Reference: Loan
Easton
The Mosaic law required that when an Israelite needed to borrow, what he asked was to be freely lent to him, and no interest was to be charged, although interest might be taken of a foreigner (Ex 22:25; De 23:19-20; Le 25:35-38). At the end of seven years all debts were remitted. Of a foreigner the loan might, however, be exacted. At a later period of the Hebrew commonwealth, when commerce increased, the practice of exacting usury or interest on loans, and of suretiship in the commercial sense, grew up. Yet the exaction of it from a Hebrew was regarded as discreditable (Ps 15:5; Pr 6:1,4; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 27:13; Jer 15:10).
Limitations are prescribed by the law to the taking of a pledge from the borrower. The outer garment in which a man slept at night, if taken in pledge, was to be returned before sunset (Ex 22:26-27; De 24:12-13). A widow's garment (De 24:17) and a millstone (6) could not be taken. A creditor could not enter the house to reclaim a pledge, but must remain outside till the borrower brought it (De 24:10-11). The Hebrew debtor could not be retained in bondage longer than the seventh year, or at farthest the year of jubilee (Ex 21:2; Le 25:39,42), but foreign sojourners were to be "bondmen for ever" (Le 25:44-54).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If thou shalt buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve: and in the seventh he shall go forth free gratuitously.
If thou shalt lend silver to my people being poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him, as lending; ye shall not put interest upon him. If taking in pledge, thou shalt take in pledge the garment of thy friend, at the going down of the sun thou shalt turn it back to him. read more. For it is his covering alone; his garment for his nakedness in which he shall lie; and it was when he shall cry to me, and I heard, for I am compassionate.
And when thy brother shall be poor, and his hand wavering with thee, hold fast to him; a stranger and sojourner to live with thee. Thou shalt not take from him interest and increase; thou shalt be afraid of thy God; and thy brother to live with thee. read more. Thy silver thou shalt not give to him upon interest, and upon increase thou. shalt not give him thy food. I am Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give to you the land of Canaan, to be to you for God. And when thy brother shall be poor with thee, and he was sold to thee, thou shalt not serve upon him the service of a servant.
For they are my servants whom I brought them out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold from the sale of a servant
And thy servant and thy maid which shall be to thee, from the nations which are round about you, from them ye shall buy servant and maid. And from the sons of the sojourner sojourning with you, from them shall ye buy, and from their families which are with you, which were born in your land: and they were to you for a possession. read more. And ye shall possess them for your sons after you to take possession forever; ye shall serve with them: and over your brethren the sons of Israel, ye shall not rule over him, each over his brother with oppression. And if the hand of a stranger and sojourner with thee shall attain, and thy brother with him be poor, and he sold to the stranger, a sojourner with thee, or to the root of the stranger's family: After the selling, redemption shall be to him; one from his brethren shall redeem him: Or his uncle, or his uncle's son shall redeem him, or from the remainder of his flesh from his family, shall redeem him; or his hand attained, and he redeemed himself. And he reckoned with him buying him, from the year of his being sold to him till the year of the jubilee: and the silver of his selling was according to the number of years, as the days of a hireling, shall it be with him. If yet a multitude of years, according to them he shall return his redemption from the silver of his sale. And if a fewness remained to the years till the year of jubilee; and he reckoned to him according to his years, he shall return his redemption. As the hireling of the year by the year shall he be with him: he shall not rule him by crushing to thine eyes. And if he shall not be redeemed in these, and he shall go forth in the year of the jubilee, he and his sons with him.
Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother; interest of silver, interest of food, interest of any word which shall be lent on interest To a foreigner thou shalt lend on interest; and to thy brother thou shalt not lend on interest: so that Jehovah thy God shall bless thee in all the stretching forth of thy hand upon the land which thou goest there to possess it
When thou shalt lend to thy friend the loan of any thing, thou shalt not go to his house to exchange his pledge: Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom was lent to him, shall bring out to thee the pledge without read more. And if the man be poor, he shall not sleep with his pledge. Turning back, thou shalt turn back to him the pledge as the sun went down; he lay down in his garment and blessed thee; and to thee shall be justice before Jehovah thy God.
Thou shalt not turn away the judgment of the stranger, the fatherless; and thou shalt not take as a pledge the garment of the widow.
