Nehemiah 5:6–13

Opposition from within

6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said, “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.”

12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!”

At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

Nehemiah was outraged when he heard of this sin and immediately took measures to put an end to it. He strongly denounced the practice and exacted a promise that such exploitation would be stopped. He dramatized his condemnation of the practice by shaking out the folds of his garments. Since the folds near the waist were used as pockets, this gesture was the equivalent of us turning our pockets inside out to show that we don’t have even a penny in them. Here the action was a dramatic way of symbolizing the judgment that God would bring on those who oppressed the poor.

Some commentators have interpreted Nehemiah’s statement that he too had been lending money as an admission of guilt and a promise of repentance on his part. But in light of his self-defense that follows, it seems more likely that he was holding himself up as an example of one who was following the law and not charging interest. Nehemiah’s strong words had the desired effect. The leaders promised to end the exploitation that was threatening the restoration of the nation.

The Old Testament passages that condemned the taking of interest, or at least excessive interest, have often caused Christians to ask if all receiving of interest is still wrong today. Even in the Old Testament the taking of interest was not completely forbidden: “You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite” (Deuteronomy 23:20). What God had forbidden was interest on loans made to fellow Israelites for the necessities of life.

Nor should we exploit people’s misfortunes for financial gain. When people have suffered severe losses and cannot provide the food, clothing, shelter, and medical care their families need, we should gladly loan or give them what they need without concern of gain for ourselves. Jesus tells us: “And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? . . . But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back” (Luke 6:34,35). Yes, we are even to give to our enemies!

Most loans today are not made for the necessities of life, but are used as capital to make profits for the borrower or to improve his standard of living. The Bible does not specifically deal with such loans and interest. Jesus mentions the practice in one of his parables. There the master tells his servant who wasted his money, “You should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest” (Matthew 25:27). If anything, Jesus seems to endorse the practice, rather than condemn it. But because he is merely using the practice to illustrate a story, we can’t read too much into his words.

Although the Bible does not directly speak to the topic of loans, it does leave us with two principles to follow. On the one hand, we are to do everything in our power to help those in real need. On the other hand, we are not to encourage the laziness of parasites who would live off the labors of others. Saint Paul set down this rule against laziness: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; also 2 Corinthians 8:13-15). These principles will help guide us in using the possessions God has entrusted to us.