Reference: Debtor
American
One under obligations, whether pecuniary or moral, Mt 23:16; Ro 1:14; Ga 5:3. If the house, cattle, or goods of a Hebrew would not meet his debts, his land might be appropriate for this purpose until the year of Jubilee, or his person might be reduced into servitude till he had paid his debt by his labor, or till the year of Jubilee, which terminated Hebrew bondage in all cases, Le 25:29-41; 2Ki 4:1; Ne 5:3-5.
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And if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it. And if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established forever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not be released in the jubilee. read more. But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the jubilee. Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. And if a man purchases a house from the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall be released in the year of jubilee: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. But the field of the common lands of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession. And if your brother becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you; then you shall help him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with you. Take you no interest from him, or profit: but fear your God; that your brother may live with you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor lend him your food for profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. And if your brother that dwells by you becomes poor, and is sold unto you; you shall not compel him to serve as a slave: But as a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the year of jubilee: And then shall he depart from you, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy grain, because of the famine. There were also those that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tax, and that upon our lands and vineyards. read more. 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 unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
Woe unto you, you blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is bound!
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Easton
Various regulations as to the relation between debtor and creditor are laid down in the Scriptures.
(1.) The debtor was to deliver up as a pledge to the creditor what he could most easily dispense with (De 24:10-11).
(2.) A mill, or millstone, or upper garment, when given as a pledge, could not be kept over night (Ex 22:26-27).
(3.) A debt could not be exacted during the Sabbatic year (De 15:1-15).
For other laws bearing on this relation see Le 25:14,32,39; Mt 18:25,34.
(4.) A surety was liable in the same way as the original debtor (Pr 11:15; 17:18).
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If you at all take your neighbor's clothing as pledge, you shall deliver it unto him by the time the sun goes down: For that is his only covering, it is his clothing for his skin: in what shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he cries unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
And if you sell anything unto your neighbor, or buy anything of your neighbor's hand, you shall not oppress one another:
Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.
And if your brother that dwells by you becomes poor, and is sold unto you; you shall not compel him to serve as a slave:
At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lends anything unto 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 you may exact it again: but that which you lend to your brother your hand shall release; Except when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it: Only if you carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command you this day. For the LORD your God blesses you, as he promised you: and you shall lend unto many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. If there be among you a poor man of one of your brethren within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother: But you shall open your hand wide unto him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he lacks. Beware that there be not a thought in your wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cries unto the LORD against you, and it be sin in you. You shall surely give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give unto him: because for this thing the LORD your God shall bless you in all your works, and in all that you put your hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, you shall open your hand wide unto your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land. And if your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty: You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress: of that with which the LORD your God has blessed you you shall give unto him. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today.
When you do lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you do lend shall bring out the pledge unto you.
He that is surety for a stranger shall suffer for it: and he that hates being surety is secure.
A man void of understanding gives pledge, and becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor.
But since he had nothing to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Smith
Debtor.
[LOAN]
See Loan