Loans are an essential part of the social and economic life that have been addressed in the Bible from a moral and ethical perspective. The Bible, known for its ethical, moral, and spiritual teachings, provides guidance on various aspects of life, including lending and borrowing. This Bible includes several verses that touch on loans, their ethical implications, and the behavior expected from both the lender and the borrower.
What the Bible Says About Giving Loans
The Bible addresses the act of giving loans in a way that underscores the importance of kindness, compassion, and generosity, especially towards those in need. It encourages the practice of lending money or other resources to those in distress without expecting anything in return, reflecting the principle of selfless love and aid. The Bible recommends that lending should be carried out without an interest, especially to the impoverished, showcasing the need to support the less fortunate without exploiting their vulnerabilities. Thus, the Bible’s teachings on loans emphasize that they should be given in a spirit of compassion and brotherliness.
Why Loans should be Without Interest
The Bible discourages the practice of charging interest on loans, especially from individuals who are already struggling. It depicts interest on loans as a form of exploitation and encourages believers to lend without expecting any monetary returns. The teachings clearly state that interest should not be charged on loans given to the poor, reflecting the importance of humanity and empathy. Hence, the Bible promotes interest-free loans, urging people to extend help towards each other in times of need, emphasizing the fundamental values of selflessness and benevolence.
Who the Bible Encourages to Lend
The Bible encourages everyone, particularly those who are well-off, to lend to those who require monetary aid, propagating a kind of social philanthropy. The more prosperous people are, the more they are encouraged to lend to those in need, reflecting their responsibility towards their less fortunate brethren. It encourages believers to be benevolent lenders, helping those in need not out of compulsion, but out of generosity and compassion, communicating the principles of charity and compassion.
When Loans Should be Forgiven
The Bible also addresses the issue of loan forgiveness in a comprehensive and empathetic manner. It teaches the importance of forgiving debts and absolving borrowers of their obligations, particularly during times of extreme hardship. The Bible promotes the noble act of forgiving debts to alleviate the burden on the needy and impart them a new lease of life. It encourages believers to exercise mercy and forgiveness, values that are universally regarded in high esteem, portraying the concept of loans in the Bible as one woven with the threads of empathy, charity, and humanity.
What Happens if Loans are Not Repaid
The Bible acknowledges that some loans might never be repaid. It teaches its followers to lend, understanding the risks involved, including the possibility of not getting the loan repaid. It imparts the principle of compassion and selflessness, encouraging them to lend with an open mind and heart, and with readiness to bear potential loss. Even in these circumstances, the lender is expected to act considerately without harboring ill feelings towards the borrower, affirming the principles of mercy and generosity. Thus, the topic of loans represents a moral facet in the Bible, which places its emphasis on benevolence and unconditional kindness over material benefit.
Below is the full list of bible verses on loans (King James Version – KJV). The list is ranked in order of popularity and we hope you find the inspiration you need.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Loans
Proverbs 22:7
“7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
Psalm 37:21
“21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.”
Romans 13:8
“8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
Proverbs 22:26-27
“26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?”
Deuteronomy 23:19
“19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:”
1 Timothy 5:8
“8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
Related Themes: Money Finances Respecting Your Parents Children Laziness
Luke 6:35
“35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
Related Themes: Kindness Love Money Finances Selflessness
Proverbs 6:1-5
“1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.”
Related Themes: Finances Abomination Lust
Exodus 22:25
“25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.”
Psalm 112:5
“5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.”
Related Themes: Business Money Justice Generosity Kindness
Deuteronomy 23:19-20
“19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.”
Leviticus 25:35-37
“35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.”
Related Themes: Strangers Homelessness Poverty
Proverbs 28:8
“8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.”
Matthew 5:42
“42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”
Related Themes: Money Homelessness Finances Benevolence Serving The Poor
Proverbs 17:18
“18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.”
Related Themes: Money
Proverbs 11:15
“15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.”
Related Themes: Money
Luke 6:38
“38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Related Themes: Reaping Money Reaping What You Sow Finances Serving Others
