Topic
Interest
18 passages cited, from 2 classic reference works.
These works date from 1896–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Exodus 22:25ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
¶ If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
- Leviticus 25:36ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
- Leviticus 25:37ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
- Deuteronomy 23:19ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
¶ 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 23:20ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
- Psalms 15:5ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
- Proverbs 28:8ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
- Isaiah 24:2ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with…
- Ezekiel 18:8ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
- Ezekiel 18:13ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
- Ezekiel 18:17ISBE · Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
- Nehemiah 5:1–13Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said,…
Show 6 more
- Nehemiah 5:7 ISBE
- Nehemiah 5:10 ISBE
- Ezekiel 18:9 Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
- Ezekiel 22:12 Nave (Income from loaning money, usually called “usury” in the Scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates)
- Matthew 25:27 ISBE
- Luke 19:23 ISBE
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 16 references
in'-ter-est (neshekh, mashsha'; tokos): The Hebrew word neshekh is from a root which means "to bite"; thus interest is "something bitten off." The other word, mashsa', means "lending on interest." The Greek term is from the root tikto, "to produce" or "beget," hence, interest is something begotten or produced by money. The Hebrew words are usually translated "usury," but this meant the same as interest, all interest being reckoned as usury.
Long before Abraham's time money had been loaned at a fixed rate of interest in Babylonia and almost certainly in Egypt. The Code of Hammurabi gives regulations regarding the lending and borrowing of money, the usual interest being 20 percent. Sometimes it was only 11 2/3 and 13 1/3, as shown by contract tablets. In one case, if the loan was not paid in two months, 18 per cent interest would be charged. Corn (grain), dates, onions, etc., were loaned at interest. Thus Moses and Israel would be familiar with commercial loans and interest. In Israel there was no system of credit or commercial loans in Moses' time and after. A poor man borrowed because he was poor. The law of Moses (Ex 22:25) forbade loaning at interest. There was to be no creditor and no taker of interest among them (Le 25:36,37). De permits them to lend on interest to a foreigner (De 23:19,20), but not to a brother Israelite. That this was considered the proper thing in Israel for centuries is seen in Ps 15:5, while Pr 28:8 implies that it was an unusual thing, interest being generally exacted and profit made. Ezekiel condemns it as a heinous sin (Eze 18:8,13,17) and holds up the ideal of righteousness as not taking interest (22:12). Isa 24:2 implies that it was a business in that age, the lender and borrower being social types. Jeremiah implies that there was not always the best feeling between lenders and borrowers (15:10). According to Ne 5:7,10, rich Jews were lending to others and exacting heavy interest. Nehemiah condemns such conduct and forbids its continuance, citing himself as an example of lending without interest. The lenders restored 1 percent of that exacted.
In the New Testament, references to interest occur in the parable of the Pounds (Lu 19:23) and of the Talents (Mt 25:27). Here the men were expected to put their master's money out at interest, and condemnation followed the failure to do so. Thus the principle of receiving interest is not condemned in the Old Testament, only it was not to be taken from a brother Israelite. In the New Testament it is distinctly encouraged.
See also USURY.
J. J. Reeve
In the topical indexes
Nave's Topical Bible (1896) · 14 references, grouped by sub-topic
Texts: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.