For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
Parallel translations
- WEB For there were that said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
- KJV For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
- BSB Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
- NASB For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let’s get grain so that we may eat and live.”
- NLT They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Some families, large and hungry, plead simply for grain to survive. The most basic need exposes the depth of the crisis.
Overview
Families with many mouths to feed cannot obtain enough food, revealing severe hardship in Judah. Their plea is for life itself, not luxury. The verse begins to detail the layered economic distress that, combined with famine and heavy taxation, was driving the poor toward ruin and even slavery.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 128:2–4For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you.
- Mal 2:2If you will not listen, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says Yahweh of Armies, “then will I send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart.
- Gen 42:2He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die.”
- Ps 127:3–5Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward.
- Gen 43:8Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.
- Gen 41:57All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 5:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.