Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 25:36
Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
36. usury increase ] The former was interest on money, the latter on food stuffs and paid in kind. For the important part played by such transactions in Babylonia see Johns, Bab. and Assyr. Laws, ch. 23, p. 253.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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, See Clarke on Ex 22:25.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
i.e. Of thy brother, whether he be Israelite or proselyte.
Increase: this some conceive relates to the fruits of the earth, food, &c., as usury doth to money. But here may rather seem to be two words expressing the same thing,
(1.) To meet with the subtle evasions of crafty and covetous men, who made gain of their poor brethren (for of such only he speaks here, as is evident from Lev 25:35) by the lending of money or other things; and that they may quiet their consciences, and palliate their sin, they disguise it under other names; and,
(2.) To show that all kinds of usury are in this case forbidden, whether of money, or of victuals, or of any thing that is commonly lent by one man to another upon usury, or upon condition of receiving the thing lent with advantage and overplus, as it is said Deu 23:19.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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; [See comments on Ex 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(36) Take thou no usury of him, or increase.The first thing to be done to the impoverished Israelite is to supply him with the means to recover himself without any interest. The authorities during the second Temple defined the words which are translated usury (nesheck) and increase (tarbith, or marbith) as follows: If a person lends to another a shekel worth four denarii, and gets in return five denarii, or if he lends him two sacks of wheat, and receives back three, this is usury. If one buys wheat for delivery at the market price of 25 denarii a measure, and when it rises to 30 denarii he says to the vendor, Deliver me the wheat, for I want to sell it and buy wine, and the vendor replies, I will take the wheat at 30 denarii and give thee wine for it, though he has no wine, this is increase. The increase lies in the fact that the vendor has no wine at the time, and that he may possibly lose again by the rise in wine. Accordingly the former is a charge upon money, whilst the latter is on products.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
36. Take no usury This word in the original signifies interest on money loaned, but in modern English it has come to designate excessive interest, either formally illegal or at least oppressive. When our Authorized Version was made, the term usury was the exact equivalent of the Hebrew neshek, interest.
Thy brother The prohibition of interest extended only to a brother Hebrew. At first only the poor Hebrew was exempted from interest, (Exo 22:25,) but Jahn thinks that it was found difficult to define the term poor person; hence the prohibition was extended to all Hebrews, so that henceforth interest could be taken only of foreigners.
Deu 23:20. We cannot agree with Davidson, that this would limit their commerce with other nations, and thus conserve their religious faith. This prohibition was flagrantly transgressed by Hebrew capitalists after the return from the captivity, when one per cent. per month was exacted from their brethren. See Neh 5:11, in which “the hundredth” is one per cent. a month, a ruinous rate.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 25:36. Take thou no usury of him, &c. This is explained by the next verse. See Exo 22:25. That thy brother may live with thee, signifies that he may prosper and thrive, &c. for, to live, in the Scripture, frequently signifies to be comfortable; Deu 8:1. A stronger motive to induce the people to be free and disinterested in their benevolence could not well be urged, than the free and disinterested benevolence of God to them, Lev 25:38.
REFLECTIONS.God will have particular regard paid to his poor people, and no difference must be made between the home-born and the stranger. Wherever poverty is, it is a demand for our assistance. They must pity, and, out of their abundance, supply their wants; and as a small sum lent to the industrious poor is often the greatest charity which can be done them, as enabling them to work for themselves, they may not take any usury for it. These are laws still in force; for though interest from those who use our money to traffic and make gain with is lawful, yet many times the same charity which bids us freely give to one obliges us freely to lend another. The rich must not live for themselves merely, or engross all; God expects that, as he has given the poor life, we should make their subsistence comfortable.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lev 25:36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
Ver. 36. Take thou no usury. ] God dispenseth with no usury, but condemns both Neshec the biting, and Tarbith the toothless. In Rome at this day, all usurers are excommunicated monthly. The Jews indeed are permitted to strain up their usury to 18 per cent upon the Christian, for among themselves they nowhere use it, which causeth many of the unconscionable Christians to use these Jews underhandly in improving their unlawful rents to the utmost proportion.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
usury (Hebrew. nashak), is a charge on money.
increase (Hebrew. tarbith or marbith) is a charge on goods. See notes on Lev 25:7 with Lev 26:4. These were the definitions of the authorities of the second temple.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fear
(See Scofield “Psa 19:9”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
usury: Exo 22:25, Deu 23:19, Deu 23:20, Neh 5:7-10, Psa 15:5, Pro 28:8, Eze 18:8, Eze 18:13, Eze 18:17, Eze 22:12
fear: Lev 25:17, Neh 5:9, Neh 5:15
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 25:36. Take no usury of him That is, of thy brother, whether he be Israelite or proselyte. Or increase All kinds of usury are in this case forbidden, whether of money, or of victuals, or of any thing that is commonly lent by one man to another upon usury, or upon condition of receiving the thing lent with advantage and overplus. If one borrow in his necessity, there can be no doubt this law is binding still. But it cannot be thought to bind where money is borrowed for purchase of lands, trade, or other improvements. For there it is reasonable that the lender should share with the borrower in the profit.