Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.
Parallel translations
- WEB Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you.
- KJV Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
- ESV Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.
- NKJV Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you.
- NASB Do not take any kind of interest from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may live with you.
- NLT Do not charge interest or make a profit at his expense. Instead, show your fear of God by letting him live with you as your relative.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israelites were not to charge a poor brother interest, but to fear God and let him live. Compassion was to outweigh profit.
Overview
God forbade taking interest or profit from a needy fellow Israelite, grounding the command in reverence for him. The aim was the brother's survival and restoration, not financial gain at his expense. This reflects God's heart for the vulnerable and the gospel call to generosity over greed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Exod 22:25If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
- Deut 23:19–20Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.
- Ezek 18:8He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men.
- Ezek 18:13He engages in usury and takes excess interest. Will this son live? He will not! Since he has committed all these abominations, he will surely die; his blood will be on his own head.
- Lev 25:17Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.
- Ezek 18:17He withholds his hand from harming the poor and takes no interest or usury. He keeps My ordinances and follows My statutes. Such a man will not die for his father’s iniquity. He will surely live.
- Neh 5:7–10and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
- Neh 5:15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
- Prov 28:8He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.
- Ps 15:5who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
- Ezek 22:12In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 25:36 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.