The term their servants
describes the people the governor appointed to carry out his agenda. In context, this would be the layer of officials who physically collected the taxes for the governor. As their masters, so too did these servants
abuse their position of authority to squeeze more funds out of the people for their own advantage. Their actions were akin to those of the nobles and the officials
(Nehemiah 5:1–5). The people were powerless to resist their bullying.
15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.