Deuteronomy 23:20

You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the assembled Israelites on the plains of Moab, immediately before they cross the Jordan to possess the land. He delivers covenant statutes governing economic and religious conduct as the community prepares for settlement.

The words — תַשִּׁ֔יךְ (ta.Shikh) means "you will charge interest," repeated to mark the legal boundary between lending to a fellow Israelite and lending to a foreigner. לְמַ֨עַן (le.Ma.'an) translates as "so that," structuring the command around the conditional promise of divine blessing.

The thread — This lending distinction reappears in Deuteronomy 15:3, which permits collecting debts from outsiders while forgiving a brother’s debt. It also appears in Deuteronomy 14:21, which contrasts Israelites with a foreigner regarding the disposal of a carcass.

Why it lands — The text commands a specific boundary in financial transactions that preserves internal community welfare while permitting external commerce. It requires the reader to align economic practice with covenant identity and to recognize that obedience is tied to tangible provision in the land.

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

לַנָּכְרִ֣יla./na.khe.Rito the/ foreigner תַשִּׁ֔יךְta.Shikhyou will charge interest וּלְאָחִ֖יךָu./le./'a.Chi./khaand/ to/ countryman/ your לֹ֣אlo'not תַשִּׁ֑יךְta.Shikhyou will charge interest לְמַ֨עַןle.Ma.'anso that יְבָרֶכְךָ֜ye.va.rekh./Khahe may bless/ you יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your בְּכֹל֙be./Kholin/ every מִשְׁלַ֣חmish.Lach<the> undertaking of יָדֶ֔ךָya.De./khahand/ your עַל־'al-on הָאָ֕רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-where אַתָּ֥ה'a.Tahyou בָא־va'-[are] about to go שָׁ֖מָּהSha.ma/hthere/ towards לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ סle./rish.Ta/hto/ take possession of/ it

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 15:10 Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.
Deuteronomy 15:3 You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.
Deuteronomy 14:21 You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Luke 14:14 and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Deuteronomy 28:12 The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.
Proverbs 19:17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
Leviticus 19:33 When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.