Deuteronomy 23:19-20
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This verse isn't just about money; it's about community and care, explicitly forbidding interest on loans to fellow Israelites. The instruction covers "money, food, or anything else," highlighting that the goal was to prevent the rich from exploiting the poor within the community, not necessarily to outlaw all forms of interest in commercial dealings with outsiders.
“You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage appears in a larger section of Deuteronomy that outlines specific laws and regulations for the Israelite community, following their exodus from Egypt and as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Directly preceding this, Moses addresses how to treat runaway slaves, emphasizing sanctuary and dignity. This verse then shifts to financial matters, drawing a clear distinction between how Israelites should interact financially with fellow Israelites versus foreigners.
Why did God lay out specific rules about lending money within the Israelite community? It wasn't just about finances, but about care.
This law in Deuteronomy wasn't a blanket prohibition against all interest. Instead, it was a specific command about how Israelites were to treat each other.
A Law for Kinship, Not Commerce
The core idea was to prevent financial exploitation among brothers – meaning fellow Israelites. The context of ancient Israel was largely agrarian, and loans were often for survival or to help during times of need, not for large-scale business investments. Charging interest in these situations could crush someone already struggling.
Lending to Strangers
It's crucial to note that this prohibition did not extend to lending to foreigners. Those outside the covenant community, who were typically engaged in trade and commerce, were fair game for charging interest. This distinction helped maintain the distinct identity of Israel and prevented them from being entangled in the exploitative practices of surrounding nations.
The verse lists 'money' and 'food,' but then broadens out. What does 'anything that is lent' really cover?
God's instructions here are comprehensive. It wasn't just about monetary loans, but about any form of lending where one person might be taking advantage of another's need.
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A Principle of Fairness
Whether it was money for farming, food to get through a hard season, or perhaps even tools or livestock needed temporarily, the principle remained the same: no interest charged to a fellow Israelite. This wasn't about stifling all economic growth; it was about ensuring that the community's economic system supported its members, especially the vulnerable, rather than preying on them.
Preventing Debt Cycles
By disallowing interest on loans to brothers, the law aimed to prevent a destructive cycle of debt from forming within Israel. It encouraged a culture of mutual support and reliance on God, rather than on potentially predatory financial practices.
Understand the original words
nokhrī · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Refers to a person of non-Israelite origin who was living within the borders of Israel; while they were subject to certain laws, they often lacked the full covenantal obligations or the same community protections as an Israelite 'brother.'
āḥ · Hebrew Noun
A person who is part of the covenant community of Israel, a fellow member of the family of God, to whom one owes specific ethical, social, and economic responsibilities.
nešek · Hebrew Noun
In the context of the Law, this refers to usury—the practice of charging interest on loans given to fellow Israelites, which was prohibited to ensure social cohesion and prevent the exploitation of the poor.
This earlier passage lays the groundwork by stating 'If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not demand interest from him.'
Leviticus 25:35-37This passage expands on the theme, emphasizing that the loan should be interest-free and that the lender should not take profit, connecting it to the care for a struggling brother.
Nehemiah 5:1-13This narrative shows the consequences when the spirit of this law is ignored, as people were oppressing their brothers with debt and high interest, leading to social unrest.
Psalm 15:5This Psalm describes the character of one who is righteous before God, including the detail that he 'does not put out his money at interest; he does not take a bribe against the innocent.'
ellicottDeuteronomy 23:19: "Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:"
(19, 20) Usury. —See Exodus 22:25 ; Leviticus 25:35-36 . Some recent writers on this law have thought that it forbids the putting out of money to interest. But it is noticeable that in both the previous passages referred to (in Exod. and Lev.) the loan is supposed to be made to a “poor man” in “real distress.” Usury in such cases means oppression; an…
bensonDeuteronomy 23:19: "Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:"
Deuteronomy 23:19 . Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother — To an Israelite. They held their estates immediately from God, who, while he distinguished them from all other people, might have ordered, had he pleased, that they should have all things in common. But instead of that, and in token of their joint interest in the good land he had giv…
This verse isn't just about money; it's about community and care, explicitly forbidding interest on loans to fellow Israelites. The instruction covers "money, food, or anything else," highlighting that the goal was to prevent the rich from exploiting the poor within the community, not necessarily to outlaw all forms of interest in commercial dealings with outsiders.
This passage appears in a larger section of Deuteronomy that outlines specific laws and regulations for the Israelite community, following their exodus from Egypt and as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Directly preceding this, Moses addresses how to treat runaway slaves, emphasizing sanctuary and dignity. This verse then shifts to financial matters, drawing a clear distinction between how Israelites should interact financially with fellow Israelites versus foreigners.
This passage appears in a larger section of Deuteronomy that outlines specific laws and regulations for the Israelite community, following their exodus from Egypt and as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Directly preceding this, Moses addresses how to treat runaway slaves, emphasizing sanctuary and dignity. This verse then shifts to financial matters, drawing a clear distinction between how Israelites should interact financially with fellow Israelites versus foreigners.
"“You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the LORD…" — This verse isn't just about money; it's about community and care, explicitly forbidding interest on loans to fellow Israelites. The instruction covers "money, food, or anything else," highlighting th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
