Nehemiah 5:4
New International Version
Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

New Living Translation
And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes.

English Standard Version
And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

Berean Standard Bible
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

King James Bible
There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

New King James Version
There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.

New American Standard Bible
There also were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

NASB 1995
Also there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

NASB 1977
Also there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

Legacy Standard Bible
Also there were those who were saying, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

Amplified Bible
There were also others who were saying, “We have borrowed money on our fields and vineyards for the [Persian] king’s [heavy] tax.

Christian Standard Bible
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

American Standard Version
There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and our vineyards.

Contemporary English Version
Then others said, "We had to borrow money from those in power to pay the government tax on our fields and vineyards.

English Revised Version
There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and our vineyards.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Others said, "We've had to borrow money to pay the king's taxes on our fields and vineyards.

Good News Translation
Still others said, "We had to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards.

International Standard Version
Still others were saying "We've borrowed money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king's taxes.

Majority Standard Bible
Still others were saying, ?We have borrowed money to pay the king?s tax on our fields and vineyards.

NET Bible
Then there were those who said, "We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our vineyards.

New Heart English Bible
There were also some who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

Webster's Bible Translation
There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

World English Bible
There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And there are [those] who are saying, “We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, [on] our fields, and our vineyards;

Young's Literal Translation
And there are who are saying, 'We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, on our fields, and our vineyards;

Smith's Literal Translation
And there are those saying, We borrowed silver for the king's tribute, our fields and our vineyards.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And others said: Let us borrow money for the king's tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And others were saying: “Let us borrow money for the tribute of the king, and let us surrender our fields and vineyards.”

New American Bible
Still others said: “To pay the king’s tax we have borrowed money on our fields and vineyards.

New Revised Standard Version
And there were those who said, “We are having to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king’s tax.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
There were those who said, Let us borrow money from the king's tribute, and work our fields and our vineyards, that we may live.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And there were those who said: “We shall borrow money from the taxes of the King, and we shall cultivate our fields and our vineyards, and we shall live!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
There were also that said: 'We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and our vineyards.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes: - our fields, and our vineyards, and houses are pledged.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed
3Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” 4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”…

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.

Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

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 18:8
He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men.

Ezekiel 22:12
In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.

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

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.

Acts 2:44-45
All the believers were together and had everything in common. / Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need.

Acts 4:34-35
There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, / and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.

Romans 13:8
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

1 Corinthians 16:1-2
Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia: / On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.

2 Corinthians 8:13-15
It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality. / At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality. / As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”


Treasury of Scripture

There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that on our lands and vineyards.

the king's tribute

Nehemiah 9:37
And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

Deuteronomy 28:47,48
Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; …

Joshua 16:10
And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

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Borrow Borrowed Fields King's Lands Money Others Pay Tax Tribute Vine-Gardens Vineyards
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Borrow Borrowed Fields King's Lands Money Others Pay Tax Tribute Vine-Gardens Vineyards
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














Still others were saying
This phrase indicates a continuation of grievances among the people. The Hebrew root for "saying" is "אָמַר" (amar), which often implies a declaration or a cry for help. In the context of Nehemiah, this reflects the communal distress and the need for leadership to address systemic issues. Historically, this period was marked by economic hardship, and the people's voices highlight the social injustices that Nehemiah was called to rectify.

We have borrowed money
The act of borrowing money here is significant. The Hebrew word for "borrowed" is "לָוָה" (lavah), which can also mean to join or to be joined to something. This suggests a binding obligation, often leading to servitude. In ancient times, borrowing money was fraught with risk, as it could lead to loss of property or even personal freedom. This phrase underscores the desperation and vulnerability of the people, who were forced into debt to meet their obligations.

to pay the king’s tax
The "king’s tax" refers to the tribute imposed by the Persian Empire, under which Judah was a province. The Hebrew term for "tax" is "מֶלֶךְ" (melek), which can also mean a levy or tribute. This tax was a heavy burden on the people, exacerbating their financial woes. Historically, the Persian kings, including Artaxerxes during Nehemiah's time, demanded substantial tributes from their subjects, which often led to economic strain and social unrest.

on our fields and vineyards
Fields and vineyards were the primary sources of livelihood for the people of Judah. The Hebrew words "שָׂדֶה" (sadeh) for fields and "כֶּרֶם" (kerem) for vineyards denote not just agricultural assets but also heritage and sustenance. The mention of these specific assets highlights the severity of the situation, as the people were at risk of losing their ancestral lands. This reflects a broader biblical theme of land as a divine inheritance, and the loss of it as a profound crisis.

(4) We have borrowed money for the king's tribute.--Literally, we have made our fields and vineyards answerable for the payment of the Persian tribute. They had pledged the coming produce.

Verse 4. - The king's tribute. Judaea, like other Persian provinces, had to pay a tribute, partly in money and partly in kind, yearly to the Persian monarch (see the comment on Ezra 4:13); but there is no reason to believe that this burthen was generally felt as oppressive, nor that it was heavier in Judaea than elsewhere. But by the very poor even a small amount of direct taxation is felt as a grievance; and the necessity of meeting the demands of the tax-gatherer was in the ancient world often the turning-point, which compelled the contracting of a debt (Liv., 2:23); and so it seems to have been with these complainants,

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Still others
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

were saying,
אֹמְרִ֔ים (’ō·mə·rîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“We have borrowed
לָוִ֥ינוּ (lā·wî·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 3867: To twine, to unite, to remain, to borrow, to lend

money [to pay]
כֶ֖סֶף (ḵe·sep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

the king's
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

tax
לְמִדַּ֣ת (lə·mid·daṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4060: Extension, height, breadth, a measure, a portion, a vestment, tribute

[on] our fields
שְׂדֹתֵ֖ינוּ (śə·ḏō·ṯê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 7704: Field, land

and vineyards.
וּכְרָמֵֽינוּ׃ (ū·ḵə·rā·mê·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard


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OT History: Nehemiah 5:4 There were also that said We have (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 5:3
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