Ezekiel 18:8
in Ezekiel 18He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between man and man,
KJV
He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
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This verse in Ezekiel 18
Commentary
8 notes on this verse10. Hath not given forth upon usury - בנשך לא יתן beneshech lo yitten. נשך nasach signifies to bite; usury is properly so termed, because it bites into and devours the principal. Usury signifies, with us, exacting unlawful interest for money; and taking the advantage of a man’s necessities to advance him cash on exorbitant profit. This bites the receiver in his property, and the lender in his salvation.
This site's exposition
But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
on Ezekiel 18:5-9
The just man is described by a list of concrete acts rather than abstract virtue, no idols, no adultery, restoring the debtor's pledge, feeding the hungry, refusing usury, walking in God's statutes, and the verdict follows plainly, he is just, he shall surely live. Henry notes the list draws directly on the law's own social ethics, so that righteousness here is never merely ritual but reaches into ordinary dealings between neighbors. Wesley reads the specificity as deliberate, giving the exiles a concrete standard rather than a vague appeal to character.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 5, 6 and following) And if a man is just and does judgment and justice, does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not violate his neighbor's wife, does not approach a menstruating woman, does not oppress anyone, gives back a pledge to a debtor, does not commit robbery, gives his bread to the hungry, covers the naked with clothing, does not lend at interest or take any increase, turns his hand away from iniquity, does justice between man and man, walks in my statutes, and keeps my judgments, to do truth: this man is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord God.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), though, being done by contract, it may seem free from injustice ( Volenti non fit injuria--What is done to a person with his own consent is no injury to him ), yet, as far as it is forbidden by the law, he dares not do it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
This is his character towards his neighbours; yet it will not suffice that he be just and true to his brother, to complete his character he must be so to his God likewise (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He that hath not given forth upon usury,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
usury--literally, "biting." The law forbade the Jew to take interest from brethren but permitted him to do so from a foreigner (Ex 22:25; The letter of the law was restricted to the Jewish polity, and is not binding now; and indeed the principle of taking interest was even then sanctioned, by its being allowed in the case of a foreigner.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Usury - is the profit exacted for the loan of money, “increase” that which is taken for goods; both are forbidden Lev 25:36; Deu 23:19. The placing out of capital at interest for commercial purposes is not taken into consideration. The case is that of money lent to a brother in distress.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּנֶּ֣שֶׁךְ | baneshekh | for <the> interest | H5392 → | 12 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתֵּ֗ן | yiten | he lent | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| וְתַרְבִּית֙ | vetarbit | and interest | H8636 → | 6 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִקָּ֔ח | yikach | he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מֵעָ֖וֶל | meavel | from injustice | H5766 → | 54 times |
| יָשִׁ֣יב | yashiv | he turned away | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| יָד֑וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מִשְׁפַּ֤ט | mishpat | justice of | H4941 → | 422 times |
| אֱמֶת֙ | ʾemet | faithfulness | H571 → | |
| יַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה | yaaseh | he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בֵּ֥ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְאִֽישׁ׃ | leish | and a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
בַּנֶּ֣שֶׁךְfor <the> interest
baneshekhH5392 →12 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִתֵּ֗ןhe lent
yitenH5414 →2011 times
וְתַרְבִּית֙and interest
vetarbitH8636 →6 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִקָּ֔חhe took
yikachH3947 →966 times
מֵעָ֖וֶלfrom injustice
meavelH5766 →54 times
יָשִׁ֣יבhe turned away
yashivH7725 →1056 times
יָד֑וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
מִשְׁפַּ֤טjustice of
mishpatH4941 →422 times
אֱמֶת֙faithfulness
ʾemetH571 →
יַֽעֲשֶׂ֔הhe did
yaasehH6213 →2628 times
בֵּ֥יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
אִ֖ישׁa person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לְאִֽישׁ׃and a person
leishH376 →1663 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Psalms 15:5who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 23:19–20
Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 22:25
If 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.
- Deuteronomy 16:19
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
- Ezekiel 22:12
In 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.
- Deuteronomy 23:19–20
Through
Zechariah 8:16These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
- Zechariah 7:9
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another.
- Ephesians 4:25
Through
Exodus 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.
it leads to
- Leviticus 25:35–37
Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you.
- Psalms 15:5
who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
- Leviticus 25:35–37
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; 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.