Thematic Bible: Debts


Thematic Bible



My son, if you have become security for your neighbor, if you have given your pledge for a stranger or another, You are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your mouth.


The righteousness of the blameless will smooth their way and keep it straight,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
Verse ConceptsGod's WaysThe Insecurity Of The WickedDistinctives Of Righteousnesswickedness


A man lacking common sense gives a pledge
And becomes guarantor [for the debt of another] in the presence of his neighbor.
Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyBeing In DebtPledgesSecurityShaking HandsDebt


[The judge tells the creditor], “Take the clothes of one who is surety for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge [when he guarantees a loan] for foreigners.”
Verse ConceptsBorrowing, SuretyPledges


Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others’ finances],
Or among those who become guarantors for others’ debts.
Verse ConceptsCreditBeing In DebtShaking HandsDebtResponsibility


[The judge tells the creditor,] “Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid].”
Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyPledges

“If you lend money to any one of My people with you who is poor, you shall not act as a creditor (professional moneylender) to him; you shall not charge him interest. Verse ConceptsCreditCreditorsInterestLendingMoney, Stewardship OfMoney, Uses OfCapitalismBankslent

I thought it over and then challenged the nobles and the rulers. I said to them, “You are exacting usury (excessive interest) from your own brother (relative).” So I held a great assembly to confront them. Verse ConceptsMind, The HumanCovetousness, Example Of


He who increases his wealth by interest and usury (excessive interest)
Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.
Verse ConceptsCreditorsGreed, Condemnation OfInterestKindnessMoney, Stewardship OfUnjust GainBlessings For Those Who Help The PoorChargeSaving Moneyinvestingpity

Do not charge him usurious interest, but fear your God [with profound reverence], so your countryman may [continue to] live among you. Verse ConceptsReverence, And Social BehaviourFear God!lent


He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.
Verse ConceptsCreditAcceptance Of BribesInterestLendingMoney, Stewardship OfImmovable SaintsNot MovedAvoiding BribesBriberyMoney Blessingslent

if he does not charge interest or take a percentage of increase [on what he lends in compassion], if he keeps his hand from sin and executes true justice between man and man, Verse ConceptsExcessGreed, Believers' Response ToInterestLending


“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.
Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyGuaranteeFalse AccusationsPeople Stripping Peoplelent

If you ever take your [poor] neighbor’s robe in pledge, you must return it to him before sunset, Verse ConceptsThe SunDressSunsetsLaws About Pledges

“No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone [used to grind grain into bread] as security [for a debt], for he would be taking a [person’s] life in pledge. Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyGuaranteeMillstonesCreditorsLaws About Pledges


“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
Verse ConceptsOxenCreditAbhorGuaranteeOppression, Nature OfOrphansWidowsCreditorsOwning LivestockNot Helping Widows


“They stretch out beside every [pagan] altar on clothes taken in pledge [to secure a loan, disregarding God’s command],
And in the house of their God [in contempt of Him] they frivolously drink the wine [which has been] taken from those who have been fined.
Verse ConceptsCreditGuaranteeDrinking WineAccused Of DrunkennessFine As PenaltyInterlopers In The Temple

When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000], And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

There were others who were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to buy grain because of the famine.” Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, Examples OfBanks

So he summoned his master's debtors one by one, and he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? He said, A hundred measures [about 900 gallons] of oil. And he said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and sit down quickly and write fifty [about 450 gallons].

Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” Verse ConceptsTradeDebtMoney ManagementSaving Money

Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. Verse ConceptsBankruptcyAccountancyCreditorsCommitment, to God's peopleBeing In DebtLove, Nature OfMinistry, In The ChurchFinanceRepaying DebtFulfilling The LawLove Your Neighbour!Scriptures FulfilledDebtLoving One Anotherloverscredibilityoverworking

My son, if you have become security for your neighbor, if you have given your pledge for a stranger or another, You are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your mouth.


