Deuteronomy 23:19-20
“You shall not lend on interest to your brother: interest of money, interest of food, interest of anything that is lent on interest. To a foreigner you may lend on interest, but to your brother you shall not lend on interest, that Yahweh your God may bless you in all that you put your hand to, in the land into which you are going to possess it.”
This passage is part of a larger collection of laws given to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. These laws, presented in the book of Deuteronomy, served as a covenant document to guide their new society and maintain their distinct identity.
What does it mean for a community to be blessed when its members treat each other differently than they treat outsiders?