Thematic Bible: Creditor
Thematic Bible
Creditor » Oppressions of
"After all, you've taken collateral from your relatives for no reason; you stripped the naked of their clothing.
They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the ox of the widow as security for a loan;
Now there happened to be a certain woman who had been the wife of a member of the Guild of Prophets. She cried out to Elisha, "My husband who served you has died, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. But a creditor has come to take away my children into indentured servitude!"
"The fatherless are torn from the breast; the poor are taken away as security for a loan.
Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court, or your opponent may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you with certainty, you will not get out of there until you pay back the last dollar!"
For example, when you go with your opponent in front of a ruler, do your best to settle with him on the way there. Otherwise, you will be dragged in front of the judge, and the judge will hand you over to an officer, and the officer will throw you into prison. I tell you, you will never get out of there until you pay back the last penny!"
Now the people along with their spouses complained loudly against their fellow Jews, because certain of them kept claiming, "Since we have so many sons and daughters, we must get some grain so we can eat and survive." Others were saying, "We're having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine." read more.
Still others were saying "We've borrowed money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king's taxes. Now our bodies are no different than the bodies of our relatives, and our children are like their children. Nevertheless, we're about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already in bondage. It's beyond our power to do anything about it, because our fields and vineyards belong to others." I became very livid when I heard their complaining and these charges. So after thinking it over carefully, I accused the officials and nobles openly, "Every one of you is charging your fellow countrymen interest!" So I opened a public investigation against them. I accused them, "To the best of our ability, we've been buying back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Even now you're selling your fellow countrymen, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet and never spoke a word. So I said, "What you're doing isn't right! Shouldn't you live in the fear of our God to avoid shame from our foreign enemies? I'm also lending money and grain, as are my fellow-Jews and my servants, but let's not charge interest. So today please restore to them their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and homes, along with the one percent interest charge that you've assessed them on the grain, wine, and oil." They responded, "We will restore these things, and will assess no interest charges against them. We will do what you are requesting!" So I called the priests and made them take an oath to fulfill this promise. I also shook my robes, and said, "May God shake out every man from his house and his possessions who does not keep this promise. May he be emptied out and shaken just like this." All the assembly said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD. And the people kept their promise.
Still others were saying "We've borrowed money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king's taxes. Now our bodies are no different than the bodies of our relatives, and our children are like their children. Nevertheless, we're about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already in bondage. It's beyond our power to do anything about it, because our fields and vineyards belong to others." I became very livid when I heard their complaining and these charges. So after thinking it over carefully, I accused the officials and nobles openly, "Every one of you is charging your fellow countrymen interest!" So I opened a public investigation against them. I accused them, "To the best of our ability, we've been buying back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Even now you're selling your fellow countrymen, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet and never spoke a word. So I said, "What you're doing isn't right! Shouldn't you live in the fear of our God to avoid shame from our foreign enemies? I'm also lending money and grain, as are my fellow-Jews and my servants, but let's not charge interest. So today please restore to them their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and homes, along with the one percent interest charge that you've assessed them on the grain, wine, and oil." They responded, "We will restore these things, and will assess no interest charges against them. We will do what you are requesting!" So I called the priests and made them take an oath to fulfill this promise. I also shook my robes, and said, "May God shake out every man from his house and his possessions who does not keep this promise. May he be emptied out and shaken just like this." All the assembly said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD. And the people kept their promise.
"He will restore what he has attained from his work and won't consume it; he won't enjoy the profits from his business transactions, because he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he didn't build. "Since his appetite won't quit; he won't let anything escape his lust.
Don't be one of those who make promises to guarantee loans for debts. If you don't have the ability to pay, why should your very bed be taken from under you?
"But when that servant went away, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, seized him by the throat, and said, "Pay what you owe!' Then his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, "Be patient with me and I will repay you!' But he refused and had him thrown into prison until he could repay the debt. read more.
"When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very disturbed and went and reported to their master everything that had occurred. Then his master sent for him and told him, "You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' In anger his master handed him over to the jailers until he could repay the entire debt. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother from your hearts."
