Deuteronomy 23:19-25

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.
22 If thou wilt not promise, thou shalt be without sin. (If thou maketh no vow, thou hast not sinned.)
23 Forsooth thou shalt keep (thy word), and do that that went out once of thy lips, as thou promisedest to thy Lord God, and hast spoken with thine own will and thy mouth. (But once thy vow hath gone out of thy lips, thou shalt keep thy word, and do it, as thou promisedest to the Lord thy God, and hast spoken with thy own will and thy own mouth.)
24 If thou enterest into the vineyard of thy neighbour, eat thou (some) grapes, as much as [it] pleaseth thee; but bear thou none out with thee (but carry none away with thee).
25 If thou enterest into the corn (field) of thy friend, thou shalt break off the ears of the corn, and rub them together with thine hands; but thou shalt not reap them with a sickle.

Deuteronomy 23:19-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 23

Orders are here given to restrain certain persons from entering into the congregation of the Lord, De 23:1-8, and to take care that there be no unclean person in the camp, or any indecent thing done in it, De 23:9-14, to protect fugitive servants, and not deliver them up to their masters, De 23:15,16 not to suffer a filthy person to be among them, or any filthy thing to be brought into the house of God for a vow, De 23:17,18, then follow some laws against usury, and for the payment of vows, De 23:19-23, and the chapter is concluded with some directions how to behave in a neighbour's vineyard, or standing corn, De 23:24,25.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.