Nehemiah 5:17

Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) At my table.—The charge on the governor’s free hospitality was heavy: “of the Jews a hundred and fifty rulers, besides those that came” occasionally from the country.

Because the bondage.—Rather, because the service of building was heavy.

The bondage.—Rather, the service was heavy.

Benson Commentary

Nehemiah 5:17. There were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers — Not only Jews of the inferior sort, for whom meaner provisions might have sufficed; but also their rulers, for whom better provision was to be made; who resorted to him upon all occasions, either to pour out their complaints to him, or to receive his orders. Besides those that came from among the heathen — Strangers, who came about business, and perhaps brought him intelligence concerning the state of the neighbouring people, and of their designs.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:14-19 Those who truly fear God, will not dare to do any thing cruel or unjust. Let all who are in public places remember that they are so placed to do good, not to enrich themselves. Nehemiah mentions it to God in prayer, not as if he had merited any favour from God, but to show that he depended upon God only, to make up to him what he had lost and laid out for his honour. Nehemiah evidently spake and acted as one that knew himself to be a sinner. He did not mean to claim a reward as of debt, but in the manner that the Lord rewards a cup of cold water given to a disciple for his sake. The fear and love of God in the heart, and true love of the brethren, will lead to every good work. These are proper evidences of justifying faith; and our reconciled God will look upon persons of this character for good, according to all they have done for his people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I continued ... land - i. e. - "I took my share in the work of the wall, as general superintendent. I did not take advantage of the general poverty to buy poor men's plots of ground."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

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 1Ki 4:22; 18:19; Ec 5:11).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

An hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers; not only Jews of the inferior sort, for whom meaner provisions might suffice, but also their rulers, such as there were in many places, for whom better provision was fit; who resorted to him upon all occasions, either to pour out their complaints, as here they did; or to give him notice of the enemy’s designs; or to receive his orders and directions.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Moreover, there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers,.... Every day at his own cost, which must be considerable to provide for such a number, and of such rank:

besides those that came unto us from among the Heathen that are about us; who were proselytes, and came thither to worship, or on a civil account, to give intelligence, and take directions.

Geneva Study Bible

Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. Moreover] Nehemiah mentions another proof of his generosity as governor. He regularly entertained over 150 officials, and welcomed Jewish strangers to his table.

an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides those that came unto us, &c.] The English rendering which seems here to distinguish between ‘the Jews’ and ‘rulers’ (or ‘deputies’), and to speak of three classes (1) the Jews, (2) rulers, (3) strangers from outside Judæa, may be supported by the traditional interpretation preserved in the Hebrew accents.

From the position here assigned to ‘the Jews,’ the word, if taken to express a distinct class of the community, must be used of ‘the heads of the great Jewish houses or families’ (cf. Ezra 2) as distinct from the administrative officers (see Nehemiah 2:16). According to this explanation the heads of the houses and the rulers together numbered one hundred and fifty.

It may be questioned whether the expression ‘the Jews’ would ever be assigned to a section or class of the community. The word is used in Nehemiah 5:1 and Nehemiah 5:8 without any such limitation of meaning.

It is perhaps better to take ‘the Jews’ as the subject of the whole verse. ‘Moreover the Jews—I regularly entertained two classes, i.e. the 150 officials and those who had recently left their homes to join their countrymen at Jerusalem.’ This is the rendering of the Vulgate, ‘Judæi quoque et magistratus centum quinquaginta viri et veniebant ad nos de gentibus.’ The repetition of the copula in the Hebrew with ‘Jews,’ ‘rulers,’ and ‘those’ admits of this rendering as in Nehemiah 4:11.

The large number of the ‘rulers’ is not an insurmountable objection to this rendering. The central organization of the administration required a great deal of subdivision; and as all the officials were under the governor, he extended his hospitality to all alike.

besides those that came unto us, &c.] By this seems to be intended the somewhat numerous class of Jews, who, having resided among the neighbouring nations detached themselves from time to time, and came to join their brethren in or near Jerusalem. These were Jews, whose forefathers had never been carried captive to Babylon, but had settled in foreign lands either for purposes of trade or from fear of the invader. See note on Ezra 6:21.

that are about us] R.V. that were round about us. The past tense is required by the narrative style, which Nehemiah employs.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - An hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers. The "hundred and fifty" were, all of them, "rulers." Nehemiah means to say that he entertained continually at his table 150 of the Jewish chief men or "rulers" (segdnim), and also an indefinite number of foreign Jews, who came on short visits to Jerusalem. Nehemiah 5:17

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

But this was not all; for Nehemiah had also fed a considerable number of persons at his table, at his own expense. "And the Jews, both one hundred and fifty rulers, and the men who came to us from the nations round about us, were at my table," i.e., were my guests. The hundred and fifty rulers, comp. Nehemiah 2:16, were the heads of the different houses of Judah collectively. These were always guests at Nehemiah's table, as were also such Jews as dwelt among the surrounding nations, when they came to Jerusalem.