Thematic Bible: Creditor


Thematic Bible



For thou didst take a pledge from thy brother without cause and stripped the naked of their clothing.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox for a pledge.



Conciliate with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out of there, until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou may be delivered from him, lest he drag thee away to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, in no wise shalt thou come out of there until thou hast paid the very last mite.

Then there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren, the Jews. For there were some that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many; therefore we have bought grain that we may eat and live. There were also some that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine. read more.
And there were some that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. Yet now, given that the flesh of our brethren is as our flesh and their sons as our sons, behold, we subject our sons and our daughters to slavery, and there are some of our daughters in bondage already; neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I meditated unto myself, and I rebuked the principals and the rulers and said unto them, Does each one of you exact usury of his brother? And I set a great assembly against them. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren, the Jews who had been sold unto the Gentiles; and will ye even sell your brethren? And shall they be sold unto us? Then they remained silent, for they had nothing to answer. Also I said, What you do is not good, do you not walk in the fear of our God, that ye not be the reproach of our enemies the Gentiles? I, likewise, and my brethren and my servants, have lent them money and grain; let us now release them from this burden. Restore, I pray you, to them, today, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, and even the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. Then they said, We will return it and will require nothing of them; so we will do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests and caused them to sware that they should do according to this promise. Also I shook my lap and said, Thus will God shake out each man from his house and from his labour, that does not perform this promise, even thus shall he be shaken out and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

He shall restore the work that was not his; according to the substance that he took; neither shall he devour, nor rejoice. Because he oppressed and forsook the poor; because he has violently taken away houses which he did not build, therefore, he shall not feel quietness in his belly; he shall not escape with that which he desired.

Be not thou one of them that strike hands or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should they take away thy bed from under thee?

But as the same slave was leaving, he found one of his fellowslaves who owed him a hundred denarius, and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what thou owest. And his fellowslave fell down at his feet and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt. read more.
So when his fellowslaves saw what was done, they were very grieved and came and declared unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked slave, I forgave thee all that debt because thou didst beseech me; was it not also expedient unto thee to have mercy on thy fellowslave even as I had mercy on thee? And his lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you unless from your hearts ye forgive every one his brother their trespasses.




No man shall take the lower or the upper millstone for a pledge, for he takes a man's life to pledge.

If thou should buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he was married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master has given him a wife, and she has born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. read more.
And if the slave shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free. Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him forever.

If thou should lend money to my people, to the poor who is with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. If thou at all take thy neighbour's clothing as a pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him before the sun goes down; for only that is his covering, it is his clothing to cover his flesh, in which he must sleep; and it shall come to pass, when he cries unto me, that I will hear, for I am merciful.

And if thou sell anything unto thy neighbour or buy anything of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another. According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee. According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it; for according to the number of the years of the fruits does he sell unto thee. read more.
Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God; for I am the LORD your God.

And if thy brother becomes poor and comes unto thee, then thou shalt receive him; as a stranger, or a sojourner, he shall live with thee. Take thou no usury of him, or increase; but thou shalt have the fear of thy God, and thy brother shall live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy food for increase.

And this is the manner of the release: everyone who has lent anything to his neighbour, causing him to be in debt, shall release it; he shall not exact it any more of his neighbour or of his brother, because the release of the LORD is proclaimed. Of the foreigner thou shalt demand that it be repaid; but that which thy brother has of thine thy hand shall release,

Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother, usury of money, usury of food, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury. Unto a stranger thou may lend upon usury, but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands upon the land which thou doest enter in to inherit.

When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to take his pledge. Thou shalt stand outside, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring the pledge out unto thee. And if the man is poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge. read more.
Without fail thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goes down that he may sleep in his own clothing and bless thee, and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.

And if ye lend to those of whom ye hope to receive, what grace shall ye have? for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again.



Therefore is the kingdom of the heavens likened unto a man who is king who would take account of his slaves. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him ten thousand talents. But he not having wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, to make payment. read more.
The slave therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that slave was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt.

There was a certain creditor who had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarius, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he released them both from their debt. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.