Nehemiah chapter four ended on a note of great victory. The people of God were doing the work of God, and they did it despite all obstacles. They worked with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other, and they would not let their enemies stop them. But in this section of chapter five, there is no mention of working on the wall, indicating that the work had stopped. The work stopped because of conflict among God’s people. The enemy could not stop the work of God by direct attack, but the work stopped when God’s people weren’t unified and working together. The reason they quit is a common problem, money! People had money problems because they worked hard on the walls and did not spend the same time providing for the needs of their households. And the rich were taking advantage of the crisis to make money off the poor, charging them high interest.