12Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
These are clearly the nobles and the officials against whom the people had raised their outcry. Nehemiah’s public words have cut to their hearts so that they now publicly commit themselves to a self-denying course of action.
12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.