Nehemiah 5:9

Neh 5:9 Also I said, It [is] not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

Ver. 9. Also I said, It is not good that ye do No oratory is so powerful as that of mildness. The drops that fall easily upon the corn ripen and fill the ear; when hasty showers lay all flat to the earth, without hope of recovery. Gregory hath observed, that they that could not be cured with strong potions have been recovered with warm water. Reprovers of others must deal warily, as bone-setters; and as we take a mote out of one’s eye.

Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God] Which would have reined you in, and restrained you from such exorbitancies. Gen 42:18, You need not fear me, said Joseph to his brethren, for I fear God, and therefore dare do you no hurt. Ye shall not oppress one another; "but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the Lord your God," Lev 25:17. And "will ye not tremble at my presence?" saith the Lord, Jer 5:22. "Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob," Psa 114:7. Oppressors are called Canaanites, Hos 12:7. He is Canaan that is a mere natural man, utterly void of God’s holy fear, Eze 16:3, the balances of deceit are in his hand; be loveth to oppress. To him that is afflicted pity should be showed from his friend (as it should have been to these poor Jews from their hard-hearted countrymen and kinsmen), but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty, and is therefore merciless.

Because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?] Who watch for our halting more earnestly than a dog doth for a bone, and will be glad of any occasion to speak evil of us and of our religion, with, These are your professors, &c. You see what tyrants and tigers they are one to another. Hereby the banks of blasphemy will be broken down in them, to speak evil with open mouth of the name of God. And will ye trample upon that dear and dread name?

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh_5:9

Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

Jealousy for the honour of God

There was much good sense and Christian wisdom in the reply which was once given to a dignitary of our Church by a simple rural pastor. The latter had said to the former, If you act so, what will the people say? The reply was, Do you care what the people say? The rejoinder of the plain man was, I care as little as any man what the people say; but I care a great deal what the people have a right to say. How just the distinction! Human opinion ought to have no weight with us when it contravenes duty; but it ought to weigh much with us when we incur its censure by the violation of duty. The ungodly will judge chiefly of Christianity by those who profess it, and be largely won or scandalised by the manner in which it is adorned or disgraced by them. (Hugh Stowell, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh 5:9. It is not good that ye do — Though you get money by it, you contract guilt, and expose yourselves to the displeasure of God; ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God? — Certainly you ought, for you profess religion and relation to him; and if you do walk in his fear, you will neither be covetous of worldly gain, nor cruel toward your brethren. They that live in the fear of God, will not dare to do an ill thing. Because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies — Who are round about you, and are enemies to us, our God, and our religion. They observe all your actions, and will reproach both you for such barbarous usage of your brethren, and religion for your sakes.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:9 walk in the fear of our God: See Lev 25:35-43. • avoid being mocked: See also Neh 1:3; 2:19; 4:1-3.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Who by this occasion will blaspheme the Name of God, seeing that our acts are no better than theirs.

Meaning, Nehemiah.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 9. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God] If ye wish to accredit that religion ye profess which comes from the God of justice and mercy; should you not, in the sight of the heathen, abstain from injustice and cruelty? Can they credit your profession, when they see such practices? The inconsistent conduct of some professors of religion does much harm in the Church of God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(9) Because of the reproach.—The text of another strong argument used in the assembly. We learn in Nehemiah 6 how watchful the heathen were: all matters were reported to them, and every act of oppression would become a reproach against the God of the Jews.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. Also I said] ‘And I said.’ The C’thib in the Hebrew text (which is probably due to an error of transcription) gives the meaning ‘and it was said,’ i.e. by Nehemiah. The rendering ‘and I said’ follows the reading of the K’ri, LXX., Vulg.

It is not good that ye do] R.V. The thing that ye do Is not good. The R.V. rendering is in itself preferable to that of the A.V. In addition it enables the English reader to recognize the exact correspondence of this clause with words in Exo_18:17. The sentence is so simple that too much must not be made of the resemblance. But the supposition that Nehemiah’s words perhaps unconsciously repeated a familiar sentence from ‘the book of the law’ is not to be lightly dismissed. That the words of Jethro to Moses should be used by Nehemiah to the money-lenders indicates the courtesy of his expostulation. Fiercer language would have only exasperated them.

ought ye not, &c.] or ‘will ye, or should ye, not,’ &c.

walk in the fear of our God] This precise phrase does not, apparently, occur elsewhere in the O. T. It condenses the thought of Deu_10:12, ‘And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways,’ (cf. Neh_8:6). We find it in the N. T. in Act_9:31, ‘The church … walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost was multiplied.’ ‘The fear of God,’ cf. Neh_5:15. ‘The fear of the Lord’ is the usual expression, espec. in Pss. and Prov. ‘The fear of God,’ cf. Gen_20:11; 2Sa_23:3; 2Ch_26:5, R.V. Marg. The fear of God’s hatred of oppression should be before the eyes of all. Cf. Pro_14:31, ‘He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker.’

because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies] Though the general sense is obvious, there is some uncertainty as to the exact shade of meaning to be attached to these words. (1) It may mean ‘on account of the reproach wherewith our enemies have reproached us; since, so long as we have not walked in the fear of our God, we have been feeble and weak and have deserved the reproach of our enemies. If we walk in His fear, He will bless us and remove the cause of their reproach.’ Cf. chap. Neh_4:4. (2) It may mean ‘for fear of incurring the just reproach of our enemies,’ seeing that, if they hear of your cruel and ungenerous action to your brethren, they will have good cause to rebuke and ridicule our people. Cf. Neh_6:13.

