Deuteronomy 23:19-20
“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)
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This law wasn't just about economics; it was about community care, specifically prohibiting charging interest to a fellow Israelite, whether the loan was for money, food, or anything else. The intent was to prevent the wealthy from oppressing the poor within their own community, ensuring that struggling neighbors could get the help they needed without falling deeper into debt.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing laws for the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land, focusing on how they should interact with each other and outsiders. Specifically, this verse is one of several regulations concerning loans and finances, emphasizing community care and prohibiting financial exploitation among fellow Israelites, while permitting it with foreigners. It's framed by laws about not returning escaped servants and protecting the vulnerable, setting a tone of communal responsibility and justice within the Israelite nation.
Why would God forbid charging interest, seemingly hindering economic growth? This wasn't about stifling trade, but about protecting the vulnerable.
This command in Deuteronomy isn't a blanket prohibition against all interest. The key distinction is who you are lending to.
For Your Brother:
When lending to a fellow Israelite – your "brother" – you were explicitly forbidden from charging interest. This was rooted in the specific context of Israel's society:
To a Stranger:
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However, when lending to a foreigner (a "stranger"), you could charge interest. This reflects a different economic reality. Foreigners were often involved in trade and commerce, and charging interest was seen as a fair way to share in the profits they might make from the borrowed capital.
It's easy to see laws like this as just rules. But God's commands often reveal His heart and what He values most.
This law reveals a core value of the Israelite community: mutual support and preventing oppression.
God's Provision and Expectation:
Israel was a people set apart, brought into a land of abundance by God's direct intervention. This command wasn't about hindering their ability to prosper, but about reflecting God's character within their unique covenant relationship.
The emphasis was on building a community where financial hardship didn't lead to crushing debt and exploitation, but where loans were acts of brotherhood and trust.
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 passage also instructs not to treat a poor brother harshly when lending, highlighting the theme of compassion and protection for the vulnerable within the community.
Leviticus 25:35-37This passage expands on the principle, urging Israelites to support a struggling brother with kindness, forbidding them from taking profit or increase, emphasizing community care over personal gain.
Nehemiah 5:1-7This passage shows the negative consequences when the principle is violated, as Israelites were oppressing their brothers with heavy interest during a time of famine, leading to cries of injustice.
Luke 6:34-35Jesus directly addresses this principle, teaching His followers to 'lend, expecting nothing in return,' a teaching that echoes the spirit of Deuteronomy in prioritizing love and generosity over financial interest, especially within the community of believers.
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 law wasn't just about economics; it was about community care, specifically prohibiting charging interest to a fellow Israelite, whether the loan was for money, food, or anything else. The intent was to prevent the wealthy from oppressing the poor within their own community, ensuring that struggling neighbors could get the help they needed without falling deeper into debt.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing laws for the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land, focusing on how they should interact with each other and outsiders. Specifically, this verse is one of several regulations concerning loans and finances, emphasizing community care and prohibiting financial exploitation among fellow Israelites, while permitting it with foreigners. It's framed by laws about not returning escaped servants and protecting the vulnerable, setting a tone of communal responsibility and justice within the Israelite nation.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing laws for the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land, focusing on how they should interact with each other and outsiders. Specifically, this verse is one of several regulations concerning loans and finances, emphasizing community care and prohibiting financial exploitation among fellow Israelites, while permitting it with foreigners. It's framed by laws about not returning escaped servants and protecting the vulnerable, setting a tone of communal responsibility and justice within the Israelite nation.
"“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 law wasn't just about economics; it was about community care, specifically prohibiting charging interest to a fellow Israelite, whether the loan was for money, food, or anything else. The intent…
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