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Deuteronomy 23:20

in Deuteronomy 23

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest, that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.

KJV

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 in Deuteronomy 23

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

By this it appears that usury is not in itself oppressive; for they must not oppress a stranger, and yet might exact usury from him. The performance of the vows wherewith we have bound our souls is here required; and it is a branch of the law of nature,

This site's exposition

Do not charge your brother interest on money

on Deuteronomy 23:19-23

Interest may be charged a foreigner and not a brother. Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:35-37 draw the same line.

This site's exposition

You may charge a foreigner interest

Wesley explains the line by the loan itself. An Israelite borrowed money or food to feed his house in a hard season. A foreigner in trade borrowed to enlarge his business and could share the gain.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury,....

The words behind it

19 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • לַנָּכְרִ֣יto the foreigner

    lanakheriH5237 →45 times

  • תַשִּׁ֔יךְyou will charge interest

    tashikhH5391 →16 times

  • וּלְאָחִ֖יךָand to countryman your

    uleachikhaH251 →630 times

  • לֹ֣אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תַשִּׁ֑יךְyou will charge interest

    tashikhH5391 →16 times

  • לְמַ֨עַןso that

    lemaanH4616 →272 times

  • יְבָרֶכְךָ֜he may bless you

    yevarekhaH1288 →330 times

  • יְהוָ֣הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָGod your

    ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times

  • בְּכֹל֙in every

    bekholH3605 →5413 times

  • מִשְׁלַ֣ח<the> undertaking of

    mishlachH4916 →10 times

  • יָדֶ֔ךָhand your

    yadekhaH3027 →1618 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הָאָ֕רֶץthe land

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־where

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • אַתָּ֥הyou

    ʾatahH859 →1094 times

  • בָא־[are] about to go

    va'-H935 →2568 times

  • שָׁ֖מָּהthere towards

    shamahH8033 →834 times

  • לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ סto take possession of it

    lerishtahH3423 →231 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    1 Corinthians 15:58

    Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

    it leads to

    • Galatians 6:9

      Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

    • 2 Chronicles 15:7

      But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”

    • Hebrews 6:10

      For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.

    • Philippians 2:16

      as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

    • 1 Corinthians 3:8

      He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

  • Through

    Luke 14:14

    and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 19:17

      Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.

    • Acts 24:15

      and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 15:10

    Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything…

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 22:9

      A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.

This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.