Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:7–9

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.

9So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?

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 5:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
and after seriousלִבִּ֜יlib·bîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
thoughtוַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְway·yim·mā·lêḵConjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH4427 be or become king, or queen, reign
I rebukedוָאָרִ֙יבָה֙wā·’ā·rî·ḇāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singularH7378 strive, contend
the noblesהַחֹרִ֣יםha·ḥō·rîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH2715 noble
and officialsהַסְּגָנִ֔יםhas·sə·ḡā·nîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH5461 prefect, ruler
sayingוָאֹמְרָ֣הwā·’ō·mə·rāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
Youאַתֶּ֣ם’at·temPronoun - second person masculine pluralH859 thou
are exactingנֹשִׁ֑איםnō·šimVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH5378 lend on interest, or usury, be a creditor
usuryמַשָּׁ֥אmaš·šāNoun - masculine singularH4855 lending on interest, or usury
from your own brothersבְּאָחִ֖יוbə·’ā·ḥîwPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH251 brother
So I calledוָאֶתֵּ֥ןwā·’et·tênConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularH5414 give, put, set
a largeגְדוֹלָֽה׃ḡə·ḏō·w·lāhAdjective - feminine singularH1419 great
assemblyקְהִלָּ֥הqə·hil·lāhNoun - feminine singularH6952 assembly, congregation
against themעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם‘ă·lê·hemPreposition; third person masculine pluralH5921 height

Nehemiah 5:8

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
and saidוָאֹמְרָ֣הwā·’ō·mə·rāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
Weאֲנַ֣חְנוּ’ă·naḥ·nūPronoun - first person common pluralH587 we
have done our bestכְּדֵ֣יkə·ḏêPreposition-k; Noun - masculine singular constructH1767 sufficiency, enough
to buy backקָ֠נִינוּqā·nî·nūVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralH7069 get, acquire
our Jewishהַיְּהוּדִ֜יםhay·yə·hū·ḏîmArticle; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH3064 Jewish
brothersאַחֵ֨ינוּ’a·ḥê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH251 brother
who were soldהַנִּמְכָּרִ֤יםhan·nim·kā·rîmArticle; Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralH4376 sell
to foreignersלַגּוֹיִם֙lag·gō·w·yimPreposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH1471 nation, people
but now youאַתֶּ֛ם’at·temPronoun - second person masculine pluralH859 thou
are sellingתִּמְכְּר֥וּtim·kə·rūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH4376 sell
your own brothersאֲחֵיכֶ֖ם’ă·ḥê·ḵemNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine pluralH251 brother
that they may be sold backוְנִמְכְּרוּ־wə·nim·kə·rū-Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralH4376 sell
to usלָ֑נוּlā·nūPreposition; first person common plural
But they remained silentוַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּway·ya·ḥă·rî·šūConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH2790 cut in, engrave, plough, devise
for they could findמָצְא֖וּmā·ṣə·’ūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH4672 attain to, find
nothingוְלֹ֥אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
to sayדָּבָֽר׃סdā·ḇārNoun - masculine singularH1697 speech, word

Nehemiah 5:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So I continuedוַיֹּאמֶרway·yō·mɛrConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularH559 utter, say
Whatאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
youאַתֶּ֣ם’at·temPronoun - second person masculine pluralH859 thou
are doingעֹשִׂ֑ים‘ō·śîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH6213 do, make
is notלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
rightט֥וֹבṭō·wḇAdjective - masculine singularH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
Shouldn’tהֲל֞וֹאhă·lō·wAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
you walkתֵּלֵ֔כוּtê·lê·ḵūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH1980 go, come, walk
in the fearבְּיִרְאַ֤תbə·yir·’aṯPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH3374 fear
of our Godאֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙’ĕ·lō·hê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH430 God
to avoid the reproachמֵחֶרְפַּ֖תmê·ḥer·paṯPreposition-m; Noun - feminine singular constructH2781 reproach
of our foreignהַגּוֹיִ֥םhag·gō·w·yimArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH1471 nation, people
enemiesאוֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃’ō·wy·ḇê·nūVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH341 be hostile to

Cross-references

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

Nehemiah 5:7 Deuteronomy 23:19–20 · Leviticus 25:36 · Exodus 22:25 · Ezekiel 22:12 · Leviticus 19:15 · 2 Chronicles 19:6–7 · Psalm 15:5 · Deuteronomy 24:10–13 · Deuteronomy 15:2–3

Nehemiah 5:8 Leviticus 25:47–49

Nehemiah 5:9 Leviticus 25:36 · 2 Samuel 12:14 · Romans 2:24 · Proverbs 18:5 · 1 Peter 2:12

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.