The repentant actions of the nobles and officials gave the oppressed among the brethren a foretaste of Pentecost. By the ordinance of the Lord, a jubilee
was to be declared every fiftieth year, when all property seized by a creditor was to be returned to the debtor, and his debt be forgiven (Leviticus 25:8–22). The weak among the population of Judah in Nehemiah’s day experienced a sense of that release. The joy of Pentecost (Acts 2:47) was evident in our paragraph as well (Nehemiah 5:13). The Lord Jesus Christ preached and enacted this release throughout his ministry (Luke 4:19).
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.