ABSTRACT
Nehemiah was the governor of the Persian province of Yehud (Judah) in the fifth century bce. In this passage, he recounts both a political struggle and a theological tension. Jewish nobles had loaned on interest to the vulnerable and some had had to sell their children into slavery to repay them. Nehemiah used the power of his office to pressure these nobles into releasing their debts. There is also a subtle theological argument in this exchange. As all the people of Israel are the same in the eyes of God, how can some of them be so much richer and more powerful than others? This particular case is resolved but the larger question is not. It is unclear if the author of this passage is aware of the Torah’s prohibition on charging interest to the poor ( A2 , A5 ) or if this is an independent condemnation of it. The passage ends with Nehemiah asserting his own proper behavior in not enriching himself through the power of his office.
