Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 23:19
Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite community regarding laws of holiness and economic ethics. The verse sits between regulations on temple offerings and distinctions between Israelites and foreigners.
The words — The Hebrew verb תַשִּׁיךְ (ta.Shikh) means "you will charge interest," paired with the noun נֶשֶׁךְ (Ne.shekh) repeated three times to modify כֶּסֶף (Ke.sef, "money") and אֹכֶל ('O.khel, "food"). The construction explicitly forbids extracting profit from loans to a countryman.
The thread — The restriction against usury among covenant members appears in Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:35, while Psalm 15:5 lists lending without interest as a mark of righteous conduct. Deuteronomy 23:20 explicitly permits charging interest to foreigners while maintaining this restriction for brothers.
Why it lands — The text commands the cessation of profit-seeking from loans to fellow Israelites. Readers must distinguish between permissible commercial rates for outsiders and the covenantal prohibition against exploiting kin.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
Cross-references
- Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
- Leviticus 25:35 Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you.
- Psalms 15:5 who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
- Ezekiel 18:7 He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.
- Ezekiel 18:13 He engages in usury and takes excess interest. Will this son live? He will not! Since he has committed all these abominations, he will surely die; his blood will be on his own head.
- Ezekiel 18:16 He does not oppress another, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.
- Ezekiel 22:12 In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
- Luke 6:34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
- Nehemiah 5:1 About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.