Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:14–18

¹⁴Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.

¹⁵The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver.^a Their servants also oppressed the people. But I did not do this, because of my fear of God. ¹⁶Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

¹⁷There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations. ¹⁸Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.

Footnotes

a 5:15 40 shekels is approximately 1 pound or 453.6 grams of silver.

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 5:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Furthermore	גַּ֞ם	gam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
from the day	מִיּ֣וֹם׀	mî·yō·wm	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
King	הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
Artaxerxes	לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣סְתְּא	lə·’ar·taḥ·šast	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H783 Artaxerxes
appointed me	צִוָּ֣ה	ṣiw·wāh	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order
to be	לִהְי֣וֹת	lih·yō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
their governor	פֶּחָם֮	pe·ḥām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H6346 governor
in the land	בְּאֶ֣רֶץ	bə·’e·reṣ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
of Judah	יְהוּדָה֒	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
from his twentieth	עֶשְׂרִ֗ים	‘eś·rîm	Number - common plural	H6242 (a) twenty
year	מִשְּׁנַ֣ת	miš·šə·naṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H8141 year
until	וְ֠עַד	wə·‘aḏ	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
his thirty-second	שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים	šə·lō·šîm	Number - common plural	H7970 thirty
year	שְׁנַ֨ת	šə·naṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8141 year
twelve	שְׁתֵּ֣ים	šə·têm	Number - fd	H8147 two
years total	שָׁנִ֖ים	šā·nîm	Noun - feminine plural	H8141 year
neither I	אֲנִ֣י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
nor my brothers	וְאַחַ֔י	wə·’a·ḥay	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H251 brother
ate	אָכַֽלְתִּי׃	’ā·ḵal·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H398 eat
the food	לֶ֥חֶם	le·ḥem	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3899 bread, food
allotted to the governor	הַפֶּ֖חָה	hap·pe·ḥāh	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6346 governor

Nehemiah 5:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The governors	וְהַפַּחוֹת֩	wə·hap·pa·ḥō·wṯ	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6346 governor
before me	לְפָנַ֜י	lə·p̄ā·nay	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H6440 face, before
had heavily burdened	הִכְבִּ֣ידוּ	hiḵ·bî·ḏū	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural	H3513 be heavy, weighty, burdensome, honoured
the people	הָעָ֗ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
taking	וַיִּקְח֨וּ	way·yiq·ḥū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3947 take
from them	מֵהֶ֜ם	mê·hem	Preposition-m; Pronoun - third person masculine plural
bread	בְּלֶ֤חֶם	bə·le·ḥem	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H3899 bread, food
and wine	וָיַ֙יִן֙	wā·ya·yin	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
plus	אַחַר֙	’a·ḥar	Adverb	H310 behind
forty	אַרְבָּעִ֔ים	’ar·bā·‘îm	Number - common plural	H705 forty
shekels	שְׁקָלִ֣ים	šə·qā·lîm	Noun - masculine plural	H8255 shekel
of silver	כֶּֽסֶף־	ke·sep̄-	Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
Their servants	נַעֲרֵיהֶ֖ם	na·‘ă·rê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H5288 a shaking, scattering
also	גַּ֥ם	gam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
oppressed	שָׁלְט֣וּ	šā·lə·ṭū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7980 domineer, be master of
the people	הָעָ֑ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
But I	וַאֲנִי֙	wa·’ă·nî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
did not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
do	עָשִׂ֣יתִי	‘ā·śî·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H6213 do, make
this	כֵ֔ן	ḵên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
because	מִפְּנֵ֖י	mip·pə·nê	Preposition-m; Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of my fear	יִרְאַ֥ת	yir·’aṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3374 fear
of God	אֱלֹהִֽים׃	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God

Nehemiah 5:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Instead	וְ֠גַם	wə·ḡam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
I devoted myself	הֶחֱזַ֔קְתִּי	he·ḥĕ·zaq·tî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
to the construction	בִּמְלֶ֜אכֶת	bim·le·ḵeṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H4399 occupation, work
of the	הַזֹּאת֙	haz·zōṯ	Article; Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
wall	הַחוֹמָ֤ה	ha·ḥō·w·māh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2346 wall
and all	וְכָל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
my servants	נְעָרַ֔י	nə·‘ā·ray	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H5288 a shaking, scattering
were gathered	קְבוּצִ֥ים	qə·ḇū·ṣîm	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural	H6908 gather, collect
there	שָׁ֖ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
for	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the work	הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃	ham·mə·lā·ḵāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4399 occupation, work
we did not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
acquire	קָנִ֑ינוּ	qā·nî·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H7069 get, acquire
any land	וְשָׂדֶ֖ה	wə·śā·ḏeh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.

Nehemiah 5:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
There were 150	מֵאָ֧ה	mê·’āh	Number - feminine singular	H3967 hundred
Jews	וְהַיְּהוּדִ֨ים	wə·hay·yə·hū·ḏîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H3064 Jewish
and officials	וְהַסְּגָנִ֜ים	wə·has·sə·ḡā·nîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5461 prefect, ruler
at	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
my table	שֻׁלְחָנִֽי׃	šul·ḥā·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H7979 table
besides the guests	וְהַבָּאִ֥ים	wə·hab·bā·’îm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
from	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the surrounding	סְבִיבֹתֵ֖ינוּ	sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯê·nū	Adverb; first person common plural	H5439 circuit, round about
nations	הַגּוֹיִ֥ם	hag·gō·w·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people

Nehemiah 5:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Each	אֶחָ֗ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
day	לְי֣וֹם	lə·yō·wm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
one	אֶחָ֞ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
ox	שׁ֣וֹר	šō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H7794 head of cattle
six	שֵׁשׁ־	šêš-	Number - feminine singular	H8337 six
choice	בְּרֻר֤וֹת	bə·ru·rō·wṯ	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine plural	H1305 purify, select
sheep	צֹ֠אן	ṣōn	Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
and some fowl	וְצִפֳּרִים֙	wə·ṣip·po·rîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - common plural	H6833 bird
were prepared	נַֽעֲשׂוּ־	na·‘ă·śū-	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural	H6213 do, make
for me	לִ֔י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
and once every	וּבֵ֨ין	ū·ḇên	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H996 interval, space between
ten	עֲשֶׂ֧רֶת	‘ă·śe·reṯ	Number - masculine singular construct	H6235 ten
days	יָמִ֛ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
an abundance	לְהַרְבֵּ֑ה	lə·har·bêh	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
of all kinds	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
of wine	יַ֖יִן	ya·yin	Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
But I did not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
demand	בִקַּ֔שְׁתִּי	ḇiq·qaš·tî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular	H1245 seek
the food	לֶ֤חֶם	le·ḥem	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3899 bread, food
allotted to the governor	הַפֶּחָה֙	hap·pe·ḥāh	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6346 governor
because	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the burden	הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה	hā·‘ă·ḇō·ḏāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5656 labour, service
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the people	הָעָ֥ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
was so heavy	כָֽבְדָ֥ה	ḵā·ḇə·ḏāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3513 be heavy, weighty, burdensome, honoured