Deuteronomy 23:19

19 Thou shalt not lend to thy brother to usury, money, neither fruits, neither any other thing, (Thou shalt not lend money, or fruits, or any other thing, to thy brother, that is, thy kinsman, and charge him interest,

Deuteronomy 23:19 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 23:19

Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother
One of the same nation and religion, and who is in poor and necessitous circumstances, and wants either food for himself and family, or money to carry on his husbandry, till such times as the fruits of his ground will bring him in a sufficiency for his support, and the payment of what he borrows, and which is to be lent him without any interest: as the Jews were chiefly employed in husbandry, and not merchandise, they had but little occasion to borrow, and when they did could not afford to pay interest, as persons concerned in merchandise, whose gains are great, are able to do; and it is but reasonable that such persons should; but that the Israelites, when poor and in distress, might not be bowed down under their burdens, this law is made for their relief:

usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of anything that is lent
upon usury;
this takes in all sorts of usury, whether what is lent be money or food, or anything else, no interest was to be taken for it; (See Gill on Leviticus 25:36); (See Gill on Leviticus 25:37).

Deuteronomy 23:19 In-Context

17 None whore/No strumpet shall be of the daughters of Israel, neither a lecher of the sons of Israel.
18 Thou shalt not offer the hire of an whorehouse, neither the price of a dog, in the house of thy Lord God, (for) whatever thing it is that thou hast avowed; for ever either is abomination before thy Lord God. (Thou shalt not offer the wages of a common whore, or the fee of a male prostitute, in the House of the Lord thy God, to fulfill thy vow; for both of them be abominable before the Lord thy God.)
19 Thou shalt not lend to thy brother to usury, money, neither fruits, neither any other thing, (Thou shalt not lend money, or fruits, or any other thing, to thy brother, that is, thy kinsman, and charge him interest,
20 but (thou mayest) to an alien. For thou shalt lend to thy brother without usury that that he needeth, that thy Lord God bless thee in all thy work in the land to which thou shalt enter to wield. (but thou mayest do so to a foreigner, or a stranger. For thou shalt lend to thy brother what he needeth without charging interest, and then the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy work in the land to which thou shalt enter to take.)
21 When thou makest a vow to thy Lord God, thou shalt not tarry to yield it, for thy Lord God shall ask that of thee; and if thou tarriest, it shall be reckoned to thee into sin. (When thou makest a vow to the Lord thy God, thou shouldest not delay in fulfilling it, for the Lord thy God shall ask for that of thee; and if thou delayest, it shall be reckoned unto thee as a sin.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.