When people under their jurisdiction could not pay their allotted taxes, governors (through their immediate underlings) had the power to confiscate their land (recall Joseph’s actions, Genesis 47:13–14). In fact, people in Jerusalem found themselves obligated to mortgage their fields and vineyards to the nobles and the officials
in exchange for bread (Nehemiah 5:3). Nehemiah, however, declined to take advantage of the people’s needs in order to acquire more land for himself. His refusal to enrich himself at the expense of the poor gave him the credibility he needed to bring public charges against the nobles and officials (Nehemiah 5:7) for their pursuit of land (Nehemiah 5:3–4).
16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.