5:12 They replied, “We will return these things, 6 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 7 swear to do what had been promised. 8
8:16 So the people went out and brought these things 9 back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple 10 of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate.
1 tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”
2 tn Heb “nobles.”
3 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
4 tn Heb “his brothers.”
5 tn Heb “I gave.”
6 tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
7 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.
8 tn Heb “according to this word.”
9 tn The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Heb “the house.”
11 tn Heb “they ate and were sated.” This expression is a hendiadys. The first verb retains its full verbal sense, while the second functions adverbially: “they ate and were filled” = “they ate until they were full.”
12 tn Heb “gave.”