"Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of…" — Nehemiah 5:7

Nehemiah 5:7 · KJV

“Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. {I consulted...: Heb. my heart consulted in me}”

— Nehemiah 5:7

Verse 6

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

Verse 8

And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing {to answer}.

Nehemiah 5 — Context

Yet now our flesh {is} as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and {some} of our daughters are brought unto bondage {already}: neither {is it} in our power {to redeem them}; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. {I consulted...: Heb. my heart consulted in me}

Also I said, It {is} not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

Cross References

Leviticus 25:36

Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20

Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:

Exodus 22:25

If thou lend money to {any of} my people {that is} poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

2 Chronicles 19:6-7

And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who {is} with you in the judgment. {in...: Heb. in the matter of judgment}

Ezekiel 22:12

In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.

Psalms 15:5

{He that} putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these {things} shall never be moved.

Deuteronomy 24:10-13

When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. {lend...: Heb. lend the loan of any thing to, etc}

Deuteronomy 15:2-3

And this {is} the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth {ought} unto his neighbour shall release {it}; he shall not exact {it} of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release. {creditor: Heb. master of the lending of his hand}