Nehemiah 5 describes how Nehemiah deals with injustice among the exiles. While they rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, uniting together to fight against their enemies, all is not well among the ranks. A famine in the land leaves some of the families without the financial ability to pay the Persian taxes or even to obtain food.
Therefore, the Jews mortgage their homes, fields, and vineyards. After mortgaging property fails to improve their financial situation, the people must figure out other ways to pay the tax and procure food. Because debt slavery was a common occurrence at the time, the Israelites, following the custom, sold their children or themselves to their own kinsman in order to be able to work off the debt. When Nehemiah finds out that the Israelites have been buying their own people in order to provide for those families, his anger flares. Although this custom was permitted by law, Nehemiah stands up against it as an injustice. He confronts some of the most powerful Jewish people and leaders. He asks whether it is just for the people to win their freedom by being brought to Israel only to lose it again at the hands of their own brothers and sisters. Eventually, he persuades the leaders that their behavior is ethically wrong and that they should restore all that they had taken from the poor. Nehemiah is an example of standing up for what is right, even when powerful people are involved in the injustice. Their position and prestige does not stop Nehemiah from speaking out against the wrong.
Part II: Commentary
Structure of Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah 5 has a clear thematic structure and can be divided into the following units:
People’s troubles and complaints and Nehemiah’s decisive actions (Neh. 5:1–13)
People’s reasons for grievance (Neh. 5:1–5)
Nehemiah’s anger and rebuke (Neh. 5:6–7a)
Nehemiah’s call for a public assembly, and his charge against leaders (Neh. 5:7b–8a)
Leaders’ silence (Neh. 5:8b)
Nehemiah’s admonishment of leaders to walk in the fear of God and to return properties to people and repair the losses (Neh. 5:9–11)
Leaders’ positive response (Neh. 5:12a)
Oath of leaders, Nehemiah’s symbolic action, and people’s grateful praises to the Lord (Neh. 5:12b–13)
Nehemiah’s 12 years of diligent and unselfish ministry (Neh. 5:14–16)
Nehemiah’s daily generous supply for numerous people and visi- tors (Neh. 5:17, 18)
Nehemiah’s prayer for mercy (Neh. 5:19)
Nehemiah Deals With Oppression or Injustice
In the midst of busy work for the Lord, there was a serious griev- ance expressed against the leaders of God’s people. Poor people were oppressed, they experienced hunger, their children were enslaved, and their fields and vineyards were taken.
After Nehemiah is told what is going on among the Jews, he becomes “very angry.”The Hebrew word for anger is kharah and means “to be angry” or “to burn with anger.” Kharah denotes a strong response of anger. The word occurs often throughout the Bible. For example, it appears quite early in the Bible, referring to the anger of Cain when he realizes that his sacrifice is not accepted, or to the anger of Moses when he sees the people dancing and worshiping the calf (Exod. 32:19, 22). But kharah also is used of God’s anger, which flares when the people of Israel act wickedly (Exod. 4:14; Exod. 32:10, 11; Num. 11:1, 10, 33). However, the exact phrase “was”/“became very angry” occurs signif- icantly in the following passages. In Genesis 34:7, we find this phrase used when Dinah is raped and her brothers (sons of Jacob) become very angry and eventually act in retaliation against the Shechemites by killing all the men of the city. In 2 Samuel 13:21, King David becomes very angry when he hears that his son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar (Amnon’s own sister) although he does not act on the anger to address the injustice. A third usage of this phrase is in Nehemiah 4:7 when the enemies of the Jews find out that the Israelites are rebuilding the walls. The enemies get very angry because they see the rebuilding project as a serious threat to their power over the land. Two of the passages concern very serious offenses of rape, which gives us cause to see the story of injustice in Nehemiah as a serious offense, as well. Nehemiah is just as angry at what he hears as those who heard about the rape of their own sister or daughter. Nehemiah views injustice and unethical behavior on the same level. He also sees oppression in the same light. It is sobering and convicting to realize that oppression evoked such strong feelings of anger in Nehemiah. He reacted to the oppression of the Jews personally, as if members of his own family were hurt.
