5:12 They replied, “We will return these things, 7 and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials 8 swear to do what had been promised. 9
5:14 From the day that I was appointed 10 governor 11 in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes – twelve years in all – neither I nor my relatives 12 ate the food allotted to the governor. 13
7:61 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify 17 their family connection 18 or their ancestry, 19 as to whether they were really from Israel):
9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. 21 They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.
11:3 These are the provincial leaders 25 who settled in Jerusalem. (While other Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple attendants, and the sons of the servants of Solomon settled in the cities of Judah, each on his own property in their cities,
12:44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, first fruits, and tithes, to gather into them from 26 the fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests and the Levites, for the people of Judah 27 took delight in the priests and Levites who were ministering. 28
1 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “all this,” but they have been added in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”
3 tn Heb “nobles.”
4 tn Heb “taking a creditor’s debt.” The Hebrew noun מַשָּׁא (masha’) means “interest; debt” and probably refers to the collateral (pledge) collected by a creditor (HALOT 641-42 s.v.). This particular noun form appears only in Nehemiah (5:7, 10; 10:32); however, it is related to מַשָּׁאָה (masha’ah, “contractual loan; debt; collateral”) which appears elsewhere (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; cf. Neh 5:11). See the note on the word “people” at the end of v. 5. The BHS editors suggest emending the MT to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”), following several medieval Hebrew
5 tn Heb “his brothers.”
6 tn Heb “I gave.”
7 tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “according to this word.”
10 tc The BHS editors suggest reading צֻוֵּאתִי (tsuvve’ti, “and I was appointed”) rather than the reading of the MT, אֹתִי צִוָּה (tsivvah ’oti, “he appointed me”).
11 tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew
12 tn Heb “brothers.”
13 tn Heb “the food of the governor.” Cf. v. 18.
14 tn Heb “nobles”; NCV “important men.”
15 tn Heb “the book of genealogy.”
16 tn Heb “in it”; the referent (the genealogical record) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Heb “relate.”
18 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”
19 tn Heb “their seed.”
20 tn Heb “the sons.”
21 tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”
22 tn Heb “great.”
23 tn Heb “given them.”
24 tn Heb “given.”
25 tn Heb “the heads of the province.”
26 tc The translation reads מִשְּׂדֶי (missÿde, “from the fields”) rather than the MT reading לִשְׂדֵי (lisdey, “to the fields”).
27 tn Heb “for Judah.” The words “the people of” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, since “Judah” is a proper name as well as a place name.
28 tn Heb “standing.”
29 tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.
30 tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”
31 sn This statement contains a great deal of restrained humor. The author clearly takes pleasure in the effectiveness of the measures that he had enacted.