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 seven years thou shalt make a release, and this is the manner of the release: Every creditor shall relax his hand from the loan which he hath lent unto his neighbour; he shall not demand it of his neighbour, or of his brother; for a release to Jehovah hath been proclaimed. read more. Of the foreigner thou mayest demand it; but what is thine with thy brother thy hand shall release; save when there shall be no one in need among you; for Jehovah will greatly bless thee in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, if thou only diligently hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to take heed to do all this commandment which I command thee this day. For Jehovah thy God will bless thee, as he promised thee; and thou shalt lend on pledge to many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over thee. If there be amongst you a poor man, any one of thy brethren in one of thy gates, in thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy brother in need;
If there be amongst you a poor man, any one of thy brethren in one of thy gates, in thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy brother in need; but thou shalt open thy hand bountifully unto him, and shalt certainly lend him on pledge what is sufficient for his need, in that which he lacketh. read more. Beware that there be not a wicked thought in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry against thee to Jehovah, and it be sin in thee. Thou shalt bountifully give unto him, and thy heart shall not be evil-disposed when thou givest unto him; because for this thing Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all thy works, and in all the business of thy hand. For the needy shall never cease from within the land; therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand bountifully unto thy brother, to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land.
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance gathereth it for him that is gracious to the poor.
he hath not given forth upon usury, nor taken increase; he hath withdrawn his hand from unrighteousness, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
given forth upon usury, and taken increase; shall he then live? He shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall certainly die; his blood shall be upon him.
he hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, and walked in my statutes: he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall certainly live.
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast overreached thy neighbours by oppression, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord Jehovah.
To him that asks of thee give, and from him that desires to borrow of thee turn not away.
Hastings
DEBT
1. In OT.
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if thou lend money to my people, the poor with thee,thou shalt not be to him as a usurer: ye shall charge him no interest.
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and gather in its produce;
Thou shalt take no usury nor increase of him; and thou shalt fear thy God; that thy brother may live beside thee.
Thou shalt take no interest of thy brother, interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of anything that can be lent upon interest:
When thou dost lend thy brother anything, thou shalt not go into his house to secure his pledge.
Jehovah will open to thee his good treasure, the heavens, to give rain unto thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow.
He shall lend to thee, but thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
And a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha saying, Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant feared Jehovah; and the creditor is come to take my two children to be bondmen. And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not anything at all in the house but a pot of oil. read more. And he said, Go, borrow for thyself vessels abroad from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; let it not be few; and go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and set aside what is full. And she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons: they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. And it came to pass when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. And she came and told the man of God; and he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons on the rest.
and that if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we would not take it of them on the sabbath, or on any holy day; and that we would leave the land uncultivated the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge;
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; but the righteous is gracious and giveth:
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; but the righteous is gracious and giveth:
He that is gracious to the poor lendeth unto Jehovah; and what he hath bestowed will he repay unto him.
The rich ruleth over the poor; and the borrower is servant to the lender.
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance gathereth it for him that is gracious to the poor.
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with him from whom usury is taken.
Thus saith Jehovah: Where is the bill of your mother's divorce, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, through your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole land! I have not lent on usury, nor have they lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors,
For this cause the kingdom of the heavens has become like a king who would reckon with his bondmen.
For this cause the kingdom of the heavens has become like a king who would reckon with his bondmen.
thou oughtest then to have put my money to the money-changers, and when I came I should have got what is mine with interest.
And if ye lend to those from whom ye hope to receive, what thank is it to you? for even sinners lend to sinners that they may receive the like. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Highest; for he is good to the unthankful and wicked.
There were two debtors of a certain creditor: one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty;
And having called to him each one of the debtors of his own lord, he said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord?
And why didst thou not give my money to the bank; and I should have received it, at my coming, with interest?
having effaced the handwriting in ordinances which stood out against us, which was contrary to us, he has taken it also out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;