Deuteronomy 23:20
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.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The distinction between lending practices toward covenant members and foreigners reflected ancient Near Eastern economic realities. International trade required credit instruments and interest-bearing loans. Merchants traveling between cities and nations operated in commercial contexts where interest was standard practice. Attempting to prohibit interest in these transactions would have isolated Israel from regional trade networks and economic cooperation necessary for obtaining goods unavailable locally.
Archaeological evidence from ancient trade centers reveals sophisticated credit systems facilitating commerce across the ancient Near East. Merchants from Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and Phoenicia engaged in extensive trade requiring loans, partnership agreements, and credit instruments. Israel's participation in this commercial system (evidenced by Solomon's extensive trade networks, 1 Kings 9:26-28, 10:14-29) necessitated operating within prevailing business practices when dealing with foreign merchants.
However, the law's intent was protecting vulnerable community members, not maximizing commercial profit. Historical abuse occurred when Israelites applied commercial lending principles to impoverished neighbors, charging interest that led to debt slavery. Nehemiah 5:1-13 describes this very problem, where wealthy Jews treated poor Jews as commercial debtors rather than covenant brothers. The solution wasn't prohibiting all interest but maintaining the distinction: covenant members received charitable assistance without interest, while commercial transactions with professional traders operated under different terms. This wisdom balanced community protection with economic participation in the broader ancient Near Eastern commercial world.
Questions for Reflection
- How should Christians navigate the tension between charitable assistance to believers and legitimate commercial lending in modern economies?
- What does the promise of blessing for interest-free lending teach about trusting God's provision over maximizing profit?
- How do New Testament principles of universal brotherhood affect application of this law's distinction between brothers and strangers?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
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.
This verse permits charging interest to foreigners while prohibiting it toward fellow Israelites, creating dual economic systems based on covenant relationship. The Hebrew nokri (נָכְרִי, 'stranger') denotes foreigners outside the covenant community, distinct from ger (resident aliens who lived among Israel and often adopted their customs). The permission to charge foreigners interest likely applied to commercial transactions with traveling merchants and foreign traders, not poor refugees seeking assistance.
This distinction wasn't ethnic favoritism but covenant recognition. Fellow Israelites shared a fundamental unity as God's people, obligating mutual aid without exploitation. Commercial relationships with foreign merchants, however, operated under different principles—these were professional traders engaged in profit-seeking ventures, not impoverished neighbors needing charitable assistance. The dual system protected community members from exploitation while allowing normal commercial activity with outside business partners who operated under different economic assumptions.
The blessing promised for obedience ('that the LORD thy God may bless thee') connected economic ethics with prosperity. God would provide for those who prioritized community welfare over maximum profit, trusting divine provision rather than extracting wealth from brothers' misfortune. This challenged ancient (and modern) assumptions that prosperity requires exploiting every opportunity for gain. Covenant economics trusted that generosity toward fellow believers yields divine blessing exceeding interest earnings. Christians extend this principle by treating all believers—regardless of ethnicity—as 'brothers,' practicing generous mutual aid within the global church while conducting normal business with unbelievers.