Thematic Bible: Creditor


Thematic Bible



For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets to Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant feared the LORD: and the creditor hath come to take to him my two sons to be bond-men.


Agree with thy adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily, I say to thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

When thou goest with thy adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he draw thee before the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. read more.
There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought to bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact interest, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. And I said to them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold to us? Then they held their peace, and found nothing to answer. Also I said, That is not good which ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? I likewise, my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive-yards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise. Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice in it. Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build. Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what thou owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. read more.
So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. Then his lord, having called him, said to him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldst thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.




No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone for a pledge: for he taketh a man's life for a pledge.

If thou shalt buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall depart free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall depart by himself: if he was married, then his wife shall depart with him. If his master hath given him a wife, and she hath borne him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall depart by himself. read more.
And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not depart free: Then his master shall bring him to the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or to the door-post: and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

If thou shalt lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. If thou shalt at all take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it to him by the setting of the sun. For that is his only covering, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth to me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

And if thou shalt sell aught to thy neighbor, or buy aught of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another: According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according to the number of years of the fruits he shall sell to thee: According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price of it, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell to thee. read more.
Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.

And if thy brother shall have become poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he may be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. Take thou no interest of him, or increase; but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth aught to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thy hand shall release:

Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother; interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of any thing that is lent upon interest: To a stranger thou mayest lend upon interest; but to thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thy hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to take his pledge: Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad to thee: And if the man is poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge: read more.
In any case thou shalt deliver to him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee; and it shall be righteousness to thee before the LORD thy God.

And if ye lend to them from whom ye hope to receive, what thanks have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much in return.



Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king who would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he had not ability to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. read more.
The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

There was a certain creditor, who had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said to him, Thou hast rightly judged.