Nehemiah 5:7

5:7 I considered these things carefully 1  and then registered a complaint with the wealthy 2  and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral 3  from your own countrymen!” 4  Because of them I called for 5  a great public assembly.

Nehemiah 5:13

5:13 I also shook out my garment, 6  and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out 7  this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. 8 

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 MSS; however, the result is not entirely clear: “you are bearing a burden, a man with his brothers.”

4 tn Heb “his brothers.”

5 tn Heb “I gave.”

6 tn Heb “my bosom.”

7 tn Heb “cause to stand.”

8 tn Heb “according to this word.”