God’s Word Translation
Exodus 22:25
25“If you lend money to my people—to any poor person among you—never act like a moneylender. Charge no interest.
Exodus 22:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest.
Context of Exodus 22:25
23If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry. 24I will become angry and have you killed in combat. Then your wives and children will become widows and orphans. “If you lend money to my people—to any poor person among you—never act like a moneylender. Charge no interest. 26If you take any of your neighbor’s clothes as collateral, give it back to him by sunset. 27It may be the only clothes he has to cover his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will listen because I am compassionate.
Read all of Exodus 22Exodus 22:25 word by word
אִם־כֶּ֣סֶף׀ תַּלְוֶ֣ה אֶת־עַמִּ֗י אֶת־הֶֽעָנִי֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ה ל֖וֹ כְּנֹשֶׁ֑ה לֹֽא־תְשִׂימ֥וּן עָלָ֖יו נֶֽשֶׁךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If thou lendלָוָהlâvâh · to borrowH3867
- moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- poorעָנִי‛ânîy · afflictedH6041
- by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurerנָשָׁהnâshâh · to lendH5383
- neither shalt thou layשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: takeH7760
- upon him usuryנֶ֫שֶׁךְneshek · interestH5392
Cross-references for Exodus 22:25
- Leviticus 25:35“If an Israelite becomes poor and cannot support himself, help him. He must live with you as a stranger without a permanent home.
- Deuteronomy 23:19Never charge another Israelite any interest on money, food, or anything else that is borrowed.
- 2 Kings 4:1One of the wives of a disciple of the prophets called to Elisha, “Sir, my husband is dead! You know how he feared the Lord. Now a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.”
- Nehemiah 5:2Some of them said, “We have large families! We need some grain ⌞if we are going⌟ to eat and stay alive.”
- Psalms 15:5The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
- Proverbs 28:8Whoever becomes wealthy through ⌞unfair⌟ loans and interest collects them for the one who is kind to the poor.
- Jeremiah 15:10I’m so miserable! Why did my mother give birth to me? I am a man who argues and quarrels with the whole earth. I have never lent or borrowed anything. Yet, everyone curses me.
- Ezekiel 18:8He doesn’t lend money for interest or make an excessive profit. He refuses to do evil things, and he judges everyone fairly.
- Matthew 25:27then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest.
- Luke 19:23Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’
Commentaries on Exodus 22:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25Neither shalt thou lay upon him usury - נשך neshech, from nashach, to bite, cut, or pierce with the teeth; biting usury. So the Latins call it usura vorax, devouring usury. "The increase of usury is called נשך neshech, because it resembles the biting of a serpent; for as this is so small as scarcely to be perceptible at first, but the venom soon spreads and diffuses itself till it reaches the vitals, so the increase of usury, which at first is not…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25See the notes at Leviticus 25:35-43; compare Deuteronomy 23:19.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-27Although interest could not be charged on a loan to another Israelite, collateral (or security) could be required. However, even the security had to be handled in a humane way. The requirements of the covenant reflected the character of God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311-4. If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep--The law respects the theft of cattle which constituted the chief part of their property. The penalty for the theft of a sheep which was slain or sold, was fourfold; for an ox fivefold, because of its greater utility in labor; but, should the stolen animal have been recovered alive, a double compensation was all that was required, because it was presumable he (the thief) was not a practised adept in dishonesty…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 22:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 22
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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