Not giving his silver for interest, and gave not presents against the innocent. He doing these things shall not be moved forever.
My son, if thou becamest surety for thy friend, thou didst strike thy hands for a stranger;
The evil one shall become evil, for he became surety for a stranger: and he hating those striking hands being secure.
A man wanting heart will strike the hand, pledging a pledge before his friend.
Take his garment that became surety for a stranger: and bind him by a pledge for strange women.
Take his garment pledging a stranger, and bind him by a pledge for a strange woman.
Wo to me, my mother, for thou broughtest me forth a man of strife and a man of contention to all the earth. I lent not on interest and they lent not to me on interest: they are altogether cursing me.
Fausets
(See USURY.) The merciful character of Moses' law appears in the command not to keep the poor man's outer garment, his covering by night as well as day, after sunset (Ex 22:26-27; De 24:6,10-13,17; compare, however, Pr 22:27). The millstone, including all instruments necessary to life, and a widow's garment, were forbidden to be taken. The creditor must not enter the debtor's house to seize the pledge, but wait for the debtor to bring out an adequate security for payment.
The debtor could be held as a bondman only until the seventh year, i.e. for six years, and not beyond the Jubilee year, whatever his period of service might be (Ex 21:2). Then he must be sent away with a liberal supply of provisions, the prospect of such a gift doubtless stimulating zeal in service (De 15:12-18; Le 25:39-55); his land was to be restored. But foreign slaves might be held in continual servitude (2Ki 4:1; Isa 50:1; 52:3). The Roman or else the oriental law detaining the debtor in prison until he paid the uttermost farthing, and even giving him over to torturers, is alluded to in Mt 5:26; 18:34.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If thou shalt buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve: and in the seventh he shall go forth free gratuitously.
If taking in pledge, thou shalt take in pledge the garment of thy friend, at the going down of the sun thou shalt turn it back to him. For it is his covering alone; his garment for his nakedness in which he shall lie; and it was when he shall cry to me, and I heard, for I am compassionate.
And when thy brother shall be poor with thee, and he was sold to thee, thou shalt not serve upon him the service of a servant. As the hireling, as the sojourner, he shall be with thee; till the year of jubilee he shall serve with thee; read more. And he shall go forth from thee, he and his sons with him, and turn back to his family, to the possession of his fathers shall he turn back. For they are my servants whom I brought them out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold from the sale of a servant Thou shalt not rule over him with crushing, and thou shalt be afraid of thy God. And thy servant and thy maid which shall be to thee, from the nations which are round about you, from them ye shall buy servant and maid. And from the sons of the sojourner sojourning with you, from them shall ye buy, and from their families which are with you, which were born in your land: and they were to you for a possession. And ye shall possess them for your sons after you to take possession forever; ye shall serve with them: and over your brethren the sons of Israel, ye shall not rule over him, each over his brother with oppression. And if the hand of a stranger and sojourner with thee shall attain, and thy brother with him be poor, and he sold to the stranger, a sojourner with thee, or to the root of the stranger's family: After the selling, redemption shall be to him; one from his brethren shall redeem him: Or his uncle, or his uncle's son shall redeem him, or from the remainder of his flesh from his family, shall redeem him; or his hand attained, and he redeemed himself. And he reckoned with him buying him, from the year of his being sold to him till the year of the jubilee: and the silver of his selling was according to the number of years, as the days of a hireling, shall it be with him. If yet a multitude of years, according to them he shall return his redemption from the silver of his sale. And if a fewness remained to the years till the year of jubilee; and he reckoned to him according to his years, he shall return his redemption. As the hireling of the year by the year shall he be with him: he shall not rule him by crushing to thine eyes. And if he shall not be redeemed in these, and he shall go forth in the year of the jubilee, he and his sons with him. For to me the sons of Israel are servants; they are my servants which I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: I Jehovah your God.
When thy brother a Hebrew, or Hebrewess, shall be sold to thee, and serving thee six years; in the seventh year thou shalt send him away free from thee. And when thou shalt send him away free from thee, thou shalt not send him away empty. read more. Furnishing, thou shalt furnish to him from thy sheep and from thy threshing floor, and from thy wine vat: with which Jehovah thy God blessed thee thou shalt give to him. And remember that thou wert a servant in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God will redeem thee: for I command thee this word this day. And it was when he shall say to thee, I will not go forth from thee; for he loved thee and thy house, for it was well to him with thee; And take an awl and give it upon his ear, and against the door, and he was to thee for a servant forever. And also to thy maid shalt thou do thus. It shall not be hard in thine eye in thy sending him away free from thee, because for the year of the wages of the hireling he served thee six years: and Jehovah thy God blessed thee in all which thou shalt do.
He shall not take the two mill-stones as a pledge, and the rider, for it is taking the soul as a pledge.
When thou shalt lend to thy friend the loan of any thing, thou shalt not go to his house to exchange his pledge: Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom was lent to him, shall bring out to thee the pledge without read more. And if the man be poor, he shall not sleep with his pledge. Turning back, thou shalt turn back to him the pledge as the sun went down; he lay down in his garment and blessed thee; and to thee shall be justice before Jehovah thy God.
Thou shalt not turn away the judgment of the stranger, the fatherless; and thou shalt not take as a pledge the garment of the widow.
And one woman from the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband died, and thou knewest that thy servant was fearing Jehovah: and the creditor came to take my two children for servants.
Thus said Jehovah, Where this writing of cutting off of your mother which I sent her away? or which of my creditors whom I sold you to him? Behold, in your iniquities ye sold yourselves, and in your transgressions your mother was sent away.
For thus said Jehovah, Ye sold yourselves gratuitously, and ye shall not be redeemed with silver.
Verily I say to thee, Thou shouldst not come out thence, even till, thou shouldst give back the last fourth.
And his lord having become angry, delivered him to the torturers even till he should give back all being owed to him.
Hastings
Smith
Loan.
The law strictly forbade any interest to be taken for a loan to any poor person, and at first, as it seems, even in the case of a foreigner; but this prohibition was afterward limited to Hebrews only, from whom, of whatever rank, not only was no usury on any pretence to be exacted, but relief to the poor by way of loan was enjoined, and excuses for evading this duty were forbidden.
As commerce increased, the practice of usury, and so also of suretyship, grew up; but the exaction of it from a Hebrew appears to have been regarded to a late period as discreditable.
Ps 15:5; Pr 6:1,4; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26; Jer 15:10; Eze 18:13
Systematic breach of the law in this respect was corrected by Nehemiah after the return from captivity.
The money-changers, who had seats and tables in the temple, where traders whose profits arose chiefly from the exchange of money with those who came to pay their annual half-shekel. The Jewish law did not forbid temporary bondage in the case of debtors, but it forbade a Hebrew debtor to be detained as a bondman longer than the seventh year, or at farthest the year of jubilee.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If thou shalt buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve: and in the seventh he shall go forth free gratuitously.
If thou shalt lend silver to my people being poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him, as lending; ye shall not put interest upon him.
And when thy brother shall be poor, and his hand wavering with thee, hold fast to him; a stranger and sojourner to live with thee.
Thy silver thou shalt not give to him upon interest, and upon increase thou. shalt not give him thy food.
And when thy brother shall be poor with thee, and he was sold to thee, thou shalt not serve upon him the service of a servant.
For they are my servants whom I brought them out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold from the sale of a servant
Watch to thyself lest a word shall be with thy heart, of Belial, saying. The seventh year, the year of remission is drawing near; and thine eye be evil against thy needy brother and thou wilt not give to him; and he call against thee to Jehovah, and it was sin in thee.
And a cry of the people and their wives will be great against their brethren the Jews.
Also I shook out my arm, and said, Thus God will shake out every man who will not raise up this word from his house and from his labor; so shall he be shaken out and emptied. And all the convocation will say, Amen, and praise Jehovah. And the people did according to this word.
Not giving his silver for interest, and gave not presents against the innocent. He doing these things shall not be moved forever.
My son, if thou becamest surety for thy friend, thou didst strike thy hands for a stranger;
The evil one shall become evil, for he became surety for a stranger: and he hating those striking hands being secure.
A man wanting heart will strike the hand, pledging a pledge before his friend.
Take his garment that became surety for a stranger: and bind him by a pledge for strange women.
Thou shalt not be with those striking the hand with those pledging for debts.
Wo to me, my mother, for thou broughtest me forth a man of strife and a man of contention to all the earth. I lent not on interest and they lent not to me on interest: they are altogether cursing me.