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. You may charge a foreigner interestIn the Hebrew text, the word for "foreigner" is "נָכְרִי" (nokri), which refers to someone who is not part of the Israelite community. This distinction highlights the covenantal relationship between the Israelites and God, emphasizing a sense of community and brotherhood among the Israelites. Charging interest to foreigners was permissible, reflecting the economic practices of the ancient Near East, where lending to outsiders was a common practice. This allowance underscores the importance of maintaining economic stability and fairness within the covenant community while engaging in typical business practices with those outside it. but you must not charge your brother interest
The term "brother" here is "אָח" (ach) in Hebrew, which extends beyond biological relationships to include fellow Israelites. This prohibition against charging interest, or "usury," to a fellow Israelite is rooted in the concept of mutual care and support within the covenant community. It reflects God's desire for His people to live in a way that promotes equality and prevents exploitation. This commandment is a call to practice generosity and compassion, ensuring that no member of the community is burdened by debt, which could lead to poverty or servitude. so that the LORD your God may bless you
The phrase "the LORD your God" is a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and Israel. The Hebrew word for "bless" is "בָּרַךְ" (barak), which implies divine favor and prosperity. This promise of blessing is contingent upon obedience to God's commandments, illustrating the principle that God's laws are designed for the well-being and flourishing of His people. The blessings are not merely material but encompass spiritual and communal prosperity, reinforcing the idea that living according to God's statutes brings about holistic well-being. in everything to which you put your hand
This phrase signifies the comprehensive nature of God's blessing, covering all aspects of life and work. The imagery of "putting your hand" to something suggests active engagement and effort. It implies that when the Israelites align their actions with God's will, their endeavors will be fruitful. This assurance encourages diligence and faithfulness, trusting that God will honor their obedience with success and provision. in the land you are entering to possess
The "land" refers to Canaan, the Promised Land, which God pledged to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The phrase "entering to possess" indicates the transition from wandering in the wilderness to settling in a land of their own. This promise is both a physical and spiritual inheritance, symbolizing rest, security, and fulfillment of God's promises. The land is a gift from God, and the Israelites' conduct within it is to reflect their gratitude and commitment to His covenant. This context underscores the importance of living according to God's laws as a testimony to His faithfulness and as a means of maintaining the blessings of the land. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsraelitesThe primary audience of Deuteronomy, the Israelites are God's chosen people, receiving laws and instructions as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. 2. ForeignersNon-Israelites living among or interacting with the Israelites. They are subject to different regulations compared to the Israelites themselves. 3. Promised LandThe land of Canaan, which God promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Israelites are on the verge of entering and possessing this land. 4. MosesThe leader and prophet who delivers God's laws and instructions to the Israelites in Deuteronomy. 5. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who provides laws and promises blessings for obedience. Teaching Points Principle of BrotherhoodThe command to not charge interest to a fellow Israelite underscores the importance of treating fellow believers as family, fostering a community of support and care. Economic JusticeThis law promotes fairness and prevents exploitation within the community, ensuring that those in need are not further burdened by debt. Blessings of ObedienceThe promise of God's blessing for obedience serves as a reminder that following God's commands leads to prosperity and success in the land. Distinction in RelationshipsThe allowance to charge interest to foreigners highlights the different expectations and relationships between the covenant community and outsiders. Generosity and Trust in GodBy not charging interest, Israelites are encouraged to trust in God's provision and blessings rather than relying on financial gain from their brethren. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the principle of not charging interest to fellow believers apply to our financial dealings today? 2. In what ways can we foster a sense of community and support within our church or Christian community, similar to the brotherhood among the Israelites? 3. How does the concept of economic justice in Deuteronomy 23:20 challenge our current societal norms and practices? 4. What are some practical ways we can demonstrate generosity and trust in God in our financial decisions? 5. How can we balance the distinction between relationships within the Christian community and those outside, as seen in the allowance to charge interest to foreigners? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 22:25This verse also addresses the prohibition of charging interest to fellow Israelites, emphasizing the importance of compassion and community support. Leviticus 25:35-37These verses expand on the theme of supporting fellow Israelites in need without charging interest, highlighting the principle of brotherly love and care. Matthew 5:42Jesus' teaching on giving to those who ask and not turning away from those who want to borrow, reflecting the spirit of generosity and compassion. People Aram, Balaam, Beor, MosesPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Mesopotamia, PethorTopics Bless, Blessing, Brother, Business, Charge, Countrymen, Enter, Entering, Foreigner, Forth, Goest, Heritage, Interest, Israelite, Lend, Mayest, Nations, Possess, Possession, Puttest, Putting, Settest, Stranger, Undertake, Usury, WhitherDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 23:19-20 5274 credit Library Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
1. The Traditional Law. - The brief account given in vol. i. p. 100, of the character and authority claimed for the traditional law may here be supplemented by a chronological arrangement of the Halakhoth in the order of their supposed introduction or promulgation. In the first class, or Halakhoth of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371] ritual, including questions about clean and unclean,' twenty-three; [6372] concerning …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the MessiahThat the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful.
