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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)You may charge interest to foreigners, but you may not charge interest to Israelites, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Context of Deuteronomy 23:20

18You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both. 19Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. 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. 21If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22But if you refrain from making a vow, you will 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 14:21Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to any other foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
• Deuteronomy 15:3You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you.
• Leviticus 19:33“ ‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.
• Deuteronomy 15:10Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
• Proverbs 19:17Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
• Isaiah 1:19If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land;
• Luke 14:14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

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