thinking bible.

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how do other biblical texts, like the laws in deuteronomy, address the vulnerability of borrowers?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Deuteronomy 24:10-13

When you lend your neighbor anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you. If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. You shall restore to him the pledge when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his garment, and bless you. It shall be righteousness to you before Yahweh your God.

This passage is from the book of Deuteronomy, a collection of speeches attributed to Moses given to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land. These laws were designed to establish a just society for a people who had experienced slavery and hardship, guiding them on how to live ethically as a community.

What does honoring the dignity of those in vulnerable circumstances look like in our relationships and societal structures today?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Exodus 22:25-27

    This earlier law also prohibits retaining a poor person's cloak overnight as collateral.

  • Leviticus 25:35-37

    This passage instructs Israelites not to charge interest to fellow Israelites who are struggling financially.

  • Nehemiah 5:1-12

    This narrative describes Nehemiah's actions to address severe economic oppression and debt among the Jewish people.

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