Nehemiah 5

5:14-19 Those who truly fear God, will not dare to do any thing cruel or unjust. Let all who are in public places remember that they are so placed to do good, not to enrich themselves. Nehemiah mentions it to God in prayer, not as if he had merited any favour from God, but to show that he depended upon God only, to make up to him what he had lost and laid out for his honour. Nehemiah evidently spake and acted as one that knew himself to be a sinner. He did not mean to claim a reward as of debt, but in the manner that the Lord rewards a cup of cold water given to a disciple for his sake. The fear and love of God in the heart, and true love of the brethren, will lead to every good work. These are proper evidences of justifying faith; and our reconciled God will look upon persons of this character for good, according to all they have done for his people.

Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah,.... That is, by the king of Persia, which was not done when he was first sent into Judea; but very probably when he had finished the wall in fifty two days, he returned to Persia, and gave the king an account of his success, and how things stood in those parts, when he judged it necessary to send him again in the character of a governor, and which was still within the same year, as follows: from the twentieth year, even unto the thirty second year of Artaxerxes, that is, twelve years; see Nehemiah 13:6 . I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor; which was fit and proper for him, and used to be given him; neither he, nor those that assisted him in the government, the principal men he brought along with him, and put into posts and places under him.

(14-19) Nehemiah’s vindication of his own conduct. (14) I was appointed.—That he appointed me, viz., Artaxerxes. Twelve years.—The whole narrative, thus far, was written after his return from Jerusalem, and on a review of his governorship; hence, “their governor in the land of Judah.” Of his second appointment the same thing might have been said: but that, at the time of writing, was in the future. I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.—At the close of the twelve years’ term, Nehemiah could say that he and his official attendants had not drawn the customary allowances from the people.

Verse 14. - From the day that I was appointed . Literally, "from the day that he ( i.e. Artaxerxes) appointed me." From the twentieth year . See above, Nehemiah 2:1 . The appointment, having taken place in Nisan, was in B.C. 444 . Unto the two and thirtieth year . We see here that this chapter, and therefore, probably, the entire first section (chs. 1-7.) of this Book, was not written until B.C. 432 , the year in which Nehemiah returned to the Persian court from Jerusalem ( Nehemiah 13:6 ). I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor . i.e. "have not lived at the expense of our subjects, as Persian governors do ordinarily." Nehemiah's brethren here are probably not his brothers only, but his entire court. Nehemiah 5:14

Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the {m} bread of the governor. (m) I did not receive the portion and diet which the governors who were before me exacted, in which he declares that he rather sought the wealth of the people than his own convenience.

Nehemiah 5:14 . Moreover, from the time that I was appointed governor — He had mentioned his own practice, as an inducement to the nobles not to burden the poor, no, not with just demands; and he here relates more particularly what his practice was, not through pride or vain glory, but to excite both his successors, and the inferior magistrates, to be as tender as might be of the people’s ease. Twelve years — Not that he had continued so long at one time at Jerusalem; but he had so long governed the Jews, by himself when present, and in his absence by deputies. I and my brethren — My fellow-officers and deputies, who, as they were to do my work, might have required my rights; have not eaten the bread of the governor — Have not taken that allowance which, by the laws of God and nations, and of the king of Persia, the governors might require. It is perfectly reasonable that they who do the public business should be maintained at the public charge. But Nehemiah would not accept that maintenance, because he saw it would be burdensome to his countrymen; but either lived upon his own estates, which he had in Judah, or upon the riches he had acquired in Babylon, when he was the king’s cup-bearer.

Twelve years; not that he continued so long together at Jerusalem, of which see Nehemiah 2:6 ; but that he so long governed Jerusalem by himself when he was present, and in his absence by a deputy. I and my brethren; either my fellow officers, or they whom I left in my stead, who as they were to do any work, so might have required my rights. The bread of the governor, i.e. that allowance which by the laws of God and nations, and of the king of Persia, the governors might require for the maintenance of their own dignity and office, and of the public service.

Nehemiah's unselfish conduct. - The transaction above related gave Nehemiah occasion to speak in his narrative of the unselfishness with which he had filled the office of governor, and of the personal sacrifices he had made for the good of his fellow-countrymen. Nehemiah 5:14 The statement following is compared with the special occurrence preceding it by גּם. As in this occurrence he had used his credit to do away with the oppression of the people by wealthy usurers, so also had he shown himself unselfish during his whole official career, and shunned no sacrifice by which he might lighten the burdens that lay upon his fellow-countrymen. "From the time that he appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two-and-thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, I and my servants have not eaten the bread of the governor." The subject of צוּה is left undefined, but is obviously King Artaxerxes. פּחם, their (the Jews') governor. This he was from the twentieth (comp. Nehemiah 2:1) to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, in which, according to Nehemiah 13:6, he again visited the court of this monarch, returning after a short interval to Jerusalem, to carry out still further the work he had there undertaken. "The bread of the Pechah" is, according to Nehemiah 5:15, the food and wine with which the community had to furnish him. The meaning is: During this whole period I drew no allowances from the people.

14. Moreover from the time that I was appointed … I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor—We have a remarkable proof both of the opulence and the disinterestedness of Nehemiah. As he declined, on conscientious grounds, to accept the lawful emoluments attached to his government, and yet maintained a style of princely hospitality for twelve years out of his own resources, it is evident that his office of cup-bearer at the court of Shushan must have been very lucrative.

14–19 . Nehemiah recounts other measures by which as governor he endeavoured to relieve the condition of his brethren 14 . Moreover , &c.] i.e. Here is another instance. During the whole tenure of his office, Nehemiah provided out of his own purse for the expenses of his official position. from the time …, that is, twelve years ] Nehemiah was governor or Pekhah of Judah for twelve years, apparently from b.c. 445 or 4 to b.c. 433 or 432, cf. Nehemiah 13:6 with Nehemiah 2:1 . See however Additional Note, p. 320. have not eaten the bread of the governor ] i.e. the provisions usually supplied by the province for the maintenance of its Pekhah and his household. ‘Bread’ of course must not be understood literally. It is explained in the next verse by ‘bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver.’

Nehemiah AN ANCIENT NONCONFORMISTNehemiah 5:15 . I do not suppose that the ordinary Bible-reader knows very much about Nehemiah. He is one of the neglected great men of Scripture. He was no prophet, he had no glowing words, he had no lofty visions, he had no special commission, he did not live in the heroic age. There was a certain harshness and dryness; a tendency towards what, when it was more fully developed, became Pharisaism, in the man, which somewhat covers the essential nobleness of his character. But he was brave, cautious, circumspect, disinterested; and he had Jerusalem in his heart. The words that I have read are a little fragment of his autobiography which deal with a prosaic enough matter, but carry in them large principles. When he was appointed governor of the little colony of returned exiles in Palestine, he found that his predecessors, like Turkish pashas and Chinese mandarins to-day, had been in the habit of ‘squeezing’ the people of their Government, and that they had requisitioned sufficient supplies of provisions to keep the governor’s table well spread. It was the custom. Nobody would have wondered if Nehemiah had conformed to it; but he felt that he must have his hands clean. Why did he not do what everybody else had done in like circumstances?