Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:4–8

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.”

⁶When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry, ⁷and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!”

So I called a large assembly against them ⁸and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!”

But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.

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 5:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Still others	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
were saying	אֹמְרִ֔ים	’ō·mə·rîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H559 utter, say
We have borrowed	לָוִ֥ינוּ	lā·wî·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H3867 join
money	כֶ֖סֶף	ḵe·sep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
the king’s	הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
tax	לְמִדַּ֣ת	lə·mid·daṯ	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct	H4060 measure, measurement, stature, size, garment
our fields	שְׂדֹתֵ֖ינוּ	śə·ḏō·ṯê·nū	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H7704 id.
and vineyards	וּכְרָמֵֽינוּ׃	ū·ḵə·rā·mê·nū	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H3754 vineyard

Nehemiah 5:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
We and our children	כִּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם	kiḇ·nê·hem	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1121 son
are just like our countrymen	אַחֵ֙ינוּ֙	’a·ḥê·nū	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H251 brother
and their children	בָּנֵ֑ינוּ	bā·nê·nū	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H1121 son
yet we	אֲנַ֣חְנוּ	’ă·naḥ·nū	Pronoun - first person common plural	H587 we
are subjecting	כֹ֠בְשִׁים	ḵō·ḇə·šîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H3533 subdue, bring into bondage
our sons	בָּנֵ֨ינוּ	bā·nê·nū	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H1121 son
and daughters	בְּנֹתֵ֜ינוּ	bə·nō·ṯê·nū	Noun - feminine plural construct; first person common plural	H1323 daughter
to slavery	לַעֲבָדִ֗ים	la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural	H5650 slave, servant
Some of	וְיֵ֨שׁ	wə·yêš	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H3426 being, substance, existence
our daughters	מִבְּנֹתֵ֤ינוּ	mib·bə·nō·ṯê·nū	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct; first person common plural	H1323 daughter
are already enslaved	נִכְבָּשׁוֹת֙	niḵ·bā·šō·wṯ	Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural	H3533 subdue, bring into bondage
but we are powerless	וְאֵ֣ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
because our fields	וּשְׂדֹתֵ֥ינוּ	ū·śə·ḏō·ṯê·nū	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H7704 id.
and vineyards	וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ	ū·ḵə·rā·mê·nū	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H3754 vineyard
belong to others	לַאֲחֵרִֽים׃	la·’ă·ḥê·rîm	Preposition-l; Adjective - masculine plural	H312 another

Nehemiah 5:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When	כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
I heard	שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙	šā·ma‘·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H8085 hear
their outcry	זַֽעֲקָתָ֔ם	za·‘ă·qā·ṯām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H2201 shriek, outcry
and these	הָאֵֽלֶּה׃	hā·’êl·leh	Article; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
complaints	הַדְּבָרִ֥ים	had·də·ḇā·rîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1697 speech, word
I became extremely	מְאֹ֑ד	mə·’ōḏ	Adverb	H3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
angry	וַיִּ֥חַר	way·yi·ḥar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2734 burn, be kindled

Nehemiah 5:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and after serious	לִבִּ֜י	lib·bî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
thought	וַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ	way·yim·mā·lêḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4427 be or become king, or queen, reign
I rebuked	וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙	wā·’ā·rî·ḇāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H7378 strive, contend
the nobles	הַחֹרִ֣ים	ha·ḥō·rîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2715 noble
and officials	הַסְּגָנִ֔ים	has·sə·ḡā·nîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5461 prefect, ruler
saying	וָאֹמְרָ֣ה	wā·’ō·mə·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
You	אַתֶּ֣ם	’at·tem	Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
are exacting	נֹשִׁ֑אים	nō·šim	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H5378 lend on interest, or usury, be a creditor
usury	מַשָּׁ֥א	maš·šā	Noun - masculine singular	H4855 lending on interest, or usury
from your own brothers	בְּאָחִ֖יו	bə·’ā·ḥîw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
So I called	וָאֶתֵּ֥ן	wā·’et·tên	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H5414 give, put, set
a large	גְדוֹלָֽה׃	ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H1419 great
assembly	קְהִלָּ֥ה	qə·hil·lāh	Noun - feminine singular	H6952 assembly, congregation
against them	עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם	‘ă·lê·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural	H5921 height

Nehemiah 5:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and said	וָאֹמְרָ֣ה	wā·’ō·mə·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
We	אֲנַ֣חְנוּ	’ă·naḥ·nū	Pronoun - first person common plural	H587 we
have done our best	כְּדֵ֣י	kə·ḏê	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1767 sufficiency, enough
to buy back	קָ֠נִינוּ	qā·nî·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H7069 get, acquire
our Jewish	הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים	hay·yə·hū·ḏîm	Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H3064 Jewish
brothers	אַחֵ֨ינוּ	’a·ḥê·nū	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H251 brother
who were sold	הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤ים	han·nim·kā·rîm	Article; Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural	H4376 sell
to foreigners	לַגּוֹיִם֙	lag·gō·w·yim	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
but now you	אַתֶּ֛ם	’at·tem	Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
are selling	תִּמְכְּר֥וּ	tim·kə·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H4376 sell
your own brothers	אֲחֵיכֶ֖ם	’ă·ḥê·ḵem	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine plural	H251 brother
that they may be sold back	וְנִמְכְּרוּ־	wə·nim·kə·rū-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H4376 sell
to us	לָ֑נוּ	lā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
But they remained silent	וַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּ	way·ya·ḥă·rî·šū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2790 cut in, engrave, plough, devise
for they could find	מָצְא֖וּ	mā·ṣə·’ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H4672 attain to, find
nothing	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
to say	דָּבָֽר׃ס	dā·ḇār	Noun - masculine singular	H1697 speech, word