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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 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. read more. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thy hand shall release: Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: Only if thou shalt carefully hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. For the LORD thy God shall bless thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend to many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. If there shall be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD the God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother:
If there shall be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD the God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thy hand wide to him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. read more. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thy eye shall be evil against thy poor brother, and thou shalt give him naught; and he shall cry to the LORD against thee, and it shall be sin to thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest to him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thy hand to. For the poor shall never cease from the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand wide to 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, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
He that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
Hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained from thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.
Hastings
DEBT
1. In OT.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
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.
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
Take thou no interest of him, or increase; but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother; interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of any thing that is lent upon interest:
When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to take his pledge:
The LORD shall open to thee his good treasure, the heaven to give rain to thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend to many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
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. And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. read more. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou hast come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who 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. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children on the remainder.
And if the people of the land should bring wares or any provisions on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave 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 showeth mercy, and giveth.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.
He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth to the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity 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 interest, so with the giver of interest to him.
Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for 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 earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor have men lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king who would take account of his servants.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king who would take account of his servants.
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received my own with interest.
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. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.
There was a certain creditor, who had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
So he called every one of his lord's debtors, and said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord?
Why then gavest thou not my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with interest?
Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;