6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry, and
theſe words.
exact uſury every one of his brother. & And I
aſſembly againſt them /.
k Which was againſt the plain and poſitive Law of &ed, Deus.-23. 19, 20. eſpecially in this time of publick Calamity and Dearth. / [ called a publick Cofigregation, both of the Rulers and People, the greateſt part whereof were free from this Guilt,and therefore more impartial Judgesof the matter, and repreſented it to them, that the Offenders mighr be convinced, ani reform this Abuſe; if nor for Fear of God, or Love of their Brethren,yet at leaſt for the publick
8 AndlI faid untothem, We, after our ability, have *redeemed our brethren the Jews, which wereſold u:co the Heathen 2; and will ye even ſell your brethren ? or ſhall they be ſold unto us »? Then held rhey their
peace, and found nothing to anſwer.
m I, and my Brethren, and Pre. ecefſors, have uſ:d our utmoſt Intereſt and Power, both with the Kings of P:;/iz, that our Bre. thren might be redeemed from that Bondage into which God had ſold them for their Sins ; and with particular Perſons in Babylen,and Perfis, and the adjacent parts, whoſe Bond-flaves the Jews were, and who would not part with them withouta Price,which we paid for them. » Do you expett that we ſhould pay you a Price for
them, as wedid to the Babylonians ? Or, muſt we uſe as much im-
portunity to ſolicit you f.r theic Redemption, as we did to their Enemies ?
9 Alſo I faid, It is not good 0 that ye do: ought ye
C
7 Then + I conſulted with my ſelf, and I rebuked + Heb » the nobles, and the rulers, and ſaid unto them, Ye #*-rt con- {et a great/* ho
ſhame, and the Cries of the Poor. *
hap. V
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| |
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L2v,2v
not to walk * in the fear of our God, becauſe of the * Ley 255 reproach of the heathen our enemies p ? 36.
04.e. It is a very badand wicked thing; as this ſame phraſe is uſed, Prov. 16: 29: & 17: 26; & 18: 5: & 19: 2. a common Figure, called Mei9ſfs, where more is underſtood than is expreſſed. p Who are round about you, and obſerve all your Affions, and will loarh and r. proach both you for ſuch barbarous uſage of zour Brethren, and R- ligion for ycur ſakes : Which if you have any Love or Re- ſpe& either to God, or to your ſelves, you wall prevent.
10 I likewiſe, and my brethren q, and my ſervants r
+ might exadt of them money and corn /: I pray you
let us leave off this uſury.
q To wir, in Office ; thoſe who are employed with me in the Government of this People. r In my name, and for my uſe /{ As a juſt Recompence for our pains and Care for the Publick Good, to which we wholly devote our ſelves, even to the negle& of all our private Concerns. But I will not rigorouſly exa&,but do freely rem:t my ownright, which, in thoſe Circumſtances,it is my Cury ro do; and theretore you alſo oug}.t todo ſo, ſeing I lay no. bur- den upon you, but what Iam willing to bear a part of upon my own Shoulders. ;
11 Reſtore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands,their vineyards, their olive-yards, and their houſes, aiſo t che hundredth part « of the money and of the corn, the wine, and the oil,that ye exact of them.
t Alſo require not : whichis to be ſupplied cut of the next Verſe, where it is exprefſcd in their anſwer to, and grant of this deſire. « Which they required every Mouthfor the uſe of their Monies or Goods, according to the Cuſtom then uſed, and afterwards by rhe
Romans. 12 Then ſaid they, We will reſtore them x, and will
require nothing of them yz, ſo will we do as choy fayeſt,
f Heb. 4 lend them money, So Gr.
Then TI called the prieiis z and * cook an oath of them 2, WG > 3 y
that they ſhould do according to this promiſe.
8, x To wit, the Lands and Houſes. y Eor the hundredth part, 9
x Either 1. As Delinquents in that kind ; or rather as Witneiles ; that the Oath being raken before the Prieſts, who ated in' God's
Name and ſtead, the Oath might make the more deep and durable Impreſſhon upon their Conſciences.Sec Numb. 5:1 9; 1Kings 1,8,3.32. a Not of the Prieſts laſt mentioned, for it doth not appear that anv of
4 y- them
Pe VI, 4
them were guilty,and it is abſurd to think that they only were guilty of this Extorrion,as they muſt be,if this them belongs to them only; bur of all the Perſons who were before charged with this crime,v.3, 4. whether Prieſts or others, as is evident from the Text, and from the narure ofthe thing. ;
13 Alſo I ſhook my lap b, and ſaid, So God ſhake out every man from his houſe, and from his labour c, that performerh nor this promiſe ; even thus be he ſHaken out, and | emptied. And all tne congregation
%
or
did according to this promiſe.
b i; e: The Lap or cxtream parts of my Garments, which I firſt folded together and then ſhook it and ſcattered it aſunder. This was a Form of Swearing then inuſe. c i:e: From enjoying what he hath gor by his labour. ;
14 Moreover from the time that T wes appointed
to be their governour in the land of Judah, from the
my brethren e have not eaten the bread of the Gover-
nour f. EE
da Not that he continued fo long together at Jeruſalem, of which ſee chap:236: but that he ſo long governed fery/atem by himſelf when he was preſent , and in his abſence, by a Deputy. e Lirher my Fellow-officers, or they whom TI left in my itead, who as they were to comy work, ſo might have required my rights. f 7, e: Thar a[lowance which by che Laws of God and Nations, and of the King
their own Dignity and Offi:e, and of the publick Service.
I 5 But the tormer governours g that had been before me, were chargeabic unto the people, and had raken of them bread and wine, beſide torty ſhekels of iilver 5; yea even their ſervants bare rule over the people 7: bur {odid not I, becauſc of the fear of G<d k.
g Not Ezra, who was no Governour, but only a Prieſt ſent to teach them,and to re&ific Church-abuſes, ror Zerubbabei,bvur others between him and Nehemia?, whom. he forbears to name,®becautic he deſigned not to diſgrace any Perſon,bur only to reform the Abules. h Which they required of the people for every day ro defray taerr other Exp:nces' 7 5. e. Ruled them with Rigor and Cruelty ; which fault of the Servants is charged upon their Maſters, the former Governours, becauſe they did not reſtrain nor puniſh then. & be- cauſe I feared to brzak Gods Commands,or to i:cur his Dilpleaſure by ſuch immoderate and unſeaſonable Oppieſſions of the Pevple T'kis he ſpeaks not to commend himſelf, vut rather to diminiſh his
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