Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:1–5

1About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.

2Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”

3Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”

4Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

Read all of Nehemiah 5

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Nehemiah 5:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
About that time there wasוַתְּהִ֨יwat·tə·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a greatגְּדוֹלָ֑הgə·ḏō·w·lāhAdjective - feminine singularH1419 great
outcryצַעֲקַ֥תṣa·‘ă·qaṯNoun - feminine singular constructH6818 cry, outcry
from the peopleהָעָ֛םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
and their wivesוּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖םū·nə·šê·hemConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine pluralH802 woman, wife, female
againstאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
their fellowאֲחֵיהֶ֖ם’ă·ḥê·hemNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine pluralH251 brother
Jewsהַיְּהוּדִֽים׃hay·yə·hū·ḏîmArticle; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH3064 Jewish

Nehemiah 5:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Someאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
were sayingאֹמְרִ֔ים’ō·mə·rîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH559 utter, say
Weאֲנַ֣חְנוּ’ă·naḥ·nūPronoun - first person common pluralH587 we
our sonsבָּנֵ֥ינוּbā·nê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH1121 son
and daughtersוּבְנֹתֵ֖ינוּū·ḇə·nō·ṯê·nūConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural construct; first person common pluralH1323 daughter
are numerousרַבִּ֑יםrab·bîmAdjective - masculine pluralH7227 much, many, great
We must getוְנִקְחָ֥הwə·niq·ḥāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH3947 take
grainדָגָ֖ןḏā·ḡānNoun - masculine singularH1715 corn, grain
in order to eatוְנֹאכְלָ֥הwə·nō·ḵə·lāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH398 eat
and stay aliveוְנִחְיֶֽה׃wə·niḥ·yehConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common pluralH2421 live

Nehemiah 5:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Othersאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
were sayingאֹמְרִ֔ים’ō·mə·rîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH559 utter, say
Weאֲנַ֣חְנוּ’ă·naḥ·nūPronoun - first person common pluralH587 we
are mortgagingעֹרְבִ֑ים‘ō·rə·ḇîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH6148 take on pledge, give in pledge, exchange
our fieldsשְׂדֹתֵ֛ינוּśə·ḏō·ṯê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH7704 id.
our vineyardsוּכְרָמֵ֥ינוּū·ḵə·rā·mê·nūConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH3754 vineyard
and our homesוּבָתֵּ֖ינוּū·ḇāt·tê·nūConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH1004 house
to getוְנִקְחָ֥הwə·niq·ḥāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH3947 take
grainדָגָ֖ןḏā·ḡānNoun - masculine singularH1715 corn, grain
during the famineבָּרָעָֽב׃bā·rā·‘āḇPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH7458 famine, hunger

Nehemiah 5:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Still othersאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
were sayingאֹמְרִ֔ים’ō·mə·rîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH559 utter, say
We have borrowedלָוִ֥ינוּlā·wî·nūVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralH3867 join
moneyכֶ֖סֶףḵe·sep̄Noun - masculine singularH3701 silver, money
the king’sהַמֶּ֑לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
taxלְמִדַּ֣תlə·mid·daṯPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singular constructH4060 measure, measurement, stature, size, garment
our fieldsשְׂדֹתֵ֖ינוּśə·ḏō·ṯê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH7704 id.
and vineyardsוּכְרָמֵֽינוּ׃ū·ḵə·rā·mê·nūConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH3754 vineyard

Nehemiah 5:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
We and our childrenכִּבְנֵיהֶ֖םkiḇ·nê·hemPreposition-k; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine pluralH1121 son
are just like our countrymenאַחֵ֙ינוּ֙’a·ḥê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH251 brother
and their childrenבָּנֵ֑ינוּbā·nê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH1121 son
yet weאֲנַ֣חְנוּ’ă·naḥ·nūPronoun - first person common pluralH587 we
are subjectingכֹ֠בְשִׁיםḵō·ḇə·šîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH3533 subdue, bring into bondage
our sonsבָּנֵ֨ינוּbā·nê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH1121 son
and daughtersבְּנֹתֵ֜ינוּbə·nō·ṯê·nūNoun - feminine plural construct; first person common pluralH1323 daughter
to slaveryלַעֲבָדִ֗יםla·‘ă·ḇā·ḏîmPreposition-l; Noun - masculine pluralH5650 slave, servant
Some ofוְיֵ֨שׁwə·yêšConjunctive waw; AdverbH3426 being, substance, existence
our daughtersמִבְּנֹתֵ֤ינוּmib·bə·nō·ṯê·nūPreposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct; first person common pluralH1323 daughter
are already enslavedנִכְבָּשׁוֹת֙niḵ·bā·šō·wṯVerb - Nifal - Participle - feminine pluralH3533 subdue, bring into bondage
but we are powerlessוְאֵ֣יןwə·’ênConjunctive waw; AdverbH369 nothing, nought
because our fieldsוּשְׂדֹתֵ֥ינוּū·śə·ḏō·ṯê·nūConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH7704 id.
and vineyardsוּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּū·ḵə·rā·mê·nūConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH3754 vineyard
belong to othersלַאֲחֵרִֽים׃la·’ă·ḥê·rîmPreposition-l; Adjective - masculine pluralH312 another

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Nehemiah 5:1 Isaiah 5:7 · Deuteronomy 15:7–11

Nehemiah 5:2 Psalm 128:2–4 · Malachi 2:2

Nehemiah 5:3 Leviticus 25:35–39 · Malachi 3:8–11

Nehemiah 5:4 Ezra 4:13 · Ezra 4:20

Nehemiah 5:5 Leviticus 25:39–43 · 2 Kings 4:1 · Isaiah 58:7 · Genesis 37:27

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.