thinking bible.

You asked

how might this principle of non usurious lending apply to modern financial systems or global inequalities?

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

Leviticus 25:35-37

“‘If your brother has become poor, and his ability to support himself fails among you; then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like a foreigner and a sojourner. You shall take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live with you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor lend him your food for profit.

This passage is part of a larger section in Leviticus detailing laws given to ancient Israel, specifically concerning economic justice and the treatment of the poor and vulnerable within their community. These instructions, given through Moses, aimed to establish a society marked by communal care and equitable practices.

What systems or attitudes in our current world might need re-evaluation if we were to adopt a similar approach to supporting those in financial distress?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Deuteronomy 23:19-20

    Further elaborates on the prohibition of interest among Israelites, contrasting it with lending to foreigners.

  • Nehemiah 5:1-12

    Shows a real-world crisis in ancient Israel where leaders exploited the poor through high interest, and Nehemiah's response.

  • Luke 6:34-36

    Jesus encourages lending without expecting repayment, extending the principle beyond just interest.

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