13 Bible Verses about Creditors

Most Relevant Verses

Exodus 22:25

If thou lend money to any of my people with thee that is poor, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest.

Nehemiah 5:10-12

And I likewise, my brethren and my servants, do lend them money and grain. I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new 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, even as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

Exodus 22:25-27

If thou lend money to any of my people with thee that is poor, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest. If thou at all take thy neighbor's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down: for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

Deuteronomy 15:8

but thou shalt surely open thy hand unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20

Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother; interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of anything that is lent upon interest: unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest, that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.

Deuteronomy 24:6

No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man's life to pledge.

Job 24:3

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

2 Kings 4:1

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear Jehovah: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.

Luke 16:1-8

And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed.read more.
I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore. And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.

From Thematic Bible


Creditors » Often cruel in exacting debts

Nehemiah 5:7-9

Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I held a great assembly against them. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, that were sold unto the nations; and would ye even sell your brethren, and should they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found never a word. Also I said, The thing that ye do is not good: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

Job 24:3-9

They drive away the ass of the fatherless; They take the widow's ox for a pledge. They turn the needy out of the way: The poor of the earth all hide themselves. Behold, as wild asses in the desert They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The wilderness yieldeth them bread for their children. read more.
They cut their provender in the field; And they glean the vintage of the wicked. They lie all night naked without clothing, And have no covering in the cold. They are wet with the showers of the mountains, And embrace the rock for want of a shelter. There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor;

Matthew 18:28-30

But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest. So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.

Creditors » Illustrative of » God's claim upon men

Matthew 18:23

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants.

Matthew 5:25

Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Creditors » Sometimes entirely remitted debts

Nehemiah 5:10-12

And I likewise, my brethren and my servants, do lend them money and grain. I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new 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, even as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

Luke 7:42

When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?

Creditors » Often exacted debts » By selling the debtor's family

2 Kings 4:1

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear Jehovah: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.

Matthew 18:25

But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

Creditors » Often exacted debts » From the sureties

Proverbs 22:26-27

Be thou not one of them that strike hands, Or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast not wherewith to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

Creditors » Prohibited from » Exacting usury from brethren

Exodus 22:25

If thou lend money to any of my people with thee that is poor, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest.

Leviticus 25:36-37

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 give him thy victuals for increase.

Creditors » Might demand » Security of others

Proverbs 22:26

Be thou not one of them that strike hands, Or of them that are sureties for debts.

Proverbs 6:1

My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;

Creditors » Often exacted debts » By imprisonment

Matthew 5:25

Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Matthew 18:34

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.

Creditors » Often exacted debts » By selling the debtor or taking him for a servant

Matthew 18:25

But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

Creditors » Were often defrauded

1 Samuel 22:2

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

Luke 16:5-7

And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore.

Creditors » Might demand » Pledges

Deuteronomy 24:10-11

When thou dost lend thy neighbor any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring forth the pledge without unto thee.

Creditors » Exacting debts from brethren during sabbatical year

Deuteronomy 15:2-3

And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he hath lent unto his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because Jehovah's release hath been proclaimed. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it: but whatsoever of thine is with thy brother thy hand shall release.

Creditors » Prohibited from » Violently selecting pledges

Deuteronomy 24:10

When thou dost lend thy neighbor any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.

Creditors » Might take interest from strangers

Deuteronomy 23:20

unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest, that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.

Creditors » Prohibited from » Taking millstones in pledge

Deuteronomy 24:6

No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man's life to pledge.

Creditors » To return before sunset, garments taken in pledge

Exodus 22:26-27

If thou at all take thy neighbor's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down: for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

Creditors » Often exacted debts » By selling the debtor's property

Matthew 18:25

But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

Creditors » Illustrative of » The demands of the law

Galatians 5:3

Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Creditors » Defined

Philemon 1:18

But if he hath wronged the at all, or oweth thee aught, put that to mine account;

Creditors » Might demand » Mortgages on property

Nehemiah 5:3

Some also there were that said, We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses: let us get grain, because of the dearth.

Creditors » Bills or promissory notes

Luke 16:6-7

And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore.

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Theasaurus: Creditors

American Standard Version Public Domain