Bible Strands
Leviticus 25:37
You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses the Israelites through Moses during the wilderness period, establishing economic regulations for the covenant community. This command functions within the broader land-restoration legislation that governs debt and sustenance.
The words — The terms נֶשֶׁךְ (neshekh) and מַרְבִּית (marbit) literally translate to "interest" and "profit." They specify the exact financial gains forbidden in transactions with a fellow Israelite.
The thread — Leviticus 25:37 restates the prohibition of Leviticus 25:36 while specifying silver loans and food sales as the prohibited transactions. It threads through the Torah’s economic ethics by prioritizing communal survival over individual accumulation.
Why it lands — The text commands the cessation of exploitative lending and food sales that burden a countryman. It requires readers to treat economic exchanges as matters of covenantal responsibility rather than opportunities for financial gain.
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 give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.