Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
The verse forbids taking interest or added increase on what is lent to a poor brother, including the stranger and sojourner, and commands relieving him so he can continue to live alongside his people in dignity and security. It was spoken by Christ to Moses in the pillar of cloud, grounded in God bringing Israel out of Egypt to give them Canaan and to be their God, and it remains the rule for Christians today as the expression of loving God with all the heart and loving the neighbor as self. It reveals God as the householder and owner of the land with His people as tenants, who shows no partiality but tenderly regards all in want, executes justice for the fatherless and widow, loves and preserves the stranger, and Himself cares for the poor in the Sabbath year and in the fruitful sixth year. All oppression of the poor, including ruling over him with rigor, taking advantage of him in a tight place, pressing a claim severely, and cold indifference, is robbery and fraud that God marks and will not tolerate, so the command requires compassion to the suffering, confession of unjust gain, restitution, freely forgiving the debt, and decided immediate effort to set the falling brother on his feet where he can support himself. Wealthy believers must not take interest or increase from poor fellow believers in distress to add to abundant means, while taking interest from unbelievers is distinguished as permitted, and together with the seventh year release from debt the command still requires lending even when release is near, with generous obedience bringing prosperity, peace, protection, fruitfulness and God's presence and favor, and refusal bringing loss of blessing and judgment by sword, pestilence and the enemy.
Words and Setting
No interest and no added increase are to be taken from a brother who has become poor and fallen into decay, whether on money lent or on food lent for profit, and he is to be relieved so that he may go on living alongside his people in dignity and security. The prohibition covers the poor fellow Israelite in need and it covers the stranger and sojourner as well, requiring lending of money and food without interest rather than leaving the needy to fail. Wealthy believers are therefore barred from taking interest from poor fellow believers in distress to add to already abundant means, while lending to unbelievers is distinguished as permitted.
The command was spoken by Christ to Moses when enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, the same Teacher who later spoke the sermon on the mount, presenting on Mount Sinai the same principles taught on the mount of beatitudes. It is grounded in God bringing Israel out of Egypt to give them Canaan and to be their God. It was written for ancient Israel and it remains the rule for Christians today, a present duty for God's people to act on together.
God is the householder and owner of the land and His people are His tenants, so stinginess and selfishness are to be overcome by liberality and by not closing the heart with refusal when brethren in hard fields ask a favor. He tenderly regards all who are in want, shows no partiality, executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves and preserves the stranger, opposing selfishness, covetousness and oppression and requiring mercy shown in deeds. He Himself cares for the poor by giving free access to the spontaneous growth of the Sabbath year to the poor, the stranger, and the flocks and herds, and by causing the sixth year under His supervision to yield provision for three years, making the land productive with His blessing when they are obedient.
Love and Justice
The requirement is one with loving God with all heart and soul and loving neighbor as self, on which hang all the law and the prophets. What was presented on Mount Sinai is the same principles later taught on the mount of beatitudes in the sermon on the mount, for the Teacher is the same. The God revealed here regards no persons, executes judgment for the fatherless and widow, and loves and preserves the stranger.
Ruling over the poor with rigor is forbidden, and all oppression of the poor is forbidden. That includes taking advantage of a brother in business when he is seen to be in a tight place where he must have help, and charging him exorbitant interest, as well as swerving from truth, violating justice, and cold-hearted indifference that passes him by on the other side. The suffering and needy are to be helped, not oppressed, with each tenderly regardful of the interests of others, more considerate, merciful and helpful when the love of Christ is in the heart, for this reveals how tenderly the Lord regards all who are in want and reveals the Spirit and character of the Heavenly Father in His dealings with men. Taking advantage of the necessities of another proves conclusively lack of government by the principles of the gospel of Christ. Such oppression is nothing less than actual robbery and fraud and dishonesty, recorded in the books of heaven, which human courts punish only in extreme cases but God marks and will in no case tolerate, condemning injustice in every person and in every business. It keeps the blessing of the Lord out of the heart and gives the impress of the great adversary rather than that of the Spirit of God, so that to inherit the heavenly kingdom requires transformation by divine grace into purity of heart and life and symmetry of character. God tests what is in the heart by how His people treat a brother falling into decay.
Zacchaeus began to live out this teaching by showing compassion to the poor and suffering and giving half his goods to the poor. Its spirit still requires confession of unjust business, refusal of unjust gain, and restitution.
Living the Command Today
The duty belongs to the present and calls for joining together in practical missionary work, which is the gospel of the Old Testament and the duty of one to another, requiring decided and immediate effort with conscience firmly settled to relieve a brother fallen into decay and set him on his feet where he can support himself. This means not closing the heart and saying No when brethren in hard fields ask a favor, but overcoming stinginess and selfishness with liberality, and not passing by with cold-hearted indifference to leave him to fail, but lifting a fellow believer brought into tight places through giving to God's cause. The same care extends to providing for faithful ministers who can no longer work and for their dependents, meeting their needs rather than leaving them to face poverty. God tests what is in the heart by this treatment of a brother, whether brother, stranger, or sojourner, forbidding swerving from truth, violating justice, and passing by on the other side, since whatever dishonors Him cannot benefit.
In business dealings brother must not take advantage of brother, and must not charge exorbitant interest because he sees his brother in a close place where he must have help. A claim must not be pressed severely, but the debt is to be freely forgiven and the claim released, as one wants the Lord to forgive his own indebtedness. Taking advantage of another's necessity shows lack of government by the principles of the gospel, is recorded in heaven as fraud and dishonesty, keeps blessing out of the heart, and bears the impress of the adversary rather than the Spirit of God. Releasing the claim stops Satan from bringing the matter up to perplex and harass the mind.
Wealthy believers must not take usury or increase of money or food from a poor fellow believer grown poor and fallen into decay, relieving him from fear of God so that he may live alongside in dignity and security. To charge him in his distress in order to add to already abundant means is an avaricious spirit and desire for gain that displeases God and says in the heart, Am I my brother's keeper. Taking interest from unbelievers or strangers is distinguished as permitted.
The command applies at all times together with the seventh year of release from debt, when unpaid principal could not be recovered, yet sufficient for need must still be lent even when release is near, since withholding help is sin. Generous obedience and forgiving the claim bring prosperity and blessing and favor on work, peace in the land, protection from enemies and evil beasts, fruitfulness and increase, God's tabernacle and walk among His people, and His cooperation. Refusal forfeits blessing and favor, keeps blessing out of the heart, reflects back upon the doer, and brings the sword to avenge the covenant, pestilence, and delivery into the hand of the enemy, so that prosperity cannot attend those who neglect it.
The verse forbids taking interest or added increase on what is lent to a poor brother, including the stranger and sojourner, and commands relieving him so he can continue to live alongside his people in dignity and security. It was spoken by Christ to Moses in the pillar of cloud, grounded in God bringing Israel out of Egypt to give them Canaan and to be their God, and it remains the rule for Christians today as the expression of loving God with all the heart and loving the neighbor as self. It reveals God as the householder and owner of the land with His people as tenants, who shows no partiality but tenderly regards all in want, executes justice for the fatherless and widow, loves and preserves the stranger, and Himself cares for the poor in the Sabbath year and in the fruitful sixth year. All oppression of the poor, including ruling over him with rigor, taking advantage of him in a tight place, pressing a claim severely, and cold indifference, is robbery and fraud that God marks and will not tolerate, so the command requires compassion to the suffering, confession of unjust gain, restitution, freely forgiving the debt, and decided immediate effort to set the falling brother on his feet where he can support himself. Wealthy believers must not take interest or increase from poor fellow believers in distress to add to abundant means, while taking interest from unbelievers is distinguished as permitted, and together with the seventh year release from debt the command still requires lending even when release is near, with generous obedience bringing prosperity, peace, protection, fruitfulness and God's presence and favor, and refusal bringing loss of blessing and judgment by sword, pestilence and the enemy.
Words and Setting
No interest and no added increase are to be taken from a brother who has become poor and fallen into decay, whether on money lent or on food lent for profit, and he is to be relieved so that he may go on living alongside his people in dignity and security. The prohibition covers the poor fellow Israelite in need and it covers the stranger and sojourner as well, requiring lending of money and food without interest rather than leaving the needy to fail. Wealthy believers are therefore barred from taking interest from poor fellow believers in distress to add to already abundant means, while lending to unbelievers is distinguished as permitted.
The command was spoken by Christ to Moses when enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, the same Teacher who later spoke the sermon on the mount, presenting on Mount Sinai the same principles taught on the mount of beatitudes. It is grounded in God bringing Israel out of Egypt to give them Canaan and to be their God. It was written for ancient Israel and it remains the rule for Christians today, a present duty for God's people to act on together.
God is the householder and owner of the land and His people are His tenants, so stinginess and selfishness are to be overcome by liberality and by not closing the heart with refusal when brethren in hard fields ask a favor. He tenderly regards all who are in want, shows no partiality, executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves and preserves the stranger, opposing selfishness, covetousness and oppression and requiring mercy shown in deeds. He Himself cares for the poor by giving free access to the spontaneous growth of the Sabbath year to the poor, the stranger, and the flocks and herds, and by causing the sixth year under His supervision to yield provision for three years, making the land productive with His blessing when they are obedient.
Love and Justice
The requirement is one with loving God with all heart and soul and loving neighbor as self, on which hang all the law and the prophets. What was presented on Mount Sinai is the same principles later taught on the mount of beatitudes in the sermon on the mount, for the Teacher is the same. The God revealed here regards no persons, executes judgment for the fatherless and widow, and loves and preserves the stranger.
Ruling over the poor with rigor is forbidden, and all oppression of the poor is forbidden. That includes taking advantage of a brother in business when he is seen to be in a tight place where he must have help, and charging him exorbitant interest, as well as swerving from truth, violating justice, and cold-hearted indifference that passes him by on the other side. The suffering and needy are to be helped, not oppressed, with each tenderly regardful of the interests of others, more considerate, merciful and helpful when the love of Christ is in the heart, for this reveals how tenderly the Lord regards all who are in want and reveals the Spirit and character of the Heavenly Father in His dealings with men. Taking advantage of the necessities of another proves conclusively lack of government by the principles of the gospel of Christ. Such oppression is nothing less than actual robbery and fraud and dishonesty, recorded in the books of heaven, which human courts punish only in extreme cases but God marks and will in no case tolerate, condemning injustice in every person and in every business. It keeps the blessing of the Lord out of the heart and gives the impress of the great adversary rather than that of the Spirit of God, so that to inherit the heavenly kingdom requires transformation by divine grace into purity of heart and life and symmetry of character. God tests what is in the heart by how His people treat a brother falling into decay.
Zacchaeus began to live out this teaching by showing compassion to the poor and suffering and giving half his goods to the poor. Its spirit still requires confession of unjust business, refusal of unjust gain, and restitution.
Living the Command Today
The duty belongs to the present and calls for joining together in practical missionary work, which is the gospel of the Old Testament and the duty of one to another, requiring decided and immediate effort with conscience firmly settled to relieve a brother fallen into decay and set him on his feet where he can support himself. This means not closing the heart and saying No when brethren in hard fields ask a favor, but overcoming stinginess and selfishness with liberality, and not passing by with cold-hearted indifference to leave him to fail, but lifting a fellow believer brought into tight places through giving to God's cause. The same care extends to providing for faithful ministers who can no longer work and for their dependents, meeting their needs rather than leaving them to face poverty. God tests what is in the heart by this treatment of a brother, whether brother, stranger, or sojourner, forbidding swerving from truth, violating justice, and passing by on the other side, since whatever dishonors Him cannot benefit.
In business dealings brother must not take advantage of brother, and must not charge exorbitant interest because he sees his brother in a close place where he must have help. A claim must not be pressed severely, but the debt is to be freely forgiven and the claim released, as one wants the Lord to forgive his own indebtedness. Taking advantage of another's necessity shows lack of government by the principles of the gospel, is recorded in heaven as fraud and dishonesty, keeps blessing out of the heart, and bears the impress of the adversary rather than the Spirit of God. Releasing the claim stops Satan from bringing the matter up to perplex and harass the mind.
Wealthy believers must not take usury or increase of money or food from a poor fellow believer grown poor and fallen into decay, relieving him from fear of God so that he may live alongside in dignity and security. To charge him in his distress in order to add to already abundant means is an avaricious spirit and desire for gain that displeases God and says in the heart, Am I my brother's keeper. Taking interest from unbelievers or strangers is distinguished as permitted.
The command applies at all times together with the seventh year of release from debt, when unpaid principal could not be recovered, yet sufficient for need must still be lent even when release is near, since withholding help is sin. Generous obedience and forgiving the claim bring prosperity and blessing and favor on work, peace in the land, protection from enemies and evil beasts, fruitfulness and increase, God's tabernacle and walk among His people, and His cooperation. Refusal forfeits blessing and favor, keeps blessing out of the heart, reflects back upon the doer, and brings the sword to avenge the covenant, pestilence, and delivery into the hand of the enemy, so that prosperity cannot attend those who neglect it.