The righteousness of the blameless will smooth their way and keep it straight,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
Verse ConceptsGod's WaysThe Insecurity Of The WickedDistinctives Of Righteousnesswickedness


A man lacking common sense gives a pledge
And becomes guarantor [for the debt of another] in the presence of his neighbor.
Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyBeing In DebtPledgesSecurityShaking HandsDebt


[The judge tells the creditor], “Take the clothes of one who is surety for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge [when he guarantees a loan] for foreigners.”
Verse ConceptsBorrowing, SuretyPledges


Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others’ finances],
Or among those who become guarantors for others’ debts.
Verse ConceptsCreditBeing In DebtShaking HandsDebtResponsibility


[The judge tells the creditor,] “Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid].”
Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyPledges

“If you lend money to any one of My people with you who is poor, you shall not act as a creditor (professional moneylender) to him; you shall not charge him interest. Verse ConceptsCreditCreditorsInterestLendingMoney, Stewardship OfMoney, Uses OfCapitalismBankslent

I thought it over and then challenged the nobles and the rulers. I said to them, “You are exacting usury (excessive interest) from your own brother (relative).” So I held a great assembly to confront them. Verse ConceptsMind, The HumanCovetousness, Example Of


He who increases his wealth by interest and usury (excessive interest)
Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.
Verse ConceptsCreditorsGreed, Condemnation OfInterestKindnessMoney, Stewardship OfUnjust GainBlessings For Those Who Help The PoorChargeSaving Moneyinvestingpity

Do not charge him usurious interest, but fear your God [with profound reverence], so your countryman may [continue to] live among you. Verse ConceptsReverence, And Social BehaviourFear God!lent


He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.
Verse ConceptsCreditAcceptance Of BribesInterestLendingMoney, Stewardship OfImmovable SaintsNot MovedAvoiding BribesBriberyMoney Blessingslent

if he does not charge interest or take a percentage of increase [on what he lends in compassion], if he keeps his hand from sin and executes true justice between man and man, Verse ConceptsExcessGreed, Believers' Response ToInterestLending


“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.
Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyGuaranteeFalse AccusationsPeople Stripping Peoplelent

If you ever take your [poor] neighbor’s robe in pledge, you must return it to him before sunset, Verse ConceptsThe SunDressSunsetsLaws About Pledges

“No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone [used to grind grain into bread] as security [for a debt], for he would be taking a [person’s] life in pledge. Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, SuretyGuaranteeMillstonesCreditorsLaws About Pledges


“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
Verse ConceptsOxenCreditAbhorGuaranteeOppression, Nature OfOrphansWidowsCreditorsOwning LivestockNot Helping Widows


“They stretch out beside every [pagan] altar on clothes taken in pledge [to secure a loan, disregarding God’s command],
And in the house of their God [in contempt of Him] they frivolously drink the wine [which has been] taken from those who have been fined.
Verse ConceptsCreditGuaranteeDrinking WineAccused Of DrunkennessFine As PenaltyInterlopers In The Temple

When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000], And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

There were others who were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to buy grain because of the famine.” Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, Examples OfBanks

So he summoned his master's debtors one by one, and he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? He said, A hundred measures [about 900 gallons] of oil. And he said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and sit down quickly and write fifty [about 450 gallons].

Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” Verse ConceptsTradeDebtMoney ManagementSaving Money

Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. Verse ConceptsBankruptcyAccountancyCreditorsCommitment, to God's peopleBeing In DebtLove, Nature OfMinistry, In The ChurchFinanceRepaying DebtFulfilling The LawLove Your Neighbour!Scriptures FulfilledDebtLoving One Anotherloverscredibilityoverworking

When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000], And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

There were others who were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to buy grain because of the famine.” Verse ConceptsCreditBorrowing, Examples OfBanks

So he summoned his master's debtors one by one, and he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? He said, A hundred measures [about 900 gallons] of oil. And he said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and sit down quickly and write fifty [about 450 gallons].

Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” Verse ConceptsTradeDebtMoney ManagementSaving Money

Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. Verse ConceptsBankruptcyAccountancyCreditorsCommitment, to God's peopleBeing In DebtLove, Nature OfMinistry, In The ChurchFinanceRepaying DebtFulfilling The LawLove Your Neighbour!Scriptures FulfilledDebtLoving One Anotherloverscredibilityoverworking