Nehemiah 5 8

Nehemiah 5:8 kjv

And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

Nehemiah 5:8 nkjv

And I said to them, "According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?" Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.

Nehemiah 5:8 niv

and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

Nehemiah 5:8 esv

and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say.

Nehemiah 5:8 nlt

At the meeting I said to them, "We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?" And they had nothing to say in their defense.

Nehemiah 5 verses

Nehemiah 5 8 Meaning

Nehemiah 5:8 records Governor Nehemiah's strong rebuke of the Jewish nobles and officials who were exploiting their impoverished fellow Jews. He confronts them by highlighting his own efforts, along with the community, to redeem Jews who had been sold into slavery to foreign nations due to dire circumstances. He then poses a cutting rhetorical question, asking if they, as fellow Jews, would now sell their own brothers back into servitude within their own community, implying that their actions nullified the earlier redemption and directly contradicted the spirit of brotherly kindness and Mosaic Law. Their silence indicates their inability to justify their unrighteous practices.

Nehemiah 5 8 Context

Nehemiah 5 takes place during the intense period of wall rebuilding in Jerusalem. The community faces multiple crises: famine, heavy taxes levied by Persian kings, and the strain of contributing to the massive reconstruction effort. Many poor Jewish families are forced to mortgage their fields, vineyards, and houses, and eventually, sell their sons and daughters into slavery to other Jews (nobles and officials) simply to survive or pay the royal tax. This widespread economic oppression directly violates the Mosaic Law against usury and perpetual enslavement of fellow Israelites. Nehemiah, having overcome external threats and now discovering this internal injustice, pauses the physical rebuilding to address the moral decay and socio-economic exploitation from within. Verse 8 is Nehemiah's powerful rebuke to these powerful exploiters, following the cries of the people in the preceding verses. He calls them to account by contrasting their greed with his and others' efforts to restore their people.

Nehemiah 5 8 Word analysis

• And I said to them: Nehemiah's direct and authoritative tone. As governor, he wields administrative power, but here he appeals to moral and divine law. It emphasizes his personal engagement and courageous leadership in confronting injustice among his own people.

• "We, to the best of our ability": (וַאֲנַ֨חְנוּ הִבַּ֤דְנוּ לָנוּ֙ כְּפִי֙) The "we" likely refers to Nehemiah himself and the other dedicated Jews who returned with him, or more broadly, the leadership that sought to adhere to God's law. "To the best of our ability" (כְּפִי kᵉp̄î) denotes significant effort, expense, and commitment. It suggests a costly and strenuous process of liberation, making the exploitation by their brethren even more egregious.

• have bought back: (גָּאַ֤לְנוּ gā’alnû) This verb is from the root ga'al, which signifies "to redeem," "to ransom," or "to deliver." This term is highly significant, evoking the concept of the kinsman-redeemer (Go'el) in Israelite law (e.g., Ruth, Leviticus). It speaks of the payment of a price for freedom. In the Bible, God Himself is often portrayed as Israel's Redeemer (Go'el) from bondage in Egypt and from exile. Nehemiah highlights their actions in redeeming, implying a reflection of God's character and commandments.

• our Jewish brothers: Emphasizes kinship, both ethnic and spiritual, highlighting the severity of the offense against their own flesh and blood. Mosaic Law strongly mandated protection and brotherly love among Israelites.

• who were sold to the nations: Refers to involuntary servitude or slavery to non-Jews. This would have been a humiliating and severe form of bondage, separating them from their heritage and potentially exposing them to idolatry. The emphasis is on restoring these lost sheep of Israel.

• "and now are you even going to sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?": This is a powerful, scathing rhetorical question. The "now" (וְגַ֧ם 'wǝgām' - "and also/even") accentuates the shock and irony. "To us" likely refers to them, the Jewish community, meaning they were being sold back into servitude, but this time by their own people. This is the core of Nehemiah's accusation – their actions negate the very act of redemption and brotherhood that they should uphold, forcing their kin into slavery from which others (including Nehemiah) had worked so hard to free them from gentile masters.

• Then they were silent and found not a word to say: Their silence indicates conviction of guilt, shame, and inability to justify their ungodly practices. They were without excuse. It underscores the unassailable truth and moral weight of Nehemiah's rebuke.

• Words-group Analysis

  • "We... have bought back our Jewish brothers... who were sold to the nations" vs. "are you even going to sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?": This contrast highlights a stark hypocrisy. Nehemiah and others had invested significant effort and resources to restore exiled or enslaved Jews to their community, reflecting God's heart for redemption. The nobles and officials, however, were actively pushing their brethren back into economic slavery within their own nation. This directly contradicted God's law of caring for the poor and the sanctity of intra-Israelite brotherhood, demonstrating a profound spiritual disconnect.
  • The use of 'Go'el' (redeem/buy back): This term signifies both legal obligation (kinsman-redeemer) and a powerful act of liberation, mirroring God's redemption of Israel from Egypt. By applying this to human effort, Nehemiah establishes a moral precedent and expectation for the community to uphold justice and freedom. Their actions betray this sacred principle, showing an anti-redemption spirit.

Nehemiah 5 8 Bonus section

• Nehemiah's challenge here is not merely social justice but a theological argument. By referencing "buying back" their brothers, Nehemiah implies a covenantal obligation (Leviticus 25:35-37, Deuteronomy 23:19-20). Their actions essentially mock the divine mandate for intra-Israelite economic practices and brotherhood, mirroring the very foreign oppression God delivered Israel from.
• This instance also highlights the concept of "doing good deeds" beyond personal benefit. Nehemiah points out their collective effort (We) to do good without personal gain, contrasting it with the nobles' self-serving gain from exploitation. This underscores that true leadership and faithfulness involve personal sacrifice for the good of the community, especially the most vulnerable.
• The silence of the nobles is powerful. It demonstrates that when confronted with clear biblical principles and self-evident moral truths, there is often no defense for actions rooted in greed and injustice. This outcome validated Nehemiah's moral authority and God's clear stance against oppression.

Nehemiah 5 8 Commentary

Nehemiah 5:8 is a pivotal moment showcasing courageous spiritual leadership and the profound importance of internal justice. Nehemiah masterfully leverages the ethical high ground, drawing a sharp contrast between his sacrificial efforts to redeem fellow Jews from foreign bondage and the nobles' exploitative actions that sell their own people back into debt-slavery within the community. His rhetorical question exposes the absurdity and moral depravity of their usury and oppression. It’s not just a matter of economic practice, but a severe spiritual breach, betraying the very covenant and family bond of Israel. The exploiters' silence underscores their undeniable guilt, stripped of all justification before a leader who embodied righteousness and care for the people. This confrontation reflects God's heart for justice, mercy, and His detestation of the oppression of the vulnerable, particularly by those who claim to serve Him. This verse exemplifies a leader willing to confront uncomfortable truths within the household of faith to ensure righteousness prevails.