Nehemiah 5 11

Nehemiah 5:11 kjv

Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

Nehemiah 5:11 nkjv

Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them."

Nehemiah 5:11 niv

Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them?one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil."

Nehemiah 5:11 esv

Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them."

Nehemiah 5:11 nlt

You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil."

Nehemiah 5 verses

Nehemiah 5 11 Meaning

Nehemiah 5:11 is a direct command from Nehemiah to the Jewish nobles and officials to immediately return the properties (fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses) and the interest they had exacted from their impoverished countrymen. It highlights the sin of usury and exploitation, demanding restitution and restoration of what was unjustly taken due to severe economic hardship among the people.

Nehemiah 5 11 Context

Nehemiah 5:11 occurs during a period of intense hardship for the Jewish exiles who had returned to rebuild Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah's leadership. Chapters 4 and 5 describe the external opposition and, crucially, the internal socio-economic crisis. While the people labored on the walls, many were facing severe famine, heavy taxation from the Persian king, and exorbitant local levies. To survive, they mortgaged their fields, vineyards, houses, and even sold their children into slavery to pay off debts, many incurred from their wealthier Jewish brethren. The nobles and officials were exploiting this distress by lending at high interest, essentially enslaving their own people through debt. Nehemiah, upon hearing the outcry in Nehemiah 5:1-5, became furious (Neh 5:6). He then confronted the oppressors publicly, appealing to their conscience, their fear of God, and their national honor (Neh 5:7-10). Verse 11 is his specific, non-negotiable demand for restitution, emphasizing the urgency "this very day" for the return of land and cessation of the unlawful usury. This moment demonstrates Nehemiah's holistic leadership, addressing both external threats and internal corruption to maintain the integrity and unity of the community.

Nehemiah 5 11 Word analysis

• Restore (הָשִׁיבוּ - hashivu): An imperative verb meaning "cause to return," "bring back," or "give back." It's a strong command for restitution, not a mere suggestion. It implies making whole that which was diminished or lost.
• Now (נָא - na): A particle used to add emphasis or urgency to a request or command, akin to "please" in a polite yet firm sense, here underscoring immediacy.
• To them (לָהֶ֛ם - lahem): Points to the rightful owners, the common people who had been oppressed and dispossessed.
• Even this very day (עֶצֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה - etzem ha-yom ha-zeh): Literally "the bone of this day," or "the very substance of this day." It is a strong idiom emphasizing the absolute urgency and immediacy of the demand. The restoration was not to be delayed.
• Their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses: These are not just assets but the very means of livelihood, subsistence, and hereditary possession in Israelite society. Land ownership, distributed by God, was foundational to a family's identity, security, and participation in the community. Their loss meant destitution, dependency, and effectively, economic slavery.
• And also the hundredth part (וּמְאַת֙ - u-me'at): Refers to the interest charged on loans. This was likely a monthly interest rate of 1%, compounding to 12% per year. This rate, though seemingly low by modern standards, was exceptionally high for a subsistence agrarian economy, especially when the loan involved essential provisions (grain, wine, oil) given to desperate people.
• Of the money, and of the grain, the wine, and the oil: These were the primary commodities loaned. Loans were often in kind (food staples) as well as silver, representing both consumer and capital loans that the poor could not repay.
• That you have exacted from them (אֲשֶׁ֣ר הַפַּעֲלֶתֶּם בָּהֶֽם - asher hapa'altem bahem): "Exacted" comes from the root pa'al, meaning "to act," "to work," or "to produce." Here, in the hiphil stem, it signifies causing one to act, compelling one to pay, or to make profit from someone. It highlights the oppressive, burdensome nature of the usurious practices that forced the poor to yield these charges.

Words-group Analysis

• "Restore now to them, even this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses": This entire phrase forms the core demand for concrete, immediate restitution of tangible assets. It emphasizes that what was taken unjustly must be returned promptly. The specified property highlights the foundational economic base of the community, disrupted by greed.
• "and also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the wine, and the oil that you have exacted from them": This specifies the unjust gains (interest/usury) and the various forms it took (money, food staples). It addresses the means by which the oppression occurred, demanding a cessation and return of ill-gotten financial gains. Together with the return of property, this addresses both direct dispossession and predatory lending.

Nehemiah 5 11 Bonus section

The spirit of Nehemiah's demand aligns strongly with the Old Testament laws of Jubilee (Lev 25), which mandated the return of ancestral lands to their original owners every 50 years. While Nehemiah's action was not a formal Jubilee, it certainly embodied the underlying principle: the land was God's, and its transfer among His people, especially permanent alienation, was discouraged. No Israelite was to remain perpetually poor or dispossessed. Nehemiah's actions in Chapter 5 highlight that genuine covenant living extended beyond temple rituals to practical socio-economic relations. The willingness of the nobles to agree (Neh 5:12) demonstrates the moral weight of Nehemiah’s leadership and the recognition that their actions were against divine and communal well-being. This verse therefore underscores that faith must manifest in just dealings and a compassionate response to the needs of fellow believers, even if it requires personal sacrifice or confronting ingrained practices of exploitation.

Nehemiah 5 11 Commentary

Nehemiah 5:11 encapsulates a pivotal moment of practical social justice in ancient Israel. It moves beyond a general condemnation of injustice to a concrete, prescriptive command for restitution. The usury practiced by the Jewish nobles violated Mosaic Law (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:19-20), which prohibited charging interest to fellow Israelites, particularly the poor. Nehemiah's intervention was not merely economic but deeply theological and communal. He sought to re-establish justice, preserve the dignity of the poor, prevent the disintegration of the community through class struggle and debt slavery, and ensure the nation's spiritual integrity. This direct command for restoration shows bold leadership, a commitment to God's law, and a willingness to confront powerful individuals for the welfare of the collective. The immediate timeframe ("this very day") underscores the severity of the injustice and the urgent need for rectification. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that genuine faith demands practical action for social equity and care for the vulnerable, embodying God's heart for the oppressed and His covenant principles of brotherhood.

Examples:

• A believer who has inadvertently benefited from an unjust financial system, taking steps to rectify the imbalance.
• A leader in a church or community addressing economic disparities and advocating for equitable practices among members.
• A repentant individual offering to return goods or money that were taken unfairly, echoing Zacchaeus's repentance.