That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful. If there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the exceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that party, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present public resolutions and proceedings do import an association and conjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear premises. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Here Then Shall These Persons in their Turn be in Another More Sublime Degree...
28. Here then shall these persons in their turn be in another more sublime degree of righteousness outdone, by them who shall so order themselves, that every day they shall betake them into the fields as unto pasture, and at what time they shall find it, pick up their meal, and having allayed their hunger, return. But plainly, on account of the keepers of the fields, how good were it, if the Lord should deign to bestow wings also, that the servants of God being found in other men's fields should …
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks. Lessons for Worship and for Work
'Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. 3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Introductory Note to the Works of Origen.
[a.d. 185-230-254.] The reader will remember the rise and rapid development of the great Alexandrian school, and the predominance which was imparted to it by the genius of the illustrious Clement. [1865] But in Origen, his pupil, who succeeded him at the surprising age of eighteen, a new sun was to rise upon its noontide. Truly was Alexandria "the mother and mistress of churches" in the benign sense of a nurse and instructress of Christendom, not its arrogant and usurping imperatrix. The full details …
Origen—Origen De Principiis Excursus on Usury.
The famous canonist Van Espen defines usury thus: "Usura definitur lucrum ex mutuo exactum aut speratum;" [96] and then goes on to defend the proposition that, "Usury is forbidden by natural, by divine, and by human law. The first is proved thus. Natural law, as far as its first principles are concerned, is contained in the decalogue; but usury is prohibited in the decalogue, inasmuch as theft is prohibited; and this is the opinion of the Master of the Sentences, of St. Bonaventura, of St. Thomas …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils Jesus Defends Disciples who Pluck Grain on the Sabbath.
(Probably While on the Way from Jerusalem to Galilee.) ^A Matt. XII. 1-8; ^B Mark II. 23-28; ^C Luke VI. 1-5. ^b 23 And ^c 1 Now it came to pass ^a 1 At that season ^b that he ^a Jesus went { ^b was going} on the { ^c a} ^b sabbath day through the grainfields; ^a and his disciples were hungry and began ^b as they went, to pluck the ears. ^a and to eat, ^c and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. [This lesson fits in chronological order with the last, if the Bethesda …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel That it is not Lawful for the Well Affected Subjects to Concur in Such an Engagement in War, and Associate with the Malignant Party.
That It Is Not Lawful For The Well Affected Subjects To Concur In Such An Engagement In War, And Associate With The Malignant Party. Some convinced of the unlawfulness of the public resolutions and proceedings, in reference to the employing of the malignant party, yet do not find such clearness and satisfaction in their own consciences as to forbid the subjects to concur in this war, and associate with the army so constituted. Therefore it is needful to speak something to this point, That it is …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Canaan
Canaan was the inheritance which the Israelites won for themselves by the sword. Their ancestors had already settled in it in patriarchal days. Abraham "the Hebrew" from Babylonia had bought in it a burying-place near Hebron; Jacob had purchased a field near Shechem, where he could water his flocks from his own spring. It was the "Promised Land" to which the serfs of the Pharaoh in Goshen looked forward when they should again become free men and find a new home for themselves. Canaan had ever been …
Archibald Sayce—Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations Brief Directions How to Read the Holy Scriptures once Every Year Over, with Ease, Profit, and Reverence.
But forasmuch, that as faith is the soul, so reading and meditating on the word of God, are the parent's of prayer, therefore, before thou prayest in the morning, first read a chapter in the word of God; then meditate awhile with thyself, how many excellent things thou canst remember out of it. As--First, what good counsels or exhortations to good works and to holy life. Secondly, what threatenings of judgments against such and such a sin; and what fearful examples of God's punishment or vengeance …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and Ungodly Men.
Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly Men. When the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a controversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be thrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15. They partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all shares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and partakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king, …
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South The Tenth Commandment
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.' Exod 20: 17. THIS commandment forbids covetousness in general, Thou shalt not covet;' and in particular, Thy neighbour's house, thy neighbour's wife, &c. I. It forbids covetousness in general. Thou shalt not covet.' It is lawful to use the world, yea, and to desire so much of it as may keep us from the temptation …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 23:20 NIVDeuteronomy 23:20 NLTDeuteronomy 23:20 ESVDeuteronomy 23:20 NASBDeuteronomy 23:20 KJV
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