The burden Nehemiah carried, on account of the opposition of Sanballat and Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, was heavy indeed, but he now had to hear of the oppression of the Jews in their own better-off neighbors, their own kinsmen.
By reason of high rates of interest which they had to pay, some had had to pledge their fields, vineyards and houses to procure corn; others had borrowed money for the king's tribute upon their fields and vineyards; and they must bring into bondage their sons and their daughters to be servants; some of their daughters were already brought into bondage, nor was it in the power of the parents to redeem them, for others had possession of their fields and vineyards.
Nehemiah was very angry when he heard this, and he called the nobles and the rulers to task, accusing them of exacting usury. Later he set a great assembly against them, where he spoke more at length to the guilty leaders, and the result was that they promised to restore what they had taken wrongfully. And we are told that the people did according to this promise.
Nehemiah feared God, and though he was an officer of the Persian government, he looked not to the king, but to God, Ile had for twelve years (to the dine lie wrote) not taken his support from the government, which would have meant a burden upon the people he loved. Fie had applied himself to the building of the wall, had added no fields to himself,. and had brought all Ins servants there for the work; also, he had provided food for 150 of the Jews and the rulers, beside those from among the nations that came unto them.
For these things Nehemiah desires that God should remember him, for good; he exhibits thus the marks of man.
A just One, perfect in all His ways, has passed through this world,—-the Son of God,—-Whose every act and word and thought was God-glorifying, and full of grace and truth.+