Nehemiah 5:15
Ver. 15. But the former governors, that had been before me, were chargeable to the people,.... Between him and Zerubbabel, for Ezra was no governor; according to the Jewish chronology {m}, when Ezra came to Jerusalem, Zerubbabel returned to Babylon, and there died, and his son Methullam was in his stead, and after him succeeded Hananiah his son:
and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; which amounted to between four and five pounds, and this they had every day:
yea, even their servants bare rule over the people; required a salary, or at least perquisites of them, which the governors connived at:
but so did not I, because of the fear of God; neither took anything himself of the people, nor suffered his servants; because the fear of God was upon his heart, and before his eyes, and therefore could not allow himself to oppress the poor.
{m} Seder Olam Zuta, p. 108, 109.