King James Version

Nehemiah 5:8

And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

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Hebrew

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וָאֹמְרָ֣הvaomerahand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, paragogic he — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לָהֶ֗םlahemtoלָהֶ֗םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toאֲנַ֣חְנוּanachnvweאֲנַחְנוּpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “we”H587weourselves, us, we.קָ֠נִינוּqaninvpurchaseקָנָהverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, plural — “purchase”, a completed actionH7069to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to ownattain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle, get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover, redeem, [idiom] surely, [idiom] verily.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אַחֵ֨ינוּacheynvbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.הַיְּהוּדִ֜יםhayhudimthe Jewיְהוּדִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “the Jew”, the ordinary formH3064a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah)Jew.הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤יםhanimkarimthe sellמָכַרdefinite article, verb, niphal, passive participle, absolute — “the sell”, a verb used as a describing wordH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).לַגּוֹיִם֙lagoyimto Gentileגּוֹיpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.כְּדֵ֣יkedeas enoughדַּיpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “as enough”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1767enough (as noun or adverb), used chiefly with preposition in phrasesable, according to, after (ability), among, as (oft as), (more than) enough, from, in, since, (much as is) sufficient(-ly), too much, very, when.בָ֔נוּvanvinבָ֔נוּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “in”inוְגַםvegamand alsoגַּםconjunction, particle, affirmation — “and also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.אַתֶּ֛םatemtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.תִּמְכְּר֥וּtimkervsellמָכַרverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “sell”, an unfinished actionH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אֲחֵיכֶ֖םacheykhembrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.וְנִמְכְּרוּvenimkervand sellמָכַרconjunction, verb, niphal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and sell”, a completed action in a sequenceH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).לָ֑נוּlanvtoלָ֑נוּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “to”toוַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּvayacharishvand be deafחָרַשׁconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and be deaf”, the next action in the storyH2790to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness)[idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker.וְלֹ֥אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…מָצְא֖וּmatsevcomeמָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “come”, a completed actionH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…דָּבָֽרdavarcauseדָּבָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “cause”, the ordinary formH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And I said unto them: 'We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, that sold themselves unto the heathen; and would ye nevertheless sell your brethren, and should they sell themselves unto us?' Then held they their peace, and found never a word.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, that were sold unto the nations; and would ye even sell your brethren, and should they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found never a word.

Young’s Literal Translation

and say to them, 'We have acquired our brethren the Jews, those sold to the nations, according to the ability that [is] in us, and ye also sell your brethren, and they have been sold to us!' and they are silent, and have not found a word.

World English Bible

I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.

Darby Translation

And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.

Douay-Rheims

And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them? And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do ye sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.