And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.
Parallel translations
- WEB I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.
- KJV 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.
- BSB and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
- NASB And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.
- NLT At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense.
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
Nehemiah points out the contradiction: the leaders' own people have redeemed Jews sold to the nations, yet now the nobles re-enslave their own brothers. The shame of it silences them.
Overview
Nehemiah exposes the hypocrisy of buying back enslaved Jews only to have others sell those same brothers back into bondage. Confronted with this contradiction, the nobles have nothing to say. The theme of redeeming the enslaved foreshadows the gospel, in which Christ redeems His people from slavery to sin (Galatians 4:4-5).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Lev 25:47–49“‘If an alien or temporary resident with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him has grown poor, and sells himself to the stranger or foreigner living among you, or to a member of the stranger’s family;
- Job 32:15“They are amazed. They answer no more. They don’t have a word to say.
- 2 Cor 8:12For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.
- Rom 14:15Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don’t destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
- Matt 25:29For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.
- Matt 25:15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
- 1 Cor 8:11And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
- Job 29:10The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
- Deut 24:7If a man is found stealing any of his brothers of the children of Israel, and he deals with him as a slave, or sells him; then that thief shall die. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
- Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
- Matt 22:12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.
- Exod 21:16“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
- Gal 6:10So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.
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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 5:8 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.