Nehemiah 5:1
New International Version
Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews.

New Living Translation
About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews.

English Standard Version
Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

Berean Standard Bible
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.

King James Bible
And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

New King James Version
And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren.

New American Standard Bible
Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

NASB 1995
Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

NASB 1977
Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

Amplified Bible
Now there was a great outcry of the [poorer] people and their wives against their Jewish brothers [to whom they were deeply in debt].

Christian Standard Bible
There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen.

American Standard Version
Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

Contemporary English Version
Some of the men and their wives complained about the Jews in power

English Revised Version
Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then some of the people, the men and their wives, complained publicly about their Jewish relatives.

Good News Translation
Some time later many of the people, both men and women, began to complain against the other Jews.

International Standard Version
Now the people along with their spouses complained loudly against their fellow Jews,

Majority Standard Bible
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.

NET Bible
Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.

New Heart English Bible
Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

World English Bible
Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brothers the Jews,

Young's Literal Translation
And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brethren the Jews,

Smith's Literal Translation
And a cry of the people and their wives will be great against their brethren the Jews.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And there occurred a great outcry of the people and their wives against their brothers, the Jews.

New American Bible
Then there rose a great outcry of the people and their wives against certain of their Jewish kindred.

New Revised Standard Version
Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish kin.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
THEN there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And then the people and their wives wailed a great wailing against their brethren, the Judeans.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the cry of the people and their wives was great against their brethren the Jews.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed
1About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. 2Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”…

Cross References
Exodus 22:25
If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.

Leviticus 25:35-37
Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. / Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. / You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20
Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan. / You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.

Deuteronomy 24:14-15
Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. / You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Proverbs 22:16
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.

Isaiah 58:6-7
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? / Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Ezekiel 18:7-8
He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. / He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men.

Amos 2:6-7
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. / They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the earth; they push the needy out of their way. A man and his father have relations with the same girl and so profane My holy name.

Amos 5:11-12
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. / For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

Micah 2:1-2
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. / They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.

Matthew 5:42
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...

Luke 3:11
John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

Luke 6:34-35
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. / But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Luke 12:33
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.


Treasury of Scripture

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

a great cry

Exodus 3:7
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

Exodus 22:25-27
If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury…

Job 31:38,39
If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; …

their brethren

Leviticus 25:35-37
And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee…

Deuteronomy 15:7-11
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: …

Acts 7:26
And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?

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Countrymen Cry Great Jewish Jews Outcry Raised Wives
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Countrymen Cry Great Jewish Jews Outcry Raised Wives
Nehemiah 5
1. The Jews complain of their debt, mortgage, and bondage
6. Nehemiah rebukes the usurers, and causes them to make a covenant of restitution
14. He forbears his own allowance, and keeps hospitality














About this time
This phrase sets the temporal context within the narrative of Nehemiah. It indicates a specific period during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, a time of both physical and spiritual restoration. Historically, this was a period of significant social and economic strain, as the people were returning from exile and attempting to re-establish their lives. The phrase suggests a pivotal moment, highlighting the urgency and importance of the events that follow.

there was a great outcry
The "great outcry" signifies a loud and public expression of distress and injustice. In Hebrew, the word for "outcry" (זְעָקָה, ze'akah) often denotes a cry for help in the face of oppression or suffering. This reflects the deep-seated grievances among the people, emphasizing the severity of the social issues at hand. The use of "great" underscores the magnitude and widespread nature of the discontent, indicating that this was not an isolated incident but a communal crisis.

from the people and their wives
This phrase highlights the inclusivity of the outcry, involving both men and women. In the patriarchal society of ancient Israel, the mention of "wives" is significant, suggesting that the economic and social pressures were affecting entire families. It underscores the gravity of the situation, as women, who might typically remain in the background, were compelled to join in the public protest. This collective voice of families points to the breakdown of social structures and the urgent need for reform.

against their fellow Jews
The conflict is internal, occurring among the Jewish community itself. This phrase indicates that the grievances were directed not at external enemies, but at fellow Israelites. It highlights a moral and ethical crisis, where the covenant community was failing to live according to God's laws of justice and compassion. Historically, this internal strife would have been particularly painful, as unity was crucial for the survival and success of the returning exiles. The phrase calls attention to the need for repentance and reconciliation within the community, aligning with the broader biblical themes of justice and brotherly love.

(1) Their brethren the Jews.--Nehemiah's other troubles had come from the enemies without: he begins this account by laying emphasis on the hard treatment of Jews by Jews.

Verse 1. - A great cry. Compare ver. 6, where the "cry" is distinguished from the "words." The Oriental habit of shrill lamentation must be borne in mind it is always shrillest when the women have a part in it, as on this occasion. Their wives. Mothers, whose children had been sold into slavery, or who anticipated losing them in this sad way speedily (ver. 5). Their brethren the Jews. i.e. the richer Jews, who had adopted the practice of lending upon pledge.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
About this time there was
וַתְּהִ֨י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a great
גְּדוֹלָ֑ה (gə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

outcry
צַעֲקַ֥ת (ṣa·‘ă·qaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6818: A cry, outcry

from the people
הָעָ֛ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and their wives
וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם (ū·nə·šê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

against
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

their fellow
אֲחֵיהֶ֖ם (’ă·ḥê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 251: A brother, )

Jews.
הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃ (hay·yə·hū·ḏîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3064: Jews -- Jewish


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OT History: Nehemiah 5:1 Then there arose a great cry (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 4:23
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