13 Bible Verses about Creditors
Most Relevant Verses
“If you lend money to My people, to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest.
Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest. Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them.” They responded: “We will return these things and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.”
So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this.
Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
“If you lend money to My people, to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest. “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset. For it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body. What will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will listen because I am compassionate.
Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has.
Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or anything that can earn interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you must not charge your brother interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do in the land you are entering to possess.
“Do not take a pair of millstones or an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that is like taking a life as security.
One of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, has died. You know that your servant feared the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves.”
The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is a slave to the lender.
Whoever increases his wealth through excessive interest
collects it for one who is kind to the poor.
He also said to the disciples: “There was a rich man who received an accusation that his manager was squandering his possessions. So he called the manager in and asked, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be my manager.’ “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg. read more.
I know what I’ll do so that when I’m removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ “So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first one. “‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he said.
“‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘sit down quickly, and write 50.’ “Next he asked another, ‘How much do you owe?’
“‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he said.
“‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘and write 80.’ “The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people.
From Thematic Bible
Creditors » Often cruel in exacting debts
After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, "Each of you is charging his countrymen interest." So I called a large assembly against them and said, "We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back." They remained silent and could not say a word. Then I said, "What you are doing isn't right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God [and not invite] the reproach of our foreign enemies?
They drive away the donkeys [owned] by the fatherless and take the widow's ox as collateral. They push the needy off the road; the poor of the land are forced into hiding. Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go out to their task of foraging for food; the wilderness provides nourishment for their children. read more.
They gather their fodder in the field and glean the vineyards of the wicked. Without clothing, they spend the night naked, having no covering against the cold. Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks, shelterless. The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized as collateral.
"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, 'Pay what you owe!' "At this, his fellow slave fell down and began begging him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he wasn't willing. On the contrary, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed.
Creditors » Illustrative of » God's claim upon men
Creditors » Sometimes entirely remitted debts
Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest. Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them." They responded: "We will return [these things] and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say." So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this.
Creditors » Often exacted debts » By selling the debtor's family
One of the wives of the sons of the prophets
the nursing child of the poor is seized as collateral.
Creditors » Often exacted debts » From the sureties
Don't be one of those who enter agreements, who put up security for loans. If you have no money to pay, even your bed will be taken from under you.
he will suffer for it,
but the one who hates such agreements is protected.
Creditors » Prohibited from » Exacting usury from brethren
“If you lend money to My people, to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest.
Do not profit or take interest from him, but fear your God and let your brother live among you. You are not to lend him your silver with interest or sell [him] your food for profit.
Creditors » Might demand » Security of others
who put up security for loans.
or entered into an agreement with
Creditors » Often exacted debts » By imprisonment
Creditors » Often exacted debts » By selling the debtor or taking him for a servant
“When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man
Creditors » Were often defrauded
In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About 400 men were with him.
"So he summoned each one of his master's debtors. 'How much do you owe my master?' he asked the first one. " 'A hundred measures of oil,' he said. " 'Take your invoice,' he told him, 'sit down quickly, and write 50.' "Next he asked another, 'How much do you owe?' " 'A hundred measures of wheat,' he said. " 'Take your invoice,' he told him, 'and write 80.'
Creditors » Might demand » Pledges
"When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect what he offers as security. You must stand outside while the man you are making the loan to brings the security out to you.
Creditors » Exacting debts from brethren during sabbatical year
This is how to cancel debt: Every creditor is to cancel what he has lent his neighbor. He is not to collect [anything] from his neighbor or brother, because the Lord's release of debts has been proclaimed. You may collect [something] from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.
Creditors » Prohibited from » Violently selecting pledges
“When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect what he offers as security.
Creditors » Might take interest from strangers
You may charge a foreigner interest, but you must not charge your brother interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do
Creditors » Prohibited from » Taking millstones in pledge
“Do not take a pair of millstones or an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that is like taking a life as security.
Creditors » To return before sunset, garments taken in pledge
"If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset. For it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body. What will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will listen because I am compassionate.
Creditors » Often exacted debts » By selling the debtor's property
Creditors » Illustrative of » The demands of the law
Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law.
Creditors » Defined
And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
Creditors » Might demand » Mortgages on property
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.”
Creditors » Bills or promissory notes
" 'A hundred measures of oil,' he said. " 'Take your invoice,' he told him, 'sit down quickly, and write 50.' "Next he asked another, 'How much do you owe?' " 'A hundred measures of wheat,' he said. " 'Take your invoice,' he told him, 'and write 80.'