Nehemiah 5 5

Nehemiah 5:5 kjv

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

Nehemiah 5:5 nkjv

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards."

Nehemiah 5:5 niv

Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others."

Nehemiah 5:5 esv

Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."

Nehemiah 5:5 nlt

We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others."

Nehemiah 5 verses

Nehemiah 5 5 Meaning

Nehemiah 5:5 describes the desperate plight of the poorer Israelites who, despite sharing a common lineage and faith with their wealthier kinsmen, were forced by economic hardship to sell their own children into debt slavery. Their fields and vineyards, vital for sustenance and family inheritance, had already been taken by their creditors, rendering them utterly helpless in a time of famine and heavy taxation. This verse is the emotional cry of those suffering severe oppression from within their own community.

Nehemiah 5 5 Context

Nehemiah chapter 5 details a severe internal crisis among the Jews during the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall. While struggling against external opposition (Sanballat and Tobiah), the community faced a dire threat from within: economic exploitation by their own leaders and nobles. Due to famine, heavy Persian taxes, and the general costs of living, the poorer families were forced to mortgage their lands, then their vineyards, and eventually pledge their children as security for loans. This verse (5:5) is the climax of their desperate outcry, voicing the profound injustice of their kinsmen treating them as enemies, violating Mosaic law, and threatening the very survival of their families and the integrity of the Israelite community.

Nehemiah 5 5 Word analysis

• "Now we have the same flesh as our kinsmen,":
  • "same flesh": Hebrew basar (בָשָׂר), signifying not merely physical sameness but deep familial, ethnic, and covenantal connection. It points to a shared heritage, kinship, and being part of the same covenant people of Israel. This phrase invokes the biblical concept of "bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh" (Gen 2:23), highlighting the shocking violation of intra-community solidarity and care. It implies they are "brothers" and should treat each other accordingly, as God commanded.
  • "kinsmen": Hebrew 'ahim (אַחִים), referring to brothers or fellow Israelites. This emphasizes that the oppressors were not foreign enemies but their own people, making the injustice even more grievous. The Mosaic Law prohibited usury and permanent servitude among kinsmen (Lev 25:35-43, Deut 15:7-11).
• "and our children are like their children,":
  • This phrase stresses the inherent equality and shared humanity of all Jewish children. It is a rhetorical question that implicitly challenges the right of the wealthy to enslave the children of their own brethren, whose children are fundamentally no different or less worthy. It underscores the outrageousness of the practice, stripping innocent children of their future and dignity.
• "yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves,":
  • "forcing": Hebrew makh’nisim (מַכְנִיסִים), implying a literal "bringing in" or "making to enter" into a state of servitude. It indicates that the dire circumstances compelled them into this decision, though it was ultimately their "giving" over of their children as collateral.
  • "sons and our daughters to be slaves": Describes debt-slavery, the dire consequence of mounting debt. Selling children into servitude was the last resort for families facing extreme poverty, a humiliating and heartbreaking outcome that broke down family units and tribal identity, contravening the spirit of the Law (Lev 25:39-43). The inclusion of "daughters" specifically highlights their unique vulnerability in a patriarchal society, perhaps indicating they were also sold for concubinage or other exploitative purposes.
• "and some of our daughters are enslaved already,":
  • This clarifies that it's not a future threat but an active, painful reality. The crisis is immediate and devastating. The "already" conveys the urgency and present suffering.
• "and we are helpless,":
  • Hebrew ’ên yādēnû (אֵין יָדֵנוּ), literally "there is no hand to us" or "our hand is not," meaning they lacked the financial means or power to redeem their children or retrieve their land. It expresses absolute destitution, powerlessness, and despair, having no way to resolve their predicament themselves.
• "for our fields and our vineyards belong to others.":
  • "fields and our vineyards": These represent the primary source of livelihood and the family inheritance, tied to God's grant of the land. Loss of land meant loss of independence, identity, and future prospects (cf. Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kgs 21). This also violated the spirit of the Jubilee and Sabbatical laws which aimed to prevent permanent loss of ancestral land (Lev 25). The rich had seized the assets that underpinned the families' economic survival, forcing them into further debt.

Nehemiah 5 5 Bonus section

The lament of Nehemiah 5:5 echoes the "groaning" of the Israelites in Egypt (Exod 2:23-24), signifying an oppressed people whose cry reaches God's ears. It implicitly appeals to a divine covenant justice that their human kinsmen were denying them. This situation highlights the critical importance of economic justice as a foundation for a healthy covenant community, showing that spiritual rebuilding (of the walls) is inseparable from social and economic reform. The abuse of power by the nobles and officials demonstrates a clear failure of leadership; instead of upholding the vulnerable, they profited from their destitution. Nehemiah's response to this complaint (Neh 5:6-13) exemplifies righteous indignation and courageous leadership that confronts systemic injustice. His personal example of refusing to exact his full entitlements further contrasts with the corrupt practices of his contemporaries (Neh 5:14-19).

Nehemiah 5 5 Commentary

Nehemiah 5:5 paints a stark picture of internal societal breakdown in post-exilic Judah. It lays bare the economic exploitation perpetrated by the powerful elite against their fellow Jews, transforming them from kinsmen into creditors and debtors, masters and slaves. The core sin here is the direct violation of Mosaic covenant principles that demanded mercy, equity, and fraternal care within the community of Israel. Lending with interest (usury) to a fellow Israelite was forbidden (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36-37), as was holding a Hebrew indefinitely in bondage (Lev 25:39-43). The sale of children, especially daughters, into slavery because of debt from seized land represented the absolute nadir of their suffering and a severe ethical failure among the Jewish leaders. This outcry compels Nehemiah to take decisive, righteous action against the oppressors, prioritizing the well-being of the people and the integrity of God's law over personal gain. This scenario serves as a powerful biblical illustration of how economic injustice can erode the spiritual fabric of a community and stands as a timeless reminder of God's concern for the oppressed and the responsibility of His people to champion justice.