Nehemiah 5 3

Nehemiah 5:3 kjv

Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

Nehemiah 5:3 nkjv

There were also some who said, "We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine."

Nehemiah 5:3 niv

Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine."

Nehemiah 5:3 esv

There were also those who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine."

Nehemiah 5:3 nlt

Others said, "We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine."

Nehemiah 5 verses

Nehemiah 5 3 Meaning

Nehemiah 5:3 describes the desperate plight of some Israelites who, facing a severe food shortage and economic hardship, were forced to mortgage their most valuable possessions—their lands, vineyards, and houses—simply to obtain basic sustenance like grain. This situation reveals the intense suffering and vulnerability within the community during the time of rebuilding Jerusalem, exacerbated by the existing "dearth" or famine, which pushed people to sacrifice their foundational assets for survival.

Nehemiah 5 3 Context

Nehemiah chapter 5 opens with a "great outcry" from the people, signifying a widespread and severe crisis among the Jewish community engaged in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. This chapter interrupts the narrative of wall construction to address an internal socio-economic crisis. The preceding chapters focused on external threats and opposition, but here the danger comes from within: the wealthy nobles and officials are exploiting their poorer countrymen.

Verse 3 specifically details one facet of this outcry: families, driven to desperation by famine and the inability to feed their households, had been compelled to mortgage their vital assets—their lands, vineyards, and homes—to obtain necessary provisions. This highlights a grave violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of the Mosaic Law against usury and the permanent alienation of ancestral land. The "dearth" (famine/scarcity) indicates environmental hardship compounding the socio-economic pressures. The people were so hungry that they were willing to put their generational inheritance and very shelters at risk, exposing a profound breakdown of social justice within the Israelite community, necessitating Nehemiah's decisive intervention.

Nehemiah 5 3 Word analysis

• Some also there were that said: This indicates a specific group among those crying out, directly verbalizing their hardship. It shows this problem was not isolated but prevalent enough to warrant collective grievance.
• We have mortgaged: The Hebrew word is 'arav (עָרַב), meaning to pledge, to give as security, to take a loan for which something is offered as collateral. This was a common practice but here done out of extreme duress for basic needs, indicating exploitation.
• Our lands: Hebrew śedōṯêinū (שְׂדוֹתֵינוּ). Lands represent the primary means of production, sustenance, and generational inheritance in ancient Israel. Losing land was akin to losing one's identity, livelihood, and future. It meant economic slavery and disconnection from the Promised Land.
• Vineyards: Hebrew kərāmēinu (כְּרָמֵינוּ). Vineyards were vital for fruit, wine, and as a long-term investment and source of income. Their forfeiture underscores the severity of the desperation.
• And houses: Hebrew bāttēinu (בָּתֵּינוּ). Homes were not just shelters but central to family life and security. Mortgaging them meant risking homelessness for the family.
• That we might buy corn: The phrase "buy corn" translates the Hebrew niqḥāh leḥem (נִקְחָה לֶּחֶם), which literally means "take/get bread." Lehem (bread) is often used as a metonym for food or grain in general, the most fundamental necessity for survival. This highlights the stark choice they faced: give up their assets or starve.
• Because of the dearth: The Hebrew word raʿāv (רָעָב) means famine, hunger, scarcity, or drought. This term confirms a widespread environmental and economic crisis. It suggests that the lack of food was due to crop failure or extreme scarcity, driving up prices and making food unaffordable without desperate measures. The lenders capitalized on this desperate situation.

Words-Group Analysis

• We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses: This phrase encapsulates the total divestment and ultimate sacrifice of personal and familial assets. These were not luxury items but the foundational elements of wealth, sustenance, and stability in their agrarian society. The act of mortgaging these core assets highlights their utter destitution.
• that we might buy corn, because of the dearth: This clause explains the cause and desperate purpose behind the mortgages. It reveals that the "dearth" or famine created an inescapable economic squeeze, forcing individuals to sell their future security for immediate survival. This stark contrast between long-term generational wealth and immediate starvation underlies the ethical crisis Nehemiah addressed.

Nehemiah 5 3 Bonus section

This verse paints a vivid picture of what it meant for the common people to live in the post-exilic period, burdened not only by external enemies but by internal socio-economic strife. Land in ancient Israel was seen as a divine gift, passed down through generations. To mortgage or lose it, especially due to a famine, implied a deep spiritual and societal distress, akin to losing one's identity and connection to God's promises. This verse therefore highlights the tension between communal solidarity, as evidenced by the shared work on the wall, and severe economic disparities and exploitation that undermined the very fabric of that community. Nehemiah's immediate and vigorous response in the subsequent verses demonstrates righteous leadership prioritizing justice and the well-being of the poor over the self-interest of the wealthy, mirroring prophetic calls for economic righteousness.

Nehemiah 5 3 Commentary

Nehemiah 5:3 lays bare the raw pain and exploitation prevalent within the Jewish community during Jerusalem's rebuilding. It describes families so crushed by poverty and widespread food scarcity ("the dearth") that they were forced to surrender their very foundations of existence—their fields, vineyards, and homes—as collateral simply to buy enough grain to survive. This was not about accumulating wealth, but staving off starvation, turning God's people against each other in their weakest hour. The action of "mortgaging" these assets, effectively surrendering their future and inheritance, starkly reveals the ethical failure of those who loaned on interest, especially when God's law explicitly forbade such actions towards a fellow Israelite in need. It underscores how societal hardship can lead to internal breakdown if not managed with compassion and justice according to divine principles.