Nehemiah's income and expenses

[tonychanyt]

Nehemiah 1:

11c I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king. That's a non-trivial job, Wiki:

A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold the position. He would guard against poison in the king's cup, and was sometimes required to swallow some of the drink before serving it. His confidential relations with the king often gave him a position of great influence. The position of cup-bearer has been greatly valued and given only to a select few throughout history.

He got paid well.

Nehemiah 5:

8a and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles.

Nehemiah was not alone in making the purchase—the pronoun is "we." Also, the purchase was limited to their available resources. Then, he took up another non-trivial position.

Nehemiah 5:

14a Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah

He received a handsome salary for being the governor of Judah.

Nehemiah 5:

14b neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.

This was concerning the food allowance, not his regular monthly salary. You receive bonuses, perks, and benefits when you have a high-ranking job.

17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations.

These were related to official business and were covered by official expenses. Nehemiah wasn't declining all the perks and benefits associated with his job. His point is found in

18b I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

That was it. This was the only perk he did not exercise because it directly burdened the people on behalf of his personal food.

 

[AlexB23]

Nehemiah 1:


Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king. That's a non-trivial job, Wiki:


He got paid well.

Nehemiah 5:


Nehemiah was not alone in making the purchase—the pronoun is "we." Also, the purchase was limited to their available resources. Then, he took up another non-trivial position.

Nehemiah 5:


He received a handsome salary for being the governor of Judah.

Nehemiah 5:


This was concerning the food allowance, not his regular monthly salary. You receive bonuses, perks, and benefits when you have a high-ranking job.


These were related to official business and were covered by official expenses. Nehemiah wasn't declining all the perks and benefits associated with his job. His point is found in


That was it. This was the only perk he did not exercise because it directly burdened the people on behalf of his personal food.

He could use Excel to track his income and expenses. Sadly, computers did not exist until millennia later.

Alright, I'm out of here. Just had to use my humor.