Reference: LOANS
American
Jehovah, as the sole proprietor of the land occupied by the Jews, required them, as one condition of its use, to grant liberal loans to their poor brethren; and every seven years, the outstanding loans were to become gifts, and could not be reclaimed. If a pledge was taken on making a loan, it must be done with mercy and under certain benevolent restrictions, Ex 22:25,27; De 15:1-11; 23:19-20; 24:6,10-13,17. The great truth so prominent in this and similar features of the Mosaic laws, ought to be restored to its fundamental place in our theories of property; and no one who believes in God should act as the owner, but only as the steward of what he possesses, all of which he is to use as required by its great Owner. In the same spirit, our Savior enjoins the duty of loaning freely, even to enemies, and without hope of reward, Lu 6:34-35.
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'If thou dost lend My poor people with thee money, thou art not to him as a usurer; thou dost not lay on him usury;
for it alone is his covering, it is his garment for his skin; wherein doth he lie down? and it hath come to pass, when he doth cry unto Me, that I have heard, for I am gracious.
'At the end of seven years thou dost make a release, and this is the matter of the release: Every owner of a loan is to release his hand which he doth lift up against his neighbour, he doth not exact of his neighbour and of his brother, but hath proclaimed a release to Jehovah; read more. of the stranger thou mayest exact, and that which is thine with thy brother doth thy hand release; only when there is no needy one with thee, for Jehovah doth greatly bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- an inheritance to possess it. 'Only, if thou dost diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all this command which I am commanding thee to-day, for Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee as He hath spoken to thee; and thou hast lent to many nations, and thou hast not borrowed; and thou hast ruled over many nations, and over thee they do not rule. 'When there is with thee any needy one of one of thy brethren, in one of thy cities, in thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, thou dost not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy needy brother; for thou dost certainly open thy hand to him, and dost certainly lend him sufficient for his lack which he lacketh. Take heed to thee lest there be a word in thy heart -- worthless, saying, Near is the seventh year, the year of release; and thine eye is evil against thy needy brother, and thou dost not give to him, and he hath called concerning thee unto Jehovah, and it hath been in thee sin; thou dost certainly give to him, and thy heart is not sad in thy giving to him, for because of this thing doth Jehovah thy God bless thee in all thy works, and in every putting forth of thy hand; because the needy one doth not cease out of the land, therefore I am commanding thee, saying, Thou dost certainly open thy hand to thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy one, in thy land.
'Thou dost not lend in usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of food, usury of anything which is lent on usury. To a stranger thou mayest lend in usury, and to thy brother thou dost not lend in usury, so that Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in every putting forth of thy hand on the land whither thou goest in to possess it.
None doth take in pledge millstones, and rider, for life it is he is taking in pledge.
'When thou liftest up on thy brother a debt of anything, thou dost not go in unto his house to obtain his pledge; at the outside thou dost stand, and the man on whom thou art lifting it up is bringing out unto thee the pledge at the outside. read more. 'And if he is a poor man, thou dost not lie down with his pledge; thou dost certainly give back to him the pledge at the going in of the sun, and he hath lain down in his own raiment, and hath blessed thee; and to thee it is righteousness before Jehovah thy God.
'Thou dost not turn aside the judgment of a fatherless sojourner, nor take in pledge the garment of a widow;
and if ye lend to those of whom ye hope to receive back, what grace have ye? for also the sinful lend to sinners -- that they may receive again as much. 'But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward will be great, and ye shall be sons of the Highest, because He is kind unto the ungracious and evil;