Reference: Debt
Easton
The Mosaic law encouraged the practice of lending (De 15:7; Ps 37:26; Mt 5:42); but it forbade the exaction of interest except from foreigners. Usury was strongly condemned (Pr 28:8; Eze 18:8,13,17; 22:12; Ps 15:5). On the Sabbatical year all pecuniary obligations were cancelled (De 15:1-11). These regulations prevented the accumulation of debt.
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"At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. "This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD'S remission has been proclaimed. read more. "From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother. "However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. "For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. "If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;
"If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. read more. "Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,' and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. "You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. "For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.'
He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent He who does these things will never be shaken.
He who increases his wealth by interest and usury Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.
if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man,
he lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
he keeps his hand from the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father's iniquity, he will surely live.
"In you they have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me," declares the Lord GOD.
"Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Hastings
DEBT
1. In OT.
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"If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.
"You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield,
'Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you.
"You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest.
"When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge.
"The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
"He shall lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you will be the tail.
Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." read more. Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. "And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full." So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not one vessel more." And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest."
As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
"They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent He who does these things will never be shaken.
The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives.
The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives.
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.
He who increases his wealth by interest and usury Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.
And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor.
Thus says the LORD, "Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land! I have not lent, nor have men lent money to me, Yet everyone curses me.
'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
"If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
"And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
'Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?'
having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.