The Meaning of Nehemiah 5:5 Explained

Nehemiah 5:5

KJV: 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.

YLT: and now, as the flesh of our brethren is our flesh, as their sons are our sons, and lo, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are of our daughters subdued, and our hand hath no might, and our fields and our vineyards are to others.'

Darby: yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already; neither is it in the power of our hand to redeem them, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

ASV: 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 into bondage already : neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Nehemiah 5:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 5:1-19 - Securing Justice For The Poor
The prospects of the poor people among the returned exiles were deplorable. There had been deficient rains and poor harvests, Haggai 1:6-11. They had mortgaged their lands to their richer brethren, and had even sold their children to pay the royal taxes and procure means of subsistence. The rich had taken advantage of their necessities, oppressing them with grievous exactions and heavy usury. When Nehemiah heard of it, he seems to have withstood the wrong with strenuous protest, depending on his God for support. And, in a great assembly, he carried the day against selfishness and greed. There is nothing here to condemn mortgage, or interest in themselves. Each is a legitimate method of trade, except when undue advantage is taken of a brother's necessities. The Nehemiah 5:14-19 were evidently added at a subsequent period to the rest of the chapter, and relate the habits of Nehemiah's administration. How full is this book of ejaculatory prayer! Even from his writing-table, this true-hearted man would lift up his eyes to God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 5

1  The Jews complain of their debt, mortgage, and bondage
6  Nehemiah rebukes the usurers, and causes them to make a covenant of restitution
14  He forbears his own allowance, and keeps hospitality

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 5:5 mean?

And yet now as the flesh of our brothers our flesh [is] as our children their children And indeed we are forcing - our sons and our daughters to be slaves and [some] of our daughters have been brought into slavery and [it is] not in the power of our hands [to redeem them] for our lands and vineyards have other men
וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּבְשַׂ֤ר אַחֵ֙ינוּ֙ בְּשָׂרֵ֔נוּ כִּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם בָּנֵ֑ינוּ וְהִנֵּ֣ה אֲנַ֣חְנוּ כֹ֠בְשִׁים אֶת־ בָּנֵ֨ינוּ וְאֶת־ בְּנֹתֵ֜ינוּ לַעֲבָדִ֗ים וְיֵ֨שׁ מִבְּנֹתֵ֤ינוּ נִכְבָּשׁוֹת֙ וְאֵ֣ין לְאֵ֣ל יָדֵ֔נוּ וּשְׂדֹתֵ֥ינוּ וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ לַאֲחֵרִֽים

וְעַתָּ֗ה  And  yet  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
כִּבְשַׂ֤ר  as  the  flesh 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
אַחֵ֙ינוּ֙  of  our  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
בְּשָׂרֵ֔נוּ  our  flesh  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
כִּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם  as  our  children 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בָּנֵ֑ינוּ  their  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה  And  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
כֹ֠בְשִׁים  are  forcing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: כָּבַשׁ  
Sense: to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בָּנֵ֨ינוּ  our  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּנֹתֵ֜ינוּ  our  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
לַעֲבָדִ֗ים  to  be  slaves 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
מִבְּנֹתֵ֤ינוּ  [some]  of  our  daughters 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
נִכְבָּשׁוֹת֙  have  been  brought  into  slavery 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: כָּבַשׁ  
Sense: to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage.
וְאֵ֣ין  and  [it  is]  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
לְאֵ֣ל  in  the  power 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
יָדֵ֔נוּ  of  our  hands  [to  redeem  them] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וּשְׂדֹתֵ֥ינוּ  for  our  lands 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ  and  vineyards 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
לַאֲחֵרִֽים  have  other  men 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.