The Meaning of Nehemiah 5:18 Explained

Nehemiah 5:18

KJV: Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

YLT: and that which hath been prepared for one day is one ox, six fat sheep, also fowls have been prepared for me, and once in ten days of all wines abundantly, and with this, the bread of the governor I have not sought, for heavy is the service on this people.

Darby: And that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people.

ASV: Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now [that] which was prepared  [for me] daily  [was] one  ox  [and] six  choice  sheep;  also fowls  were prepared  for me, and once in ten  days  store  of all sorts of wine:  yet for all  this required  not I the bread  of the governor,  because the bondage  was heavy  upon this people. 

What does Nehemiah 5:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 5:1-19 - Securing Justice For The Poor
The prospects of the poor people among the returned exiles were deplorable. There had been deficient rains and poor harvests, Haggai 1:6-11. They had mortgaged their lands to their richer brethren, and had even sold their children to pay the royal taxes and procure means of subsistence. The rich had taken advantage of their necessities, oppressing them with grievous exactions and heavy usury. When Nehemiah heard of it, he seems to have withstood the wrong with strenuous protest, depending on his God for support. And, in a great assembly, he carried the day against selfishness and greed. There is nothing here to condemn mortgage, or interest in themselves. Each is a legitimate method of trade, except when undue advantage is taken of a brother's necessities. The Nehemiah 5:14-19 were evidently added at a subsequent period to the rest of the chapter, and relate the habits of Nehemiah's administration. How full is this book of ejaculatory prayer! Even from his writing-table, this true-hearted man would lift up his eyes to God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 5

1  The Jews complain of their debt, mortgage, and bondage
6  Nehemiah rebukes the usurers, and causes them to make a covenant of restitution
14  He forbears his own allowance, and keeps hospitality

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 5:18 mean?

And [that] which was prepared for one day ox [was] one [and] sheep six choice and fowl were prepared for me and once every ten days of all [kinds] of wine an abundance and yet in spite of this provisions of the governor not I did demand because was heavy the bondage on people this
וַאֲשֶׁר֩ הָיָ֨ה נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה לְי֣וֹם אֶחָ֗ד שׁ֣וֹר אֶחָ֞ד צֹ֠אן שֵׁשׁ־ בְּרֻר֤וֹת וְצִפֳּרִים֙ נַֽעֲשׂוּ־ לִ֔י וּבֵ֨ין עֲשֶׂ֧רֶת יָמִ֛ים בְּכָל־ יַ֖יִן לְהַרְבֵּ֑ה וְעִם־ זֶ֗ה לֶ֤חֶם הַפֶּחָה֙ לֹ֣א בִקַּ֔שְׁתִּי כִּֽי־ כָֽבְדָ֥ה הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה עַל־ הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה

וַאֲשֶׁר֩  And  [that]  which 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה  prepared 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְי֣וֹם  for  one 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֶחָ֗ד  day 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
שׁ֣וֹר  ox 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
אֶחָ֞ד  [was]  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
צֹ֠אן  [and]  sheep 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
שֵׁשׁ־  six 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֵׁשׁ  
Sense: six.
בְּרֻר֤וֹת  choice 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: בָּרוּר 
Sense: to purify, select, polish, choose, purge, cleanse or make bright, test or prove.
וְצִפֳּרִים֙  and  fowl 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common plural
Root: צִפֹּור  
Sense: bird, fowl.
נַֽעֲשׂוּ־  were  prepared 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לִ֔י  for  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וּבֵ֨ין  and  once  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
עֲשֶׂ֧רֶת  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
יָמִ֛ים  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בְּכָל־  of  all  [kinds] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יַ֖יִן  of  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
לְהַרְבֵּ֑ה  an  abundance 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
וְעִם־  and  yet  in  spite 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
זֶ֗ה  of  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
לֶ֤חֶם  provisions 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
הַפֶּחָה֙  of  the  governor 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּחָה  
Sense: governor.
בִקַּ֔שְׁתִּי  I  did  demand 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
כָֽבְדָ֥ה  was  heavy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה  the  bondage 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.
הָעָ֥ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.

What are the major concepts related to Nehemiah 5:18?

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