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

18You shall not bring the earnings of a prostitute or the money for a dog into the house of the Lord your God as payment for any vowed offering, because both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God. 19“You are not to charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned on interest. You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess. 21“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly require it of you, and it will be a sin for you. 22However, if you refrain from making vows, it will not be a sin for you.

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

• You may chargeנָשַׁךְnâshak · to pay interestH5391
• to a foreignerנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
• but to your countrymenאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• soמַ֫עַןma‛an · becauseH4616
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• may blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• you in allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• that you undertakeיָדyâd · hand: undertakeH3027
• that you undertakeמִשְׁלַחmishlôach mishlôach mishlâch · sendingH4916
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• you are about to enterבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 23:20

• Deuteronomy 14:21“You shall not eat anything which dies of itself. You may give it to the stranger who is in your town, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a stranger; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
• Deuteronomy 15:3From a foreigner you may require it, but your hand shall forgive whatever of yours is with your brother.
• Leviticus 19:33‘When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
• Deuteronomy 15:10You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work, and in all your undertakings.
• Proverbs 19:17One who is gracious to a poor person 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 of the land;
• Luke 14:14and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

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