Deuteronomy 23:20

Deuteronomy 23:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess.

Context of Deuteronomy 23:20

18Never bring gifts or money earned by prostitution into the house of the Lord your God as an offering you vowed to give. These earnings are disgusting to the Lord your God. 19Never charge another Israelite any interest on money, food, or anything else that is borrowed. You may charge a foreigner interest, but not an Israelite. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do once you’ve entered the land and taken possession of it. 21If you make a vow to the Lord your God, don’t avoid keeping it. The Lord your God expects you to keep it. You would be guilty of a sin if you didn’t. 22If you didn’t make a vow, you would not be guilty.

Deuteronomy 23:20 word by word

לַנָּכְרִ֣י תַשִּׁ֔יךְ וּלְאָחִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תַשִּׁ֑יךְ לְמַ֨עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֜ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ בְּכֹל֙ מִשְׁלַ֣ח יָדֶ֔ךָ עַל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Unto a strangerנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
• thou mayest lend upon usuryנָשַׁךְnâshak · to biteH5391
• but unto thy brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• that the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• may blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• thee in all that thou settestמִשְׁלַחmishlôach mishlôach mishlâch · sendingH4916
• thine handיָדyâd · hand: undertakeH3027
• to in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• whither thou goestבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 23:20

• Deuteronomy 14:21Never eat any creature that dies naturally. You may give it to the foreigners who live in your cities, and they may eat it. You may also sell it to foreigners who are visiting. But you are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
• Deuteronomy 15:3You may demand that a foreigner pay, but don’t collect payment on the debt another Israelite still owes you.
• Leviticus 19:33“Never mistreat a foreigner living in your land.
• Deuteronomy 15:10Be sure to give to them without any hesitation. When you do this, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you work for and set out to do.
• Proverbs 19:17Whoever has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his good deed.
• Isaiah 1:19If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.
• Luke 14:14Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:58So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation ⌞of your faith⌟. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 23:20

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-25Verses 15-25 It is honourable to shelter and protect the weak, provided they are not wicked. Proselytes and converts to the truth, should be treated with particular tenderness, that they may have no temptation to return to the world. We cannot honour God with our substance, unless it be honestly and honourably come by. It must not only be considered what we give, but how we got it. Where the borrower gets, or hopes to get, it is just that the lender…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20The word translated as interest is related to a noun meaning "bite." Charging interest was like "biting" the debtor. See also Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36–37; Nehemiah 5:1–13; Psalm 15:5.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2019-20. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother ... Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury--The Israelites lived in a simple state of society, and hence they were encouraged to lend to each other in a friendly way without any hope of gain. But the case was different with foreigners, who, engaged in trade and commerce, borrowed to enlarge their capital, and might reasonably be expected to pay interest on their loans. Besides, the distinction was…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 23:20

• Aliens
• Creditor
• Interest
• Lending
• Strangers
• Usury

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Custom
• Loan
• Paddle
• Sickle
• Slack
• Stranger
• Usury
• Atonement, Day of

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings