יָרֵא (yare’, “to fear”) rather than רָאָה (ra’ah, “to see”).
[6:16] 59 tn Heb “they greatly fell [i.e., were cast down] in their own eyes.” Some scholars suggest emending the reading of the MT, וַיִּפְּלוּ (vayyipÿlu) to וַיִּפָּלֵא (vayyippale’, “it was very extraordinary in their eyes”).
[6:18] 60 tn Heb “were lords of oath.”
[6:19] 62 tn Or “to intimidate” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[7:2] 63 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[7:2] 64 tn Some have suggested that “Hananiah” is another name for Hanani, Nehemiah’s brother, so that only one individual is mentioned here. However, the third person plural in v. 3 indicates two people are in view.
[7:3] 65 tc The present translation (along with most English versions) reads with the Qere, a Qumran text, and the ancient versions וָאֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, which reads וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).
[7:3] 66 tn Heb “until the heat of the sun.” The phrase probably means that the gates were to be opened only after the day had progressed a bit, not at the first sign of morning light (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV). It is possible, however, that the Hebrew preposition עַד (’ad), here translated as “until,” has a more rare sense of “during.” If so, this would mean that the gates were not to be left open and unattended during the hot part of the day when people typically would be at rest (cf. NLT).
[7:3] 67 tn Presumably this would mean the gates were not to be opened until later in the morning and were to remain open until evening. Some, however, have understood Nehemiah’s instructions to mean that the gates were not to be left open during the hottest part of the day, but must be shut and locked while the guards are still on duty. See J. Barr, “Hebrew עַד, especially at Job i.18 and Neh vii.3,” JJS 27 (1982): 177-88.
[7:4] 68 tn Heb “wide of two hands.”
[7:4] 69 tn Heb “the people were few in its midst.”
[7:5] 70 tn Heb “nobles”; NCV “important men.”
[7:5] 71 tn Heb “the book of genealogy.”
[7:5] 72 tn Heb “in it”; the referent (the genealogical record) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:6] 73 tn Heb “the sons of”; KJV, ASV “the children of”; NAB “the inhabitants of.”
[7:6] 74 tn Heb “who were going up.”
[7:6] 75 tc One medieval Hebrew manuscript has “to Babylon.” Cf. Ezra 2:1.
[7:7] 76 tn Heb “the men of the people of Israel.” Some English versions translate as “the people from Israel” (NCV) or “the Israelite people” (NRSV), but “men” should be retained because the following numbers presumably include only adult males.
[7:8] 77 tn Heb “the sons of.”
[7:11] 78 tn Heb “to the sons of.”
[7:26] 79 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[7:28] 80 tc The translation reads בְּנֵי (bÿne, “the sons of”) rather than the MT reading בֵית אַנְשֵׁי (’anshey vet, “men of the house of”). Cf. Ezra 2:24.
[7:32] 81 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[7:39] 82 tn Heb “to the house of.”
[7:61] 84 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”
[7:61] 85 tn Heb “their seed.”
[7:64] 86 tn Heb “they were desecrated.”
[7:65] 87 tn The Hebrew term תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshata’; KJV “Tirshatha”) is the official title of a Persian governor in Judea. In meaning it may be similar to “excellency” (cf. NAB). See further BDB 1077 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395; HALOT 1798 s.v.
[7:69] 89 tc Most Hebrew
[7:70] 90 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
[7:70] 91 tn Heb “darics” (also in vv. 71, 72).
[7:73] 92 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” So also in vv. 14, 17; 9:1.
[7:73] 93 tn The traditional understanding of the chapter and verse division here is probably incorrect. The final part of v. 73 is best understood as belonging with 8:1.
[8:1] 94 tn Heb “like one man.”
[8:3] 96 tn Heb “from the light till the noon of the day.”
[8:3] 97 tn Heb “all who could hear with understanding.” The word “children” is understood to be implied here by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, TEV, NLT).
[8:3] 98 tn Heb “the ears of all the people were toward.”
[8:4] 99 tn Heb “a tower of wood.”
[8:5] 100 tn Heb “to the eyes.”
[8:5] 101 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the book) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:7] 102 tc The MT reads “and the Levites.” The conjunction (“and”) should be deleted, following the LXX, Aquila, and the Vulgate. That the vav (ו) of the MT is the vav explicativum (“even the Levites”) is unlikely here.
[8:8] 103 tn The exact meaning of the pual participle מְפֹרָשׁ (mÿforash) in this verse is uncertain. The basic sense of the Hebrew word seems to be “to make distinct.” The word may also have the sense of “to divide in parts,” “to interpret,” or “to translate.” The context of Neh 8:8 does not decisively clarify how the participle is to be understood here. It probably refers to the role of the Levites as those who explained or interpreted the portions of biblical text that had been publicly read on this occasion. A different option, however, is suggested by the translation distincte (“distinctly”) of the Vulgate (cf. KJV, ASV). If the Hebrew word means “distinctly” here, it would imply that the readers paid particular attention to such things as word-grouping and pronunciation so as to be sure that the listeners had every opportunity to understand the message that was being read. Yet another view is found in the Talmud, which understands translation of the Hebrew text into Aramaic to be what is in view here. The following explanation of Neh 8:8 is found in b. Megillah 3a: “‘And they read in the book, in the law of God’: this indicates the [Hebrew] text; ‘with an interpretation’: this indicates the targum; ‘and they gave the sense’: this indicates the verse stops; ‘and caused them to understand the reading’: this indicates the accentuation, or, according to another version, the Masoretic notes.” However, this ancient rabbinic view that the origins of the Targum are found in Neh 8:8 is debatable. It is not clear that the practice of paraphrasing the Hebrew biblical text into Aramaic in order to accommodate the needs of those Jews who were not at home in the Hebrew language developed this early. The translation of מְפֹרָשׁ adopted above (i.e., “explaining it”) understands the word to have in mind an explanatory function (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT) rather than one of translation.
