The Meaning of Nehemiah 5:11 Explained

Nehemiah 5:11

KJV: Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

YLT: Give back, I pray you, to them, as to-day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive-yards, and their houses, and the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, of the new wine, and of the oil, that ye are exacting of them.'

Darby: Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them.

ASV: Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Restore,  I pray you, to them, even this day,  their lands,  their vineyards,  their oliveyards,  and their houses,  also the hundredth  [part] of the money,  and of the corn,  the wine,  and the oil,  that ye exact  of them. 

What does Nehemiah 5:11 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 5:11 mean?

Restore now to them even this day their lands their vineyards their olive groves and their houses and a hundredth of the money and the grain the new wine and the oil that you have charged them
הָשִׁיבוּ֩ נָ֨א לָהֶ֜ם כְּהַיּ֗וֹם שְׂדֹתֵיהֶ֛ם כַּרְמֵיהֶ֥ם זֵיתֵיהֶ֖ם וּבָתֵּיהֶ֑ם וּמְאַ֨ת הַכֶּ֤סֶף וְהַדָּגָן֙ הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם נֹשִׁ֥ים בָּהֶֽם

הָשִׁיבוּ֩  Restore 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
נָ֨א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
לָהֶ֜ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
כְּהַיּ֗וֹם  even  this  day 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
שְׂדֹתֵיהֶ֛ם  their  lands 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
כַּרְמֵיהֶ֥ם  their  vineyards 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
זֵיתֵיהֶ֖ם  their  olive  groves 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: זַיִת  
Sense: olive, olive tree.
וּבָתֵּיהֶ֑ם  and  their  houses 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וּמְאַ֨ת  and  a  hundredth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular construct
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
הַכֶּ֤סֶף  of  the  money 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וְהַדָּגָן֙  and  the  grain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּגָן  
Sense: wheat, cereal, grain, corn.
הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ  the  new  wine 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ 
Sense: wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine.
וְהַיִּצְהָ֔ר  and  the  oil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְהָר  
Sense: fresh oil, shining (pure) oil.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נֹשִׁ֥ים  have  charged 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָשָׁא  
Sense: to lend, be a creditor.