Deuteronomy 23:20 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 23:20 Commentary: Interest, Brother, and Foreigner
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Deuteronomy permit charging interest to foreigners but forbid it to fellow Israelites? Explore historical context and New Testament application.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God permits interest on loans to foreigners but forbids it to fellow Israelites to protect the poor and bless the obedient.
- Key words: Interest/usury (‘biting’), brother (fellow Israelite), stranger/foreigner (likely a merchant, not a resident alien), blessing.
- Main debate: Does this command apply to Christians today, and if so, to whom does ‘brother’ refer?
- Theological theme: Covenant community economics, how divine blessing follows kindness to the poor.
- Best use: Teaching the principles of biblical economics and the heart of the law in contrast to legalism.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.
WEB World English Bible 2000
You may charge a foreigner interest; but you shall not charge your brother interest, that Yahweh your God may bless you in all that you put your hand to, in the land where you go in to possess it.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest, that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
To a stranger thou mayest lend in usury, and to thy brother thou dost not lend in usury, so that Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in every putting forth of thy hand on the land whither thou goest in to possess it.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
of a foreigner thou mayest take interest, but of thy brother thou shalt not take interest; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the business of thy hand in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But to the stranger. To thy brother thou shalt lend that which he wanteth, without usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all thy works in the land, which thou shalt go in to possess.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Del extraño tomarás logro, mas de tu hermano no lo tomarás, porque te bendiga Jehová tu Dios en toda obra de tus manos sobre la tierra á la cual entras para poseerla.
Do estrangeiro tomarás juros, mas de teu irmão não o tomarás, para que te abençoe o SENHOR teu Deus em toda obra de tuas mãos sobre a terra à qual entras para possuí-la.
Tu pourras tirer un intérêt de l’étranger, mais tu n’ en tireras point de ton frère, afin que l’Éternel, ton Dieu, te bénisse dans tout ce que tu entreprendras au pays dont tu vas entrer en possession.
[23:21] Von den Fremden magst du Zinsen nehmen, aber nicht von deinem Bruder, auf daß dich der HERR, dein Gott, segne in allem, was du vornimmst in dem Lande, dahin du kommst, es einzunehmen.
Aan den vreemde zult gij woekeren; maar aan uw broeder zult gij niet woekeren; opdat u de HEERE, uw God, zegene, in alles, waaraan gij uw hand slaat, in het land, waar gij naar toe gaat, om dat te erven.
Allo straniero potrai prestare a interesse, ma non al tuo fratello; affinché l’Eterno, il tuo Dio, ti benedica in tutto ciò a cui porrai mano, nel paese dove stai per entrare per prenderne possesso.
Cudzoziemcowi na lichwę dawać możesz; ale bratu twemu na lichwę nie dasz, abyć błogosławił Pan, Bóg twój, w każdej sprawie, do której ściągniesz rękę twoję w ziemi, do której wnijdziesz, abyś ją posiadł.
иноземцу отдавай в рост, а брату твоему не отдавай в рост, чтобы Господь Бог твой благословил тебя во всем, что делается руками твоими, на земле, в которую ты идешь, чтобы овладеть ею.
借給外邦人 可以取利，只是借給你弟兄 不可 取利。這樣，耶和華─你 神 必在 你 所 去 得為業 的地上 和你手裡 所辦的 一切事上 賜福與你。
From men of other nations you may take interest, but not from an Israelite: so that the blessing of the Lord your God may be on everything to which you put your hand, in the land which you are about to take as your heritage.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Deuteronomