The Pulpit Commentary — Nehemiah — Section 48

poverty were three : -1. Over-population recourse to persuasion, argument, nnd per (wr. 2) ; 2. A recent famine (ver. 3) ; and, sonal influence. He therefore, first of 1tl1 1 3. The weight of taxation, arising from the spoke to the "nobles," who were the money- large amount annually demanded from the lenders, rebuked them, and endeavoured to province by the Persians in the way of induce them to desist from their malprac- tribute (ver. 4). As there is no reason to tices (ver. 7) ; but failing to produce in this suppose that the tribute had been augmented way any considerable effect, he brought the recently, this CRuse must be viewed as con- matter before an assembly of the people stant. The over-population me.y have arisen, (ibul.). There, he first shamed the nobles in part, from the influx of immigrants, in by alleging his own contro.ry example, and part from the narrow extent of the territory then called on them, " for the fear of Go\i which the returned tribes had been allowed and because of the reproach of the heathen," to occupy (Ewald, 'History of Israel,' voL to restore the forfeited lands and houses to v. pp. BO, 115, &c.). The famine, which their former owners, repay all that they had has been attributed to the calling off of the received in the way of interest on the money people from their ordinary employments lent, and give up the entire practice of lend- (ihid. p. 152), can scarcely have had this as ing money upon pledge or mortgage (vers. its maiu origin if the whole work was begun 7-11). Moved by this public appeal, the and ended, as Nehemiah tells us it was (eh. nobles intimated their consent, whereupon vi. 15), in less than two months; but sup- he made them clench their promise by an posing that already there was a scarcity pro- oath (ver. 12), adding on his own part a duced by bad harvests, as in Haggai's time malediction if the oath were not observed, (Ha.&,<>ai i. 9-11), it may have been aggra- which was hailed with acclaim by the people, vated by this circumstance. The entire Thus the whole matter was brought to a result was that the poorer classes were com- happy conclusion - the promise made was pelled, first of all, to mortgage their houses kept-" the people," i. e. the whole nation, and such lands as they possessed (ver. 8), nobles included, "did according to this and secondly to pledge the persons of their word" (ver. 13). sons and daughters (ver. 5), in order to raise Ver. 1.-A great cry. Compare ver. 6, money, with the near prospect of having to where the '' cry" is distinguished from the allow them to become slaves if they were " words." The Oriental habit of shrill uuable to repay their creditor at the time lamentation must be borne in mind-it is appointed. Under these circumstances they always shrillest '!hen th~ women h~ve a_part appealed to the new governor, probably in it as on this occasion. Thell' wives. not long after his arrival, for relief. The Mothers, whose children had been sold into slavery or who anticipated losing them in appeal placed him in a position of great this sad way speedily (ver. 5). Their bre- difficulty. He was not rich enough to take thren the Jews. I. e. the richer Jews, who upon himself the whole burthen; and though had adopted the practice of lending upon he himself, and also his brothers and per- pledge. sonal att~ndants, did lend freely, out of their Ver. 2.-There were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many. Tho~e private store, money and grain (ver. 10, who had large families were foremost m with comment), yet this was far from being making complaint. They found their nu- enough-it did not go to the root of the merous progeny not the blessing that.abund- evil Had he stopped at this point and done ant offspring is ordinarily reckoned in ~oly no more, the distress would have continued, Scripture, but a burthen and au amnety. Therefore we take up com for them. We 1.nd with it the discontent-the mass of the are obliged to get corn for _them, or th~y population would have held aloof from him would die, and have to run m debt for it.I in sullen anger, and his whole undertaking Com wine and oil seem to have been lent, might have boon frustrated. On the other no le~s tha~ money (ver. ll). hand, it was impossible for him, under the Ver. 3.-Becau■e of the dearth. Some, who could not say that their families were Persian system of government, to carry mat- large, claimed relief on account, as it would ters with a high hand, as a Grecian lawgiver seem, not so much of a present as of a past might have done, and order a general can- famine, which had forced them to mortgage celling of debte. He cJuld only have their fields, vineyards, and houses. That en. v. 1-13.) THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. 19