Nehemiah 5:4

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

Nehemiah 5:4 in Other Translations

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

4 And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.

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

4 And others said, "We're having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards.

4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute [upon] our fields and our vineyards.

4 Others said, "We've had to borrow money to pay the king's taxes on our fields and vineyards.

4 Still others were saying, "We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.

4 Still others were saying, "We've had to borrow money. We needed it to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.

Nehemiah 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 5:4

There were also that said
Who though they were able to buy corn for their families without mortgaging their estates: yet, say they,

we have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands
and vineyards;
for though the priests, Levites, and Nethinims, were exempted from it, yet not the people in common; and some of these were so poor, that they could not pay it without borrowing upon their estates, and paying large usury for it, see ( Ezra 6:8 ) ( 7:24 )

Nehemiah 5:4 In-Context

2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”

3 Others 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 had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”

6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry.

Cross References

• 1. S Ezra 4:13