"When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very disturbed and went and reported to their master everything that had occurred. Then his master sent for him and told him, "You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' In anger his master handed him over to the jailers until he could repay the entire debt. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother from your hearts."
Creditor » Laws concerning
"Don't deny justice to a foreigner or to an orphan, nor take a widow's garment as collateral for a loan.
Give to the person who asks you for something, and do not turn away from the person who wants to borrow something from you."
"Don't take a pair of millstones, especially the upper millstone, as collateral for a loan, because this means taking a man's livelihood.
"When you acquire a Hebrew servant, he is to serve for six years, and in the seventh he is to go out a free man without paying anything. If he came in by himself, he is to go out by himself. If he was married, his wife is to go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and children belong to her master, and he is to go out by himself. read more.
But if the servant, in fact, says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won't go out a free man,' then his master is to bring him before the judges and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to serve him permanently.
But if the servant, in fact, says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won't go out a free man,' then his master is to bring him before the judges and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to serve him permanently.
"If you loan money to my people, to the poor among you, don't be like a creditor to them and don't impose interest on them. If you take your neighbor's coat as collateral, you are to return it to him by sunset, for it's his only covering; it's his outer garment, for what else can he sleep in? And when he cries out to me, I'll hear him, for I am gracious.
So if you had sold property to a neighbor or had acquired land from your neighbor, you are not to cheat one another. According to the number of years after the jubilee, you may buy from your neighbor. And according to the number of years with crops, he may sell to you. If the number of years after the jubilee is more, increase the selling price. If the number of years after the jubilee is few, decrease its selling price, because he's selling to you according to the potential production volume of the land. read more.
No one is to cheat his neighbor. Instead, you are to fear your God, because I am the LORD your God.
No one is to cheat his neighbor. Instead, you are to fear your God, because I am the LORD your God.
"If your relative becomes so poor that he is indebted to you, then you are to support him. You are to let him live with you just like the resident alien and the traveler. You are not to take interest or profit from him. Instead, you are to fear your God and let your relative live with you. You are not to loan him money with interest or sell him your food at a profit.
This is the way to conduct remission: every creditor must cancel the loan that his friend borrowed, and he must not pressure his friend or brother to repay it, because remission to the LORD will be proclaimed. You may exact payment from a foreigner, but cancel whatever your brother owes you.
"Don't charge interest to your relatives, whether for money, food, or for anything that has been loaned at interest. You may charge interest to a foreigner, but don't charge interest to your relatives, so the LORD your God may bless you in everything you undertake in the land that you are about to enter and possess.
"When you loan something to your neighbor, don't enter his house to seize what he offered as collateral. Stay outside and let the man to whom you made the loan bring it out to you. If he is a poor man, don't go to sleep with his collateral in your possession. read more.
Be sure to return his garment to him at sunset so that he may sleep with it, and he will bless you. It will be a righteous deed in the presence of the LORD your God.
Be sure to return his garment to him at sunset so that he may sleep with it, and he will bless you. It will be a righteous deed in the presence of the LORD your God.
If you lend to those from whom you expect to get something back, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back what they lend.
Creditor » Merciful
It is good for the person who lends generously, conducting his affairs with fairness.
"That is why the kingdom from heaven may be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he had begun to settle the accounts, a person who owed him 10,000 talents was brought to him. Because he couldn't pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned to be sold so that payment could be made. read more.
Then the servant fell down and bowed low before him, saying, "Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything!' The master of that servant had compassion and released him, canceling his debt.
Then the servant fell down and bowed low before him, saying, "Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything!' The master of that servant had compassion and released him, canceling his debt.
"Two men were in debt to a moneylender. One owed him 500 denarii, and the other 50. When they couldn't pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled." Jesus told him, "You have answered correctly."
Related Topics
- Accusations, In Church Affairs
- Aliens, Believers Duty
- Bankruptcy
- Being In Debt
- Borrowing, Surety
- Coinage
- Credit
- Creditors
- Debtors
- Generosity, Human