Exodus 22:25

_IF THOU LEND MONEY TO ANY OF MY PEOPLE THAT IS POOR BY THEE, THOU SHALT NOT BE TO HIM AS AN USURER, NEITHER SHALT THOU LAY UPON HIM USURY._ If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor. This law, by the terms of it, was confined to Israelites exclusively (see the note at Deuteronomy 23:20). Although the special blessing of God guaranteed riches and honour to the Israelites, on condition of their faithful adherence to the national covenant, so that few comparatively would be indigent among them, yet, even in the best and purest times of their history, there were some poor in the land for the exercise of their faith and charity (Deuteronomy 15:4; Deuteronomy 15:7;...

25._If thou lend money to any of my people _Humanity ought to be very greatly regarded in the matter of loans, especially when a person, being reduced to extremities, implores a rich man’s compassion; for this is, in. point of fact, the genuine trial of our charity, when, in accordance with Christ’s precept, we lend to those of whom we expect no return. (Luke 6:35.) The question here is not as to usury, as some have falsely thought, (111) as if he commanded us to lend gratuitously, and without any hope of gain; but, since in lending, private advantage is most generally sought, and therefore we neglect the poor; and only lend our money to the rich, from whom we expect some compensation, Christ reminds us that, if we seek to acquire the favor of the rich, we afford in this way no proof of our charity or mercy; and hence lie proposes another sort of lib

Verse Exodus 22:25. _NEITHER SHALT THOU LAY UPON HIM USURY._] נשך _neshech_, from _nashach_, to _bite, cut_, or _pierce_ with the _teeth; biting usury_. So the Latins call it _usura vorax,_ _devouring usury_. "The increase of usury is called נשך _neshech_, because it resembles the biting of a serpent; for as this is so small as scarcely to be perceptible at first, but the venom soon spreads and diffuses itself till it reaches the vitals, so the _increase of usury_, which at first is not perceived nor felt, at length grows so much as by degrees to devour another's substance." - _Leigh_. It is evident that what is here said must be understood of accumulated usury, or what we call _compound interest_ only; and accordingly נשך _neshech_ is mentioned with and distinguished from תרביה _tarbith_ and מרביה mar

See the notes at Leviticus 25:35; compare Deuteronomy 23:19....

EXPOSITION II. LAWS CONNECTED WITH RIGHTS OF PROPERTY (verses 33-36). From the consideration of injuries to the person, the legislator proceeds to treat of injuries to property, and, as he has been speaking of cattle under the one head, places cattle in the fore-front of the other. In this chapter two enactments only are made—one providing compensation in the case of a man' s cattle being killed by falling into the pit, or well, of a neighbour (verses 33, 34); and the other making provision for the case of one man' s cattle killing the cattle of another (verses 35, 36) EXODUS 21:33 IF A MAN SHALL OPEN A PIT. Rather, "If a man shall uncover a cistern." Cisterns, very necessary in Palestine, were usually closed by a

IF THOU LEND MONEY TO ANY OF MY PEOPLE THAT IS POOR BY THEE, c,] Such only need to borrow money, and to whom it should be freely lent, when it may be to the good of the borrower, and not any injury to the lender: this law, according to the Jewish writers, only respects Israelites, and not Gentiles agreeably to which is Jarchi's note, "if thou lend, that is, not to a Gentile; and to which of my people? the poor, and to which of the poor? that is with thee:'' THOU SHALT NOT BE TO HIM AS AN USURER; that will not lend without usury, nor without an exorbitant interest, and deals very hardly with the borrower if he is not punctual in the payment of it; the Israelites were not only not to be usurers, but they were not to be like them; they were not to require anything for lending a poor man a little money; as not any settled interest, so neither were they to take any previous gift or reward l...

CHAPTER 22 FURTHER JUDGMENTS _ 1. Concerning theft (Exodus 22:1)_ 2. Concerning neglect in case of fire (Exodus 22:6) 3. Concerning dishonesty (Exodus 22:7) 4. Concerning immoralities and forbidden things (Exodus 22:16) 5. Concerning oppression (Exodus 22:21) 6. Concerning offerings to God (Exodus 22:29) These laws need no further comment; they are good and just. The wisdom of them is the wisdom from above. We call atte

EXODUS 22:18 E. VARIOUS ORDINANCES. From this point up to Exodus 23:9 we have to do with miscellaneous laws, differing in the main both in form and substance from the Judgments, and therefore here regarded as belonging to the Book of the Covenant. But they may have come independently of either code. The death penalty for a sorceress (Exodus 22:18) sounds unduly severe, and this law may be taken as a classical instance of the progressive nature of revelation. Conditions change, and conscience gains light: hence Hebrew laws must not, it is at last perceived, bind Christian men, unless ratified afresh by the conscience. For lack of this perception witches were executed up to...

Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33 _The Book of the Covenant_ The -Book of the Covenant" (see Exodus 24:7 in explanation of the name) is the oldest piece of Hebrew legislation that we possess. The laws contained in it are spoken of in Exodus 24:3 as consisting of two elements, the WORDS (or commands) and the JUDGEMENTS: the JUDGEMENTS (see on Exodus 21:1) are the provisions relating to civil and criminal law, prescribing what is to be done when particular cases arise, and comprised in...

THOU SHALT NOT BE TO HIM AS AN USURER— The Hebrew word נשׁךֶ _neshek,_ signifies _biting usury,_ says Parkhurst: so the Latins call it _usura vorax:_ to this purpose some Hebrew. critics observe, that "the _increase of usury_ is called נשׁךֶ _neshek,_ because it resembles _the bite of a serpent;_ for, as this is so small as scarcely to be perceptible at first, but the venom soon spreads and diffuses itself, till it reaches the vitals; so the _increase of usury,_ which, at first, is not perceived or felt, at length grows so much, as by degrees to devour another's substance." It is evident, that what is here said must be understood of _accumulated usury,_ or what we call _compound interest,_ only. This is an offence, which almost all nations and people have agreed to condemn: indeed, the word _usurer_ is commonly understood with us in a bad sense, for an exactor of illegal and exorbitant i...