Topic
Usury
19 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 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 They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently.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.
- Leviticus 25:36Easton · Smith · ISBE
Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
- Deuteronomy 23:19Easton · ISBE · Nave Forbidden
¶ 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 23:20Easton · ISBE · Nave Authorized, of strangers (foreigners)
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 15:5Easton · ISBE · Nave Forbidden
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 28:8Easton · ISBE · Nave Forbidden
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
- Jeremiah 15:10Easton · ISBE · Nave Forbidden
¶ Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
- Ezekiel 18:8Smith · ISBE · Nave Forbidden
He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,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 18:13Smith · ISBE · Nave Forbidden
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 18:17Smith · ISBE · Nave Forbidden
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.
- Exodus 22:25ISBE · Nave Forbidden
¶ 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 25:37Easton · Smith
Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
- Nehemiah 5:7Easton · ISBE
Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
Show 7 more
- Nehemiah 5:10 Easton · ISBE
- Ezekiel 22:12 ISBE · Nave Forbidden
- Leviticus 25:35–37 Nave Forbidden
- Nehemiah 5:1–13 Nave Exaction of, rebuked
- Isaiah 24:2 ISBE
- Matthew 25:27 ISBE
- Luke 19:23 ISBE
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 9 references
The sum paid for the use of money, hence interest; not, as in the modern sense, exorbitant interest. The Jews were forbidden to exact usury (Lev. 25:36, 37), only, however, in their dealings with each other (Deut. 23:19, 20). The violation of this law was viewed as a great crime (Ps. 15:5; Prov. 28:8; Jer. 15:10). After the Return, and later, this law was much neglected (Neh. 5:7, 10).
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 5 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 25 references
u'-zhu-ri:
1. In the Old Testament:
The Hebrew law concerning exaction of interest upon loans was very humane. Hebrews were to lend to their brethren without interest (Ex 22:25; Le 25:36 f; De 23:19 f). This, however, did not apply to a stranger (De 23:20). Two stems are used in the Old Testament, rendered in the King James Version "usury," in the Revised Version (British and American) better rendered "interest":
(1) verb nashah (Ex 22:25; Isa 24:2; Jer 15:10), and the noun form, mashsha' (Ne 5:7,10);
(2) a stronger and more picturesque word, nashakh, "to bite," "to vex," and so "to lend on interest" (De 23:19,20); noun form neshekh (Ex 22:25; Le 25:36 f; Ps 15:5; Pr 28:8; Eze 18:8,13,17; 22:12).
It would be easy to go from a fair rate of interest to an unfair rate, as seen in the history of the word "usury," which has come to mean an exorbitant or unlawful interest. Abuses arose during the exile. Nehemiah forced the people after the return to-give back exactions of "one hundredth," or 1 percent monthly which they took from their brethren (Ne 5:10 f; compare Eze 22:12). A good citizen of Zion is one who did not put out his money to usury (Ps 15:5). One who is guilty of this comes to disaster (Pr 28:8).
2. In the New Testament:
The Greek word is tokos, literally, "offspring," interest springing out of the principal. Money lenders were numerous among the Jews in Christ's day, and, in the parable of the Talents, He represents the lord of the unprofitable servant as rebuking the sloth in the words, "I should have received mine own with interest" (Mt 25:27; Lu 19:23 the Revised Version (British and American)).
Edward Bagby Pollard
In the topical indexes
Nave's Topical Bible (1896) · 14 references, grouped by sub-topic
- → (Interest, not necessarily unreasonable exaction, but all income from loans)
- → Forbidden Ex 22:25; Le 25:35-37; De 23:19; Ps 15:5; Pr 28:8; Jer 15:10; Eze 18:8,13,17; 22:12
- → Exaction of, rebuked Ne 5:1-13
- → Authorized, of strangers (foreigners) De 23:20
- → Exacted by Jews Eze 22:12
- → Just men innocent of the vice of requiring Eze 18:8
- → See INTEREST
- → See MONEY
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); 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.