You asked

where else in the bible are the poor protected from harsh lending practices?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Exodus 22:25-27

““If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor; neither shall you charge him interest. If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sunset; for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.””

This passage is part of the 'Book of the Covenant' (Exodus 20:22–23:33), a collection of laws given to the Israelites shortly after the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. These laws establish basic social justice and religious duties for the community God is forming.

What does a call to 'be gracious' mean for how we approach financial systems today?

Then — the setting

This law, likely codified around the 13th-10th century BCE, reflects a unique social ideal for the newly formed Israelite community. Unlike surrounding Ancient Near Eastern cultures (like those reflected in the Code of Hammurabi), Israel's law distinguished between lending to fellow Israelites and foreigners. For fellow Israelites, especially the poor, the emphasis was on kinship and mutual support, rather than pure economic transaction. Taking a garment as collateral was acceptable, but its immediate return highlighted that the loan was for survival, not profit, and that human dignity and life took precedence over property rights.

Across the Testaments

The Old Testament consistently emphasizes the protection of the poor and vulnerable within the community, seeing it as an expression of justice and obedience to God. While the New Testament doesn't lay out new explicit lending laws, it deepens the ethical call to care for the poor and practice generosity (e.g., Jesus' teachings on giving, the early church's communal sharing in Acts, or Paul's collections for the poor). The spirit of Exodus 22 — prioritising human need and dignity over profit — resonates through the New Testament's emphasis on love for neighbor and radical generosity.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Deuteronomy 23:19-20
This passage prohibits charging interest to fellow Israelites, reinforcing protection for the vulnerable.
Nehemiah 5:1-13
This account shows Nehemiah confronting wealthy Israelites who were exploiting their poorer kin through high interest and debt.
Proverbs 28:8
This proverb warns that wealth gained through exorbitant interest will ultimately go to those who are gracious to the poor.

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