John Gill Commentary Nehemiah 5

And there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives ,
&c.] Those of the poorer sort:

against their brethren the Jews ;
the rich that oppressed them; and this cry or complaint was made to Nehemiah for redress.

For there were that said, we, our sons, and our daughters, are
many
Not that they complained of the number of their children, for a numerous offspring was always reckoned a blessing with the Jews; but this they observed to show that their families, being large, required a considerable quantity of food to support them:

therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat and live ;
that is, they were obliged to take it at an exorbitant price, which is the thing complained of; or otherwise they must starve, the rich taking the advantage of their poverty and present dearth.

Some also there were that said, we have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses Made them over to others, putting them into their hands as pledges for money received from them:

that we may buy corn for the support of their families:

because of the dearth or famine; which might be occasioned by their enemies lying in wait and intercepting all provisions that might be brought to them; for this seems not to be the famine spoken of in (Haggai 1:10Haggai 1:11) for that was some years before this, and for a reason which now was not.

There were also that said
Who though they were able to buy corn for their families without mortgaging their estates: yet, say they,

we have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands
and vineyards ;
for though the priests, Levites, and Nethinims, were exempted from it, yet not the people in common; and some of these were so poor, that they could not pay it without borrowing upon their estates, and paying large usury for it, see (Ezra 6:8) (7:24)

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren
We are of the same nature, nation, stock, and religion: our children as their children; are circumcised as they, and have a right to the same privileges in church and state:

and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and daughters to be servants ;
shall be obliged to it, unless relieved:

and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already ;
sold to be servants, as they might in case of the poverty of parents, (Exodus 21:7) , and some were sometimes taken to be bondmen in payment of their parents' debts, (2 Kings 4:1)

neither is it in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands
and vineyards ;
as pledges for money borrowed.