Nehemiah 5:8

and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer.

The Emphasised Bible by J. B. Rotherham

In The King James Version

And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

In Context

7So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest—every man to his brother, are ye making,—So I appointed over them a great assembly;

9Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing,—ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

Read all of Nehemiah 5

Cross References

Leviticus 25:47And, when the hand of the sojourner and settler with thee getteth possessions, and thy brother with him, waxeth poor,—and so he selleth himself to the sojourner [who is] a settler with thee, or to one who hath taken root, of the family of the sojourner,

Deuteronomy 24:7When a man is found stealing any person from among his brethren of the sons of Israel, and making merchandise of him, or selling him, then shall that thief die, so shalt thou consume the wicked thing out of thy midst.

Job 32:15They were dismayed, they responded no more, they suffered speech to forsake them;

Matthew 25:15And, to one, indeed, gave he five talents, and, to another, two, and, to another, one,—to each according to his particular ability, and went from home.

Romans 3:19Now we know that, whatsoever things the law saith, to them who are within the law, it speaketh, in order that, every mouth, may be stopped and all the world come, under penal sentence, unto God.

1 Corinthians 8:11In fact, he that is weak, is being destroyed, by thy knowledge—the brother for whose sake Christ died.

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 5:7-14

Grievances of the Poor Redressed. ( b. c. 445.) 6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 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. 8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Nehemiah 5:8