Nehemiah 5:3 — Bible Verse (KJV)
“Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.”
Nehemiah 5:3 — King James Version (KJV), 1611
Nehemiah 5:3 in 6 Bible Translations
Read Nehemiah 5:3 in the King James Version (KJV) and 5 other free, public-domain translations side by side.
Nehemiah 5:3 WEB — World English Bible (2000)
“There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.””
Nehemiah 5:3 — World English Bible
Nehemiah 5:3 ASV — American Standard Version (1901)
“Some also there were that said, We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses: let us get grain, because of the dearth. ”
Nehemiah 5:3 — American Standard Version
Nehemiah 5:3 YLT — Young's Literal Translation (1862)
“And there are who are saying, `Our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, we are pledging, and we receive corn for the famine.'”
Nehemiah 5:3 — Young's Literal Translation
Nehemiah 5:3 DBY — Darby Translation (1890)
“And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth. ”
Nehemiah 5:3 — Darby Translation
Nehemiah 5:3 GEN — Geneva Bible (1599)
“And there were that saide, We must gage our landes, and our vineyardes, and our houses, and take vp corne for the famine.”
Nehemiah 5:3 — Geneva Bible
Nehemiah 5:3 in Context — Nehemiah 5
1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5 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.
Read the full chapter: Nehemiah 5 — The Sermon on the Mount — The Beatitudes →
What Does Nehemiah 5:3 Mean?
Matthew 5:3 — 'Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' — is the first and foundational Beatitude, the opening word of the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) are eight declarations of blessedness that overturn every human assumption about success, status, and happiness. 'Blessed' (Greek: makarios) means 'oh, the happiness of' — it is an exclamation of congratulation. 'Poor in spirit' does not mean spiritless or weak-willed. It describes those who know their utter spiritual bankruptcy before God — who make no claim on God based on their own merit or goodness. It is the opposite of the Pharisee who thanks God that he is not like other men (Luke 18:11). The poor in spirit are those who come to God with empty hands, knowing they have nothing to offer. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them — not as future promise but as present possession ('is the kingdom of heaven'). Every other Beatitude is future tense (they shall be comforted, they shall inherit the earth). This one is present tense: those who know their spiritual poverty already possess the kingdom. Poverty of spirit is the door through which all other spiritual blessings enter.
Nehemiah 5:3 is from the Book of Nehemiah (Old Testament), chapter 5. Available translations: King James Version (1611), World English Bible (2000), American Standard Version (1901), Young's Literal Translation (1862), Darby Translation (1890), Geneva Bible (1599). Read Nehemiah 5 in full context →
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