Nehemiah 5 1

Nehemiah 5:1 kjv

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

Nehemiah 5:1 nkjv

And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren.

Nehemiah 5:1 niv

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews.

Nehemiah 5:1 esv

Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

Nehemiah 5:1 nlt

About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews.

Nehemiah 5 verses

Nehemiah 5 1 Meaning

Nehemiah 5:1 initiates a critical internal crisis within the Jewish community during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. It describes a severe economic distress that prompted a "great outcry" from the general populace and their wives. This collective lament was directed "against their Jewish brothers," revealing widespread accusations of exploitation and oppression from within the covenant community itself. The verse signifies that beyond external opposition, the people faced profound suffering due to economic injustice, violating the fundamental principles of brotherly love and God's law among the returnees.

Nehemiah 5 1 Context

Nehemiah chapter 5 directly follows Nehemiah chapter 4, which details the external threats and opposition faced by the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. Chapter 4 ends with Nehemiah organizing the people for both construction and defense. However, immediately in chapter 5, the narrative shifts from external challenges to a severe internal crisis. The rapid mention of an "outcry" highlights that despite the crucial work of rebuilding, moral and social righteousness within the community was faltering. The return from exile was meant to mark a renewed covenant with God, but economic oppression by fellow Jews contradicted the very principles of that covenant and God's law. This internal strife became a profound threat to the integrity and unity of the community, necessitating an immediate and drastic intervention by Nehemiah before the wall-building could continue effectively.

Nehemiah 5 1 Word analysis

• And there was a great outcry:
  • Hebrew: וַתְּהִי צַעֲקַת גְּדוֹלָה (wattəhî ṣa‘ăqat gəḏôlâ)
  • Tse'aqah (צְעָקָה): Transliterated as "tsa'akah" or "tse'aqah," this noun signifies a strong "cry" or "shout" – often one of distress, grief, or an urgent plea for help or justice. It is commonly used in the Old Testament to describe the cry of the oppressed reaching God's ears (Exod 3:7) or appealing to a ruler. Its presence here highlights the severity and desperation of the situation.
  • Gəḏôlâ (גְּדוֹלָה): This feminine adjective means "great," "large," or "loud." Its pairing with tse'aqah emphasizes the widespread nature and intense volume of the protest, indicating that the problem was not isolated but affected a significant portion of the populace and was voiced vociferously.
• of the people:
  • Hebrew: הָעָם (ha'am): This term translates as "the people" and typically refers to the common folk, often the ordinary, less privileged members of society. In this context, it points to the general populace who were victims of economic hardship and oppression, highlighting that the crisis affected a broad base of the Jewish returnees.
• and their wives:
  • Hebrew: וְנְשֵׁיהֶם (wenashehem): Literally "and their women" or "and their wives." The specific mention of wives underscores the profound impact of the crisis on entire families. In ancient patriarchal societies, women often faced extreme vulnerability in times of economic distress, sometimes even being sold into servitude or witnessing their children sold. This detail paints a vivid picture of the total devastation and the desperate circumstances compelling families to speak out. It signals that the hardship permeated the entire household, threatening their very existence.
• against:
  • Hebrew: אֶל (el): This preposition means "to," "toward," or "against." Here, it explicitly indicates the target or object of the "outcry," establishing a direct accusation. The grievances were not abstract but specifically directed at identified parties within the community.
• their Jewish brothers:
  • Hebrew: אֲחֵיהֶם הַיְּהוּדִים ('aḥeiyhem hayyhudim):
  • 'Aḥeiyhem (אֲחֵיהֶם): "Their brothers." This is a profoundly significant term. It refers to those who shared a common kinship, covenant relationship, and national identity as Israelites. The term stresses the internal nature of the conflict – the oppressed were suffering at the hands of those who should have extended care and kindness, not exploitation. This violates the core Mosaic laws of brotherly love and justice (e.g., Lev 25:36-37).
  • Hayyhudim (הַיְּהוּדִים): "The Judeans" or "the Jews." This specifies the identity of both the accusers and the accused as members of the post-exilic community of Judah. It adds emphasis to the internal nature of the transgression; the perpetrators were not foreign enemies but fellow adherents to the same God and covenant, making their actions even more egregious.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "A great outcry of the people and their wives": This phrase powerfully conveys the collective nature and widespread, intense suffering within the community. It emphasizes that the burden fell heavily on vulnerable groups, including women and children, whose well-being was severely jeopardized. Their desperate complaint demanded immediate attention.
  • "Against their Jewish brothers": This crucial phrase defines the conflict as an internal betrayal. The injustice stemmed from within their own faith community and ethnic group, rather than from external adversaries. It highlights a violation of covenantal ethics, as fellow Jews were exploiting one another despite the clear prohibitions against such actions in the Law of Moses. This internal sin posed as grave a threat to the community's integrity as any external foe.

Nehemiah 5 1 Bonus section

• This verse highlights that a community's greatest threat may not always come from external enemies, but from internal moral decay and social injustice among its own members. The spiritual restoration hoped for after the exile was clearly incomplete if such widespread exploitation was occurring.
• The mention of "wives" amplifies the level of desperation and the tragic choices forced upon families, such as the mortgaging of their fields, vineyards, houses, and even the enslavement of their children, a practice strictly condemned by Mosaic Law.
• The conflict here reveals a stark tension between legalistic observance and the spirit of the Law. While the lenders may have legally executed debts, their actions directly defied the heart of God's commands regarding compassion for fellow Israelites (Dt 23:19).
• Nehemiah's swift and firm action following this outcry demonstrates crucial leadership: prioritizing the welfare and integrity of God's people above construction progress or the interests of powerful individuals. It underscores that godly leadership must actively address injustice.

Nehemiah 5 1 Commentary

Nehemiah 5:1 exposes a severe moral failing within the restored Jewish community in Jerusalem. The "great outcry" signals not just complaint, but desperate plea arising from acute suffering. It reveals that the physical rebuilding of the walls, while important, was overshadowed by the widespread economic oppression perpetrated by wealthier Jews against their less fortunate brethren. This internal injustice, primarily through usury and the taking of lands and children as debt repayment, was a direct violation of God's covenant laws emphasizing justice and compassion for the poor. The distress was so profound that entire families, including women, were impacted, driven to public lament. This pivotal verse establishes that for a community to be truly restored in God's eyes, social righteousness and adherence to divine principles of mutual care must accompany physical and spiritual renewal, confronting the internal sin as resolutely as any external threat.