Leviticus 25:36

_AND IF THY BROTHER BE WAXEN POOR, AND FALLEN IN DECAY WITH THEE; THEN THOU SHALT RELIEVE HIM: YEA, THOUGH HE BE A STRANGER, OR A SOJOURNER; THAT HE MAY LIVE WITH THEE._ If thy brother be waxen poor ... relieve him. This was a most benevolent provision for the poor and unfortunate, designed to aid them or alleviate the evils of their condition. Whether a native Israelite or a mere sojourner, his richer neighbour was required to give him food, lodging, and a supply of money without usury. The latter was severely condemned (Psalms 15:5; Ezekiel 18:8; Ezekiel 18:17); but the prohibition cannot be considered as applicable to the modern practice of men in business borrowing and lending at legal rates of interes

35-38 Poverty and decay are great grievances, and very common; the poor ye have always with you. Thou shalt relieve him; by sympathy, pitying the poor; by service, doing for them; and by supply, giving to them according to their necessity, and thine ability. Poor debtors must not be oppressed. Observe the arguments here used against extortion: "Fear thy God." Relieve the poor, "that they may live with thee;" for they may be serviceable to thee. The rich can as ill spare the poor, as the poor can the rich. It becomes those that have received mercy to show mercy....

Verse 36. _TAKE THOU NO USURY OF HIM_] Usury, at present, signifies unlawful interest for money. Properly, it means the _reward_ or _compensation_ given for the use of a thing, but is principally spoken of _money_. For the definition of the original term, Exodus 22:25, Exodus 22:25....

EXPOSITION The subject of the sacred seasons is taken up again in this chapter, after the parenthetical insertion of Leviticus 24:1. There remain the septennial festive season and that of the half-century—the sabbatical year and the jubilee. The sabbatical year was instituted not for any supposed physical benefit accruing from it to the land, but, first, as serving for a link between the sabbath and the jubilee by means of the sacred number seven—the sabbatical year being the seventh year, and the jubilee being the year following the seven-times-seventh year; and secondly, and chiefly, as enforcing the lesson of the weekly sabbath in a manner that could not be overlooked, and symbolically, teaching the universal application of the sabbatical law, even where physical needs were not concerned, and in that way suggesting the expectation of a rest to be hereafter attain

TAKE THOU NO USURY OF HIM, OR INCREASE,.... Not only give him somewhat for his present relief, but lend him money to put him in a way of business, to get his living for the future, without requiring any interest for it; Exodus 22:25; BUT FEAR THY GOD; who has given this command, and expects to be obeyed; and who is good, and does good, and should be feared for his goodness' sake; and is omniscient, and knows what is secretly exacted, and will not suffer any exorbitance of this kind to pass unpunished: THAT THY BROTHER MAY LIVE WITH THEE; which it would be still more difficult for him to do, should usury and increase be taken of him....

FEAR (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 19:9). _...

4. THE SABBATIC YEAR AND THE YEAR OF JUBILEE CHAPTER 25 _ 1. The Sabbatic year (Leviticus 25:1)_ 2. The jubilee (Leviticus 25:8) 3. The jubilee and the land (Leviticus 25:13) 4. The jubilee and the dwelling houses (Leviticus 25:29) 5. The jubilee, the poor and the bondmen (Leviticus 25:35) This is the great restoration chapter in Leviticus. All is connected preeminently with Israel's land. The application, which has been made, that this chapter foreshadows a universal res

THE YEAR OF JUBILE. This law contains two large provisions, the return of estates to their original owners, and the liberation of Hebrew slaves, both in the fiftieth year. It also contains a section which refers to the sabbatical year (Leviticus 25:17) and a law against the exploitation of poor Israelites (Leviticus 25:35). Of these the second at least (as perhaps the first) belongs to H. With the law of Jubile the case is different (see p. 102). A right of redemption certainly did exist (_cf._ Ruth 3 and Jeremiah 32:7, and the reference to the year of liberty, Ezekiel 46:17); but where we should have expected a re

USURY (Hebrew. _nashak),_ is. charge on _money._ INCREASE (Hebrew. _tarbith_ or _marbith)_ is. charge on _goods._ See notes on Leviticus 25:7 with Leviticus 26:4. These were the definitions of the authorities of the second temple....

_Prohibition of usury in the case of a poor Israelite_(H with perhaps a slight admixture of P)...