[8:8] 104 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:9] 105 tc The unexpected reference to Nehemiah here has led some scholars to suspect that the phrase “Nehemiah the governor” is a later addition to the text and not original.
[8:9] 106 tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”
[8:9] 107 tn Heb “the people.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
[8:10] 108 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[8:12] 109 tn Heb “to send portions.”
[8:12] 110 tn The Hebrew text does not include the phrase “with others” but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:12] 111 tn Heb “to make great joy.”
[8:13] 112 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
[8:13] 113 tn Heb “were gathered to”; NAB, NIV “gathered around”; NRSV “came together to.”
[8:14] 114 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
[8:15] 116 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:16] 117 tn The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:16] 118 tn Heb “the house.”
[8:17] 119 tn Heb “And there was very great joy.”
[8:18] 120 tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:18] 121 tn Heb “the last day.”
[8:18] 122 tn Heb “on the eighth day an assembly.” The words “they held” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:18] 123 tn Heb “according to the judgment.”
[9:2] 124 tn Heb “the seed of Israel.”
[9:2] 125 tn Heb “sons of a foreigner.”
[9:2] 126 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 16, 23, 32, 34, 36).
[9:3] 127 tn Heb “confessing.” The words “their sins” are not present in the Hebrew text of v. 3, but are clearly implied here because they are explicitly stated in v. 2.
[9:4] 128 tc Heb “Bani.” The translation reads “Binnui” (so also NAB) rather than the MT reading “Bani.” Otherwise there are two individuals with the same name in this verse. The name “Binnui” appears, for example, in Neh 10:10.
[9:4] 129 tn Heb “in a great voice.”
[9:5] 130 tc The MT reads here only “from age to age,” without the preceding words “May you be blessed, O
[9:5] 131 tn Heb “the name of your glory.”
[9:6] 132 tn Heb “the heavens of the heavens.”
[9:6] 133 tn Heb “all their host.”
[9:8] 134 tn Heb “the” (so NAB).
[9:8] 136 tn Heb “your words.”
[9:9] 137 tn Heb “the Sea of Reeds.” Traditionally this is identified as the Red Sea, and the modern designation has been used in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 138 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] 139 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 140 tn Or “arrogantly” (so NASB); NRSV “insolently.”
[9:11] 141 tn Heb “in the midst of.”
[9:11] 142 tn Heb “those who pursued them.”
[9:14] 144 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
[9:15] 145 tn Heb “had lifted your hand.”
[9:16] 146 tn Heb “and our fathers.” The vav is explicative.
[9:16] 147 tn Heb “they stiffened their neck” (so also in the following verse).
[9:17] 148 tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew
[9:17] 149 tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (vÿkhesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT.
[9:19] 151 tn Heb “did not turn from them by day to guide them in the path.”
[9:22] 152 tn The words “of the land” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:22] 153 tc Most Hebrew
[9:25] 155 tn Heb “they ate and were sated.” This expression is a hendiadys. The first verb retains its full verbal sense, while the second functions adverbially: “they ate and were filled” = “they ate until they were full.”
[9:26] 156 tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”
[9:27] 157 tn Heb “from the hand of” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “from the power of.”
[9:28] 158 tn Heb “in the hand of” (so KJV, ASV); NAB “to the power of.”
[9:29] 159 tn Heb “if a man keep.” See note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
[9:29] 160 tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.”
[9:29] 161 tn Heb “they stiffened their neck.”
[9:30] 162 tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:30] 163 tn Heb “did not give ear to.”
[9:30] 164 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
[9:32] 165 tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity.
[9:32] 166 tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”
[9:33] 167 tn Heb “you have done truth.”
[9:35] 169 tn Heb “given them.”
[9:36] 171 tn The expression “to enjoy” is not included in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:37] 172 tn Heb “according to their desire.”
[9:38] 173 sn Beginning with 9:38, the verse numbers through 10:39 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 9:38 ET = 10:1 HT, 10:1 ET = 10:2 HT, 10:2 ET = 10:3 HT, etc., through 10:39 ET = 10:40 HT. Beginning with 11:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[9:38] 174 tn Heb “we are cutting.”
[9:38] 175 tn Heb “and writing.”
[9:38] 176 tn Heb “our leaders, our Levites, and our priests on the sealed document.” The Hebrew text is elliptical here; the words “have affixed their names” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons. Cf. v. 2.
