If you lend money to any of my people that is poor by you, you shall not be to him as an usurer, neither shall you lay on him usury.
Leviticus 25:35-37 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee…
Deuteronomy 23:19,20 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: …
2 Kings 4:1,7 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen…
you must not act as a creditor to him
In ancient times, creditors had significant power over debtors, often leading to exploitation. This command restricts the lender's power, ensuring that the relationship remains one of compassion rather than oppression. The term "creditor" implies a formal, business-like transaction, which is not the intended relationship among God's people. This reflects God's character, who is merciful and just, and calls His people to emulate these attributes.
you are not to charge him interest
Charging interest, or usury, was prohibited in lending to fellow Israelites, as it could lead to further impoverishment of the poor. This law aimed to prevent the rich from exploiting the poor, promoting economic equality and community solidarity. The prohibition of interest is also seen in Leviticus 25:35-37 and Deuteronomy 23:19-20, reinforcing its importance. This principle can be seen as a type of Christ's sacrificial love, where He gives freely without expecting repayment, embodying grace and mercy.
“ If you lend money …” (Exodus 22:25a)
• The verse opens by assuming that lending will happen. God is not prohibiting loans; He’s guiding the heart behind them.
• Throughout Scripture, lending to meet a need is treated as a gracious act—see Deuteronomy 15:7–8 where the Lord commands Israel to “open your hand” to a needy brother, and Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:42, “Give to the one who asks you.”
• We are stewards, not owners. Psalm 24:1 reminds us “The earth is the LORD’s,” so lending is simply redistributing what already belongs to Him.
“… to one of My people among you …” (22:25a)
• The phrase roots this command inside covenant community life. The Lord expects family-level compassion.
• Galatians 6:10 echoes the same priority: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.”
• Acts 2:44–45 and Acts 4:34–35 show the early church taking this seriously, selling property so “there was no needy person among them.”
“… who is poor …” (22:25a)
• Poverty is not a moral failure but a situational reality God cares about deeply (Proverbs 14:31; James 2:5).
• Deuteronomy 15:11 acknowledges, “There will never cease to be poor people in the land,” yet the command is to keep hearts tender and hands open.
• Jesus reaffirmed this ongoing need in Mark 14:7, “You will always have the poor with you,” underscoring continual responsibility.
“… you must not act as a creditor to him …” (22:25b)
• The Lord forbids turning a benevolent loan into a business transaction packed with pressure.
• Deuteronomy 24:10–11 instructs lenders not to barge into a borrower’s house to seize collateral, protecting dignity.
• Nehemiah 5:7 records Nehemiah rebuking nobles for exacting interest and seizing fields, illustrating how “acting as a creditor” destroys community.
• Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:28 portrays the hardness of a servant who grabbed his fellow servant by the throat over a debt—precisely the attitude condemned here.
“… you are not to charge him interest.” (22:25b)
• Interest on a survival loan exploits weakness. Leviticus 25:35–37 repeats this ban, calling interest “usury.”
• Deuteronomy 23:19–20 makes a distinction: interest from foreigners could be permitted, but never from a brother in need.
• Psalm 15:5 describes the righteous person as one “who does not lend his money at interest,” highlighting this as a hallmark of integrity.
• Ezekiel 18:8, 13 lists interest-taking among sins that bring judgment, showing God’s ongoing concern.
• Jesus broadens the heart behind the command in Luke 6:34–35—“lend, expecting nothing in return… and your reward will be great.”
Exodus 22:25 calls God’s people to compassionate lending that protects the vulnerable. Loans inside the covenant family are meant to lift, not burden; therefore, no predatory stance, no squeezing for profit, and absolutely no interest is allowed. The verse reminds us that possessions are God-given tools for mercy, and withholding mercy misrepresents His generous heart.
(25-27) The Mosaic law of borrowing and lending was strange and peculiar. It was absolutely forbidden to exact any interest from those borrowers who were Israelites. The wording of the present passage, and of some others (Leviticus 25:35; Deuteronomy 15:7), construed strictly, prohibits interest only on loans to the poor; but, as in a primitive state of society only the poor wish to borrow, the qualifying expression lost its force, and to exact any interest of any Israelite was regarded as wrong. (See Psalm 15:5; Proverbs 28:8; Nehemiah 5:7; Nehemiah 5:11; Ezekiel 18:13; Ezekiel 22:12.) And some prohibitions, as Deuteronomy 23:19, were expressed in the most general terms. On the other hand, the lending of money upon interest to foreigners was distinctly allowed (Deuteronomy 23:20), and no limit placed upon the amount of interest that might be taken. . . . Verses 25-27. - The law of lending money and borrowing. It is peculiar to the Jewish law to forbid the lending of money at interest by citizen to citizen. In the present passage, and in some others (Leviticus 25:35; Deuteronomy 15:7), it might seem that interest was only forbidden in the case of a loan to one who was poor; but the general execration of usury (Job 24:9; Proverbs 28:8; Ezekiel 18:13; Ezekiel 22:12), and the description of the righteous man as "he that hath not given his money upon usury" (Psalm 15:5; Ezekiel 18:8), seem rather to imply that the practice, so far as Israelites were concerned, was forbidden altogether. On the other hand, it was distinctly declared (Deuteronomy 23:20) that interest might be taken from strangers. There does not seem to have been any rate of interest which was regarded as excessive, and "usurious," in the modern sense. In Scripture usury means simply interest.