But far from acting rashly, Nehemiah gives the situation some “seri- ous thought” (NKJV). The words used for this phrase are malakh and levav. Malakh has two main meanings: (1) “to reign as king,” or “to be made a king,” and (2) “to ponder,” or “consider carefully within one- self.” Levav means “the heart.” Literally the verse says “in my heart.” Putting it together, it states that Nehemiah considered the matter care- fully in his heart. Given that heart and mind are synonymous in Hebrew thought, Nehemiah is pondering and carefully assessing what should be done about the oppression and injustice among the Hebrews. Therefore, another important lesson we can learn from Nehemiah in this story is that we should not react in anger to injustice. Rather, we should take time to process what the best course of action will be.
It is good and important to show strong emotions against injustice; however, this does not justify being angry against any cause. For exam- ple, Cain’s anger was improper toward his brother Abel. Indifference against evil is one of the worst sins. When people see injustice and turn away from it as if it were not their problem, they demonstrate their coldness and loss of sensitivity toward sin. It is very dangerous when we are emotionally frozen and do not react to injustice. Our God is the God of justice; He is always on the side of the oppressed. Often proph- ets rebuked God’s people for failing to stop injustice. The prophets encouraged the people to treat the poor well by helping them, instruct- ing the people to be gracious toward widows, orphans, and foreigners (for examples, see Deut. 10:18, Deut. 14:29, Deut. 24:19, Deut. 27:19, and Zech. 7:10).
After rebuking the Jewish nobles and rulers, who were silent and did not respond, Nehemiah calls together a “great assembly” so that all lead- ers would be confronted with the massive implications of their oppres- sive behavior and how it affected many people. Moreover, a large crowd would be intimidating, and the leaders would be much more likely to accede to his demands. Most important though, Nehemiah appealed to their responsibility before God. “ ‘Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, or enemies?’ ” (Neh. 5:9, NKJV). Nehemiah uses the phrase “the fear of God” several times in the book (Neh. 5:9, 15; Neh. 7:2).
The concept of the “fear of God” was to remind the Jews of their desire to “walk” with God, make their decisions in respect to His will, and to live for Him. That is why the Jews came back to Jerusalem; they came in order to be and live as “responsible people of God.” They realized that their forefathers had abandoned God, and they wanted to reverse that. Nehemiah’s rebuke silences them because they finally realize that they have not been living without reproach and have fallen back into the habits they have been taught in the past or that they have picked up from the nations around them. They cannot be a light to the nations around them if they act the same way (even in a lesser measure) as before, oppress- ing the less fortunate for personal gain.
Nehemiah was not protesting the act of lending, as he himself was lend- ing people grain and money. He spoke against charging interest. Thus, he demanded that the leaders return the properties they confiscated and pay back the interest they charged.
Amazingly, the leaders respond positively and promise to restore everything. Afterward the priests are called so that an oath may be sworn between the rulers and the priests (Neh. 5:12, 13). The people “did accord- ing to this promise” (Neh. 5:13, NKJV). The text implies that after this oath, all the people—the nobles, the officials, and the general population— worked together, creating new business methods that upheld the rights of all the people.
Nehemiah Models Care
The chapter ends with an excerpt that explains that Nehemiah was the governor of Judah. Although he had every right to exact taxes from the people he governed, he lived by his conscience and did not add more burdens to the already-stressed population who had to send taxes to the Persians. Instead, Nehemiah used his own money (wages from Persia) to provide for the people of his household and all who needed a place to eat. He generously offered what he had to others. He did not do his job in order to become richer but in order to serve. Nehemiah lived out Mark 10:43, 44: “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all” (NKJV). He promoted justice and a humble attitude of service.
Part III: Life Application
Use the following question as an opener to the lesson for the week:
What is, or was, the hardest thing you have ever had to do to take care of your family or loved ones? Share with the class.**
As a teacher, be willing to share something personal. When you as a leader share, you encourage others to share too. Mutual sharing will lead to greater closeness in your group. Just as Nehemiah cared for people, we also demonstrate we care by sharing with each other as brothers and sisters. We all go through tough times, and it is encouraging to hear from others about what they experienced and how they handled certain situations as followers of Jesus.
Ask the following questions at the end of the lesson as further develop- ment of the concept and application:
Brainstorm with your class about what you can do specifically to help the poor, marginalized, or the hurting in your area. How can you promote diversity? What project can your class adopt to make a difference in someone’s life?
In what ways can you be like Nehemiah and stand up decisively against injustice? Think about the following:
In what ways can you stand against injustice at home?
At work?
At school?
With friends?
In Nehemiah’s time, the oppression came from lending and charg- ing interest, and demanding servitude of persons. In today’s world (or in your profession), what are the ways we need to guard against to avoid oppressing others?
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Key Text: Nehemiah 5:11, 15, 16
Study Focus: Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah 5 describes how Nehemiah deals with injustice among the exiles. While they rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, uniting together to fight against their enemies, all is not well among the ranks. A famine in the land leaves some of the families without the financial ability to pay the Persian taxes or even to obtain food.
Therefore, the Jews mortgage their homes, fields, and vineyards. After mortgaging property fails to improve their financial situation, the people must figure out other ways to pay the tax and procure food. Because debt slavery was a common occurrence at the time, the Israelites, following the custom, sold their children or themselves to their own kinsman in order to be able to work off the debt. When Nehemiah finds out that the Israelites have been buying their own people in order to provide for those families, his anger flares. Although this custom was permitted by law, Nehemiah stands up against it as an injustice. He confronts some of the most powerful Jewish people and leaders. He asks whether it is just for the people to win their freedom by being brought to Israel only to lose it again at the hands of their own brothers and sisters. Eventually, he persuades the leaders that their behavior is ethically wrong and that they should restore all that they had taken from the poor. Nehemiah is an example of standing up for what is right, even when powerful people are involved in the injustice. Their position and prestige does not stop Nehemiah from speaking out against the wrong.
Part II: Commentary
Structure of Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah 5 has a clear thematic structure and can be divided into the following units:
Nehemiah Deals With Oppression or Injustice
In the midst of busy work for the Lord, there was a serious griev- ance expressed against the leaders of God’s people. Poor people were oppressed, they experienced hunger, their children were enslaved, and their fields and vineyards were taken.
After Nehemiah is told what is going on among the Jews, he becomes “very angry.”The Hebrew word for anger is kharah and means “to be angry” or “to burn with anger.” Kharah denotes a strong response of anger. The word occurs often throughout the Bible. For example, it appears quite early in the Bible, referring to the anger of Cain when he realizes that his sacrifice is not accepted, or to the anger of Moses when he sees the people dancing and worshiping the calf (Exod. 32:19, 22). But kharah also is used of God’s anger, which flares when the people of Israel act wickedly (Exod. 4:14; Exod. 32:10, 11; Num. 11:1, 10, 33). However, the exact phrase “was”/“became very angry” occurs signif- icantly in the following passages. In Genesis 34:7, we find this phrase used when Dinah is raped and her brothers (sons of Jacob) become very angry and eventually act in retaliation against the Shechemites by killing all the men of the city. In 2 Samuel 13:21, King David becomes very angry when he hears that his son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar (Amnon’s own sister) although he does not act on the anger to address the injustice. A third usage of this phrase is in Nehemiah 4:7 when the enemies of the Jews find out that the Israelites are rebuilding the walls. The enemies get very angry because they see the rebuilding project as a serious threat to their power over the land. Two of the passages concern very serious offenses of rape, which gives us cause to see the story of injustice in Nehemiah as a serious offense, as well. Nehemiah is just as angry at what he hears as those who heard about the rape of their own sister or daughter. Nehemiah views injustice and unethical behavior on the same level. He also sees oppression in the same light. It is sobering and convicting to realize that oppression evoked such strong feelings of anger in Nehemiah. He reacted to the oppression of the Jews personally, as if members of his own family were hurt.
But far from acting rashly, Nehemiah gives the situation some “seri- ous thought” (NKJV). The words used for this phrase are malakh and levav. Malakh has two main meanings: (1) “to reign as king,” or “to be made a king,” and (2) “to ponder,” or “consider carefully within one- self.” Levav means “the heart.” Literally the verse says “in my heart.” Putting it together, it states that Nehemiah considered the matter care- fully in his heart. Given that heart and mind are synonymous in Hebrew thought, Nehemiah is pondering and carefully assessing what should be done about the oppression and injustice among the Hebrews. Therefore, another important lesson we can learn from Nehemiah in this story is that we should not react in anger to injustice. Rather, we should take time to process what the best course of action will be.
It is good and important to show strong emotions against injustice; however, this does not justify being angry against any cause. For exam- ple, Cain’s anger was improper toward his brother Abel. Indifference against evil is one of the worst sins. When people see injustice and turn away from it as if it were not their problem, they demonstrate their coldness and loss of sensitivity toward sin. It is very dangerous when we are emotionally frozen and do not react to injustice. Our God is the God of justice; He is always on the side of the oppressed. Often proph- ets rebuked God’s people for failing to stop injustice. The prophets encouraged the people to treat the poor well by helping them, instruct- ing the people to be gracious toward widows, orphans, and foreigners (for examples, see Deut. 10:18, Deut. 14:29, Deut. 24:19, Deut. 27:19, and Zech. 7:10).
After rebuking the Jewish nobles and rulers, who were silent and did not respond, Nehemiah calls together a “great assembly” so that all lead- ers would be confronted with the massive implications of their oppres- sive behavior and how it affected many people. Moreover, a large crowd would be intimidating, and the leaders would be much more likely to accede to his demands. Most important though, Nehemiah appealed to their responsibility before God. “ ‘Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, or enemies?’ ” (Neh. 5:9, NKJV). Nehemiah uses the phrase “the fear of God” several times in the book (Neh. 5:9, 15; Neh. 7:2).
The concept of the “fear of God” was to remind the Jews of their desire to “walk” with God, make their decisions in respect to His will, and to live for Him. That is why the Jews came back to Jerusalem; they came in order to be and live as “responsible people of God.” They realized that their forefathers had abandoned God, and they wanted to reverse that. Nehemiah’s rebuke silences them because they finally realize that they have not been living without reproach and have fallen back into the habits they have been taught in the past or that they have picked up from the nations around them. They cannot be a light to the nations around them if they act the same way (even in a lesser measure) as before, oppress- ing the less fortunate for personal gain.
Nehemiah was not protesting the act of lending, as he himself was lend- ing people grain and money. He spoke against charging interest. Thus, he demanded that the leaders return the properties they confiscated and pay back the interest they charged.
Amazingly, the leaders respond positively and promise to restore everything. Afterward the priests are called so that an oath may be sworn between the rulers and the priests (Neh. 5:12, 13). The people “did accord- ing to this promise” (Neh. 5:13, NKJV). The text implies that after this oath, all the people—the nobles, the officials, and the general population— worked together, creating new business methods that upheld the rights of all the people.
Nehemiah Models Care
The chapter ends with an excerpt that explains that Nehemiah was the governor of Judah. Although he had every right to exact taxes from the people he governed, he lived by his conscience and did not add more burdens to the already-stressed population who had to send taxes to the Persians. Instead, Nehemiah used his own money (wages from Persia) to provide for the people of his household and all who needed a place to eat. He generously offered what he had to others. He did not do his job in order to become richer but in order to serve. Nehemiah lived out Mark 10:43, 44: “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all” (NKJV). He promoted justice and a humble attitude of service.
Part III: Life Application
Use the following question as an opener to the lesson for the week: