CHAPTER 5
. THE PEOPLE
COMPLAIN OF THEIR
DEBT, MORTGAGE,
AND BONDAGE.
1-5. there was a great cry of the
people . . . against their brethren—Such a crisis in the
condition of the Jews in Jerusalem—fatigued with hard labor and
harassed by the machinations of restless enemies, the majority of
them poor, and the bright visions which hope had painted of pure
happiness on their return to the land of their fathers being
unrealized—must have been very trying to their faith and patience.
But, in addition to these vexatious oppressions, many began to sink
under a new and more grievous evil. The poor made loud complaints
against the rich for taking advantage of their necessities, and
grinding them by usurious exactions. Many of them had, in consequence
of these oppressions, been driven to such extremities that they had
to mortgage their lands and houses to enable them to pay the taxes to
the Persian government, and ultimately even to sell their children
for slaves to procure the means of subsistence. The condition of the
poorer inhabitants was indeed deplorable; for, besides the deficient
harvests caused by the great rains (; also Haggai 1:6-11),
a dearth was now threatened by the enemy keeping such a multitude
pent up in the city, and preventing the country people bringing in
provisions.
Haggai 1:6-37. THE USURERS
REBUKED.
6-12. I was very angry when I heard
their cry and these words—When such disorders came to the
knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against
the perpetrators of the evil. Having summoned a public assembly, he
denounced their conduct in terms of just severity. He contrasted it
with his own in redeeming with his money some of the Jewish exiles
who, through debt or otherwise, had lost their personal liberty in
Babylon. He urged the rich creditors not only to abandon their
illegal and oppressive system of usury, but to restore the fields and
vineyards of the poor, so that a remedy might be put to an evil the
introduction of which had led to much actual disorder, and the
continuance of which would inevitably prove ruinous to the newly
restored colony, by violating the fundamental principles of the
Hebrew constitution. The remonstrance was effectual. The conscience
of the usurious oppressors could not resist the touching and powerful
appeal. With mingled emotions of shame, contrition, and fear, they
with one voice expressed their readiness to comply with the
governor's recommendation. The proceedings were closed by the parties
binding themselves by a solemn oath, administered by the priests,
that they would redeem their pledge, as well as by the governor
invoking, by the solemn and significant gesture of shaking a corner
of his garment, a malediction on those who should violate it. The
historian has taken care to record that the people did according to
this promise.
14. Moreover from the time that I
was appointed . . . I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the
governor—We have a remarkable proof both of the opulence and
the disinterestedness of Nehemiah. As he declined, on conscientious
grounds, to accept the lawful emoluments attached to his government,
and yet maintained a style of princely hospitality for twelve years
out of his own resources, it is evident that his office of cup-bearer
at the court of Shushan must have been very lucrative.
15. the former governors . . . had
taken . . . bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver—The
income of Eastern governors is paid partly in produce, partly in
money. "Bread" means all sorts of provision. The forty
shekels of silver per day would amount to a yearly salary of £1800
sterling.
17. Moreover there were at my table
an hundred and fifty of the Jews—In the East it has been always
customary to calculate the expense of a king's or grandee's
establishment, not by the amount of money disbursed, but by the
quantity of provisions consumed (see 1 Kings 4:22;
1 Kings 18:19; Ecclesiastes 5:11).
CHAPTER 5
. THE PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF THEIR DEBT, MORTGAGE, AND BONDAGE.
1-5. there was a great cry of the people . . . against their brethren—Such a crisis in the condition of the Jews in Jerusalem—fatigued with hard labor and harassed by the machinations of restless enemies, the majority of them poor, and the bright visions which hope had painted of pure happiness on their return to the land of their fathers being unrealized—must have been very trying to their faith and patience. But, in addition to these vexatious oppressions, many began to sink under a new and more grievous evil. The poor made loud complaints against the rich for taking advantage of their necessities, and grinding them by usurious exactions. Many of them had, in consequence of these oppressions, been driven to such extremities that they had to mortgage their lands and houses to enable them to pay the taxes to the Persian government, and ultimately even to sell their children for slaves to procure the means of subsistence. The condition of the poorer inhabitants was indeed deplorable; for, besides the deficient harvests caused by the great rains (; also Haggai 1:6-11), a dearth was now threatened by the enemy keeping such a multitude pent up in the city, and preventing the country people bringing in provisions.
Haggai 1:6-37. THE USURERS REBUKED.
6-12. I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words—When such disorders came to the knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against the perpetrators of the evil. Having summoned a public assembly, he denounced their conduct in terms of just severity. He contrasted it with his own in redeeming with his money some of the Jewish exiles who, through debt or otherwise, had lost their personal liberty in Babylon. He urged the rich creditors not only to abandon their illegal and oppressive system of usury, but to restore the fields and vineyards of the poor, so that a remedy might be put to an evil the introduction of which had led to much actual disorder, and the continuance of which would inevitably prove ruinous to the newly restored colony, by violating the fundamental principles of the Hebrew constitution. The remonstrance was effectual. The conscience of the usurious oppressors could not resist the touching and powerful appeal. With mingled emotions of shame, contrition, and fear, they with one voice expressed their readiness to comply with the governor's recommendation. The proceedings were closed by the parties binding themselves by a solemn oath, administered by the priests, that they would redeem their pledge, as well as by the governor invoking, by the solemn and significant gesture of shaking a corner of his garment, a malediction on those who should violate it. The historian has taken care to record that the people did according to this promise.
14. Moreover from the time that I was appointed . . . I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor—We have a remarkable proof both of the opulence and the disinterestedness of Nehemiah. As he declined, on conscientious grounds, to accept the lawful emoluments attached to his government, and yet maintained a style of princely hospitality for twelve years out of his own resources, it is evident that his office of cup-bearer at the court of Shushan must have been very lucrative.
15. the former governors . . . had taken . . . bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver—The income of Eastern governors is paid partly in produce, partly in money. "Bread" means all sorts of provision. The forty shekels of silver per day would amount to a yearly salary of £1800 sterling.
17. Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews—In the East it has been always customary to calculate the expense of a king's or grandee's establishment, not by the amount of money disbursed, but by the quantity of provisions consumed (see 1 Kings 4:22; 1 Kings 18:19; Ecclesiastes 5:11).