Nehemiah 5:7

Then I consulted with myself,.... What was to be done, what method to be taken to redress such grievances: and I rebuked the nobles and the rulers; who were the men that monopolized the corn in this

Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Ye exact usury every one of his brother; which was against the plain and positive law of God, ,20; especially in this time of public calamity and dearth. I set a great assembly against them; I called a public congregation, both of the rulers and people, the greatest part whereof were free from this guilt, and therefore mere impartial judges of the matter, and represented it to them, that the offenders might be convinced, and reform this abuse; if not for fear of God, or love of their brethren, yet at least for the public shame, and the cries of the poor.

Nehemiah 5:7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.Ver. 7. Then I consulted with myself] As reason required; he was very angry, but yet he keeps within compass, and practiseth that rule, Be angry, and sin not: which, saith one, is the easiest charge under the hardest condition that can be. He who will be angry and not sin, let him be angry at nothing but at sin; and then see to it also that it become not a sin, by abandoning right reason, Nehemiah was not so angry but that he could consult with himself, and deliberate what was best to be done: his heart consulted within him, or wisely overruled him: so the Hebrew. And I rebuked the nobles and the elders] Not in his passion, but upon serious deliberation; and having put himself into a fit frame, that he might neither over nor under do. Valete, quoniam vobis irascor, said Archytas to his servants that had offended him, I have nothing to say to you till mine anger is over (Plutarch). And said unto them, Ye exact usury] This reproof was, as it should be, warm but not scalding. Words of reviling and disgrace do scald as it were. But words that tend to stir up the conscience to a due consideration of the fault these are duly warm, and tend to make the medicine work more kindly. Every one of his brother] This was a presumptuous violation of the law, Exodus 22:25 Leviticus 25:36-37, and a sin that they had soundly smarted for, Ezekiel 22:12. Usurers are men eaters, Psalms 14:4, like pickerels in a pond, or sharks in the sea, that devour the lesser fishes. A.D. 1235, there were spread through England certain Roman usurers, called Caursini ( quasi capientes ursi, devouring bears, quoth Matthew Paris), who had entangled the king, nobles, and all others that had to deal in the court of Rome, in their cunning snares, under colour of supplying with money such as wanted present pay to the pope: so these, to the king of Persia. And I set a great assembly against them] i.e. I reproved them, first privately, and then publicly: and he doth it severe et ad vivum, roughly and roundly, not going about the bush with them, though they were nobles and rulers. Reprehensiones personatae frigent; cooling rebuking the persons, such as was that of Jehoshaphat to Ahab, "Let not the king say so," 1 Kings 22:8. This is to do more harm than good.

(7) I consulted.—But he mastered himself, and studied his plan of operation. The matter was complicated, as the transgressors had violated rather the spirit than the letter of the law. Hence the rebuke, that they exacted usury each of his brother, failed in its object; and the governor called a general assembly, not “against them,” but “concerning them.”

Verse 7. Ye exact usury] This was expressly contrary to the law of God; and was doubly cruel at this time, when they were just returning out of the land of their captivity, and were suffering from the effects of a dearth. Some think that it was about the time of a Sabbatical year, when their land must have lain at rest without cultivation, and during which they were expressly commanded not to exact any debt. Deuteronomy 15:2. I set a great assembly against them.] Brought all these delinquents before the rulers of the people.

7. Then I consulted with myself] The word in the original belongs to late Hebrew usage, and is only paralleled in the O. T. by the word rendered ‘my counsel’ in Daniel 4:27. Literally the clause runs ‘then my heart took counsel within me.’ and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers] R.V. and contended with the nobles and the rulers (marg. ‘Or, deputies’). For Nehemiah’s use of the expression ‘contend with,’ see Nehemiah 13:11; Nehemiah 13:17; Nehemiah 13:25. It denotes the conflict of opinion as well as the administration of reproach. Cf. Jeremiah 2:9. ‘The nobles and the rulers,’ as in Nehemiah 2:16. You exact usury, every one of his brother] The reader should refer to the passages in the Pentateuch bearing upon usury, (a) Exodus 22:25. This passage relates to the dealings between Israelites. The purpose of lending is to assist a brother. Interest is not to be exacted but pledges are permitted. The giving of pledges is regulated by principles of charity. (b) Deuteronomy 23:19-20. The Deuteronomic law forbids interest upon loans advanced to Israelites, but permits them with foreigners. The principle of brotherhood is upheld in the nation. The rules regulating ‘the giving of pledges’ are repeated (Deuteronomy 24:10-13). (c) Leviticus 25:35-37. This law treats only of dealing with Israelites, and prohibits all idea of making gain out of assistance rendered to brethren in distress. In all three passages, the law contemplates the lending of money to the poor man in distress. The taking of a pledge or security is permitted, but not the exaction of interest from a fellow-countryman. Nehemiah himself exacted interest upon loans (Nehemiah 5:10). We are not therefore to suppose that his indignation was directed against the practice of usury, but against the hard-heartedness and covetousness of the usurers. Mere denunciation against them for these moral failings would have availed nothing. He wisely puts in the forefront of his expostulation the general statement that the Jews were practising ‘usury’ against their brethren. He implies that this was contrary to the spirit of the law and to good fellowship. He himself sought to relieve his brethren (Nehemiah 5:8), but he and his companions had, he confessed, given way to the custom of the time, and had lent on usury, although he had not been exacting in his demands. He and the wealthy professional money-lenders had both done wrong. He had been merciful and they had not This was the only difference. On the general principle he therefore proposed that all taking of interest from needy fellow-countrymen should be abandoned. His manner of approaching the subject conciliated the rulers, as he associated himself with their wrong-doing. He benefited the poor by procuring the abolition of usurious transactions. He upheld the charitable principle of the old Israelite law. The violation of it is the subject of rebuke in very different periods. Amos 2:8; Job 22:6; Job 24:3; Sir 13:22-23.

Ye exact usury - The phrase is unique to Nehemiah, and is best explained by the context, which shows the practice of the rich Jews at the time to have been not so much to lend on usury as to lend on mortgage and pledge.

7. I consulted with myself — He would do nothing rashly, but carefully devise and adopt the wisest measures to reform these abuses. Rebuked — Contended with them; strove with them by words, as the following sentences show.