‘the heathen our enemies.’ On ‘the heathen’ see Neh_5:8. The two words are only here combined in these books. For ‘our enemies’ cf. Neh_4:15, Neh_6:1; Neh_6:16. For the general meaning see 2Sa_12:14, ‘thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.’ Cf. Isa_52:5.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn,.... For our maintenance, in consideration of the services done by us, which would appear but reasonable, but this we decline for the sake of easing our poor brethren:

I pray you let us leave off this usury; and not exact it, as has been too much and too long used.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

It is not good, i. e. it is a very bad and wicked thing; as this same phrase is used, Pro 16:29; 17:26; 18:5; 19:2. A common figure, called meiosis, where more is understood than is expressed.

Because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies; who are round about you, and observe all your actions, and will loath and reproach both you for such barbarous usage of your brethren, and religion for your sakes; which, if you have any love or respect either to God or to yourselves, you will prevent.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. Walk in the fear of our God — Have all your conduct show reverence for God, and fear to break his laws.

Because of the reproach of the heathen — That is, lest ye make yourselves an occasion of reproach among the heathen, and they say: These Jews despise their own laws by oppressing their own brethren.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Also I said. To silence the nobles was not enough. To shame them was not enough. What was wanted was to persuade them. Nehemiah therefore continued his address. It is not good that ye do. It is not good in itself, apart from any contrast with what I have been doing. Ought ye not to walk or, literally, "will ye not walkin the fear of our God? Will ye not really, "fear God and keep his commandments, not in the letter only, but in the spirit? Will ye not cease to oppress your brethren? Will ye not deal kindly and gently with them? Because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies. If the mere fear of God, the desire to escape his displeasure and win his approval, is not enough, will not the thought of the light in which you will appear to the heathen influence you? You make a profession of religion; you claim to be actuated by high motives; to be merciful, compassionate, and self-denying. If they see you as keen after gain as any of themselves, as regardless of others, as pitiless and oppressive, what a reproach will not this bring on your religion! What a proof will it not seem to be that you are no better than your neighbours, and your religion, therefore, no whit superior to theirs!

Avoidance of reproach.

"Ought ye not to walk?" etc. The "reproach" spoken of here is supposed by some to be that arising from the feeble condition of the Jews, which the conduct of these extortioners was likely to perpetuate and increase. Better, however, to interpret it of the just reproach which such conduct would occasion.

I REPROACHES OF MEN WHICH ARE NOT TO BE REGARDED. Those which are directed against

1. The Christian faith.

2. Christian confession. The bold acknowledgment of Christ.

3. Christian life and work. "Fear ye not the reproach of men," etc.. (Isa_51:7. See also Rom_15:3 Heb_11:26)

II REPROACHES THAT SHOULD BE REGARDED. Those which are directed against manifest inconsistencies between our faith and our life, our professions and our practices. Men of the world can understand our religion sufficiently to discern wherein we fail. Their judgment of some things in our conduct may be just, and is then fitted to quicken our consciences and lead us to improvement. "Fas est et ab hoste doceri." We should be careful not to give just "occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme," for the sake of the credit of religion, the good of enemies themselves, and of other men who may be well disposed, but to whom our inconsistencies are a stumbling-block. Amongst the occasions of just reproach may be named

1. Untruthfulness and dishonesty in worldly transactions.

2. Insincerity and cant in religious utterances.

3. Selfishness and self-indulgence.

4. Dissension and contention among Christians.

5. Censoriousness.

6. Gloominess. As contrasted with our representations of the happiness of religion.

7. Worldly ambition or policy in Church life and work.

III THE SUREST WAY TO AVOID JUST REPROACH. "Ought ye not to walk in the fear of God." Genuine, habitual piety, actuating our whole life, will produce such fruits as will commend themselves even to the irreligious who are not malignant foes of what is good, and "put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." Thus fearing God we shall not need to be much concerned about the judgment of men. Finally, those who reproach Christians with their inconsistencies condemn themselves. The light by which they do so reveals their own duty. They are as really bound to be genuine and consistent Christians as those whom they reproach. The obligation to piety and goodness does not spring from the profession of religion, though this may add strength to it; it rests on all to whom the gospel is known, and if you know enough to condemn others, you know enough to teach you what you ought to be, and to leave you without excuse.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Reproach - Who are round about you, and observe all your actions, and will reproach both you for such barbarous usage of your brethren, and religion for your sakes.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Also I said

The pronoun "I" refers to Nehemiah.

What you are doing

"You" here refers to the Jewish nobles.

Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations that are our enemies?

This is a rhetorical question that Nehemiah is using to scold the nobles. It can be translated as a statement. AT: "You should walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations that are our enemies." (See: Rhetorical Question)

walk in the fear of our God

This is and idiom. Here "walk" refers to a person's behavior and the way he lives. AT: "live your life in a way that honors God" (See: Idiom)

the taunts of the nations that are our enemies

The word "taunt" means "slander" or "mockery" and it can be expressed as a verb. AT: "the nations who are our enemies from taunting us" or "the enemy nations from mocking us" (See: Abstract Nouns)

lending

borrowing or giving something to someone expecting repayment

loans

This is any money, food, or property that one person could let another person borrow in order to repay debts. The borrower would then be indebted to the lender.

percentage

A part of the value of the loan that the borrower was charged in interest.

you exacted from them

"you charged them" or "you made them pay"

translationWords

good

walk

fear

God

nation

adversary

brother

servant

vineyard

olive

grain

wine

oil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

The thing...is not good The thing is evil in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He.

because of the reproach because of the reproach of the heathens who are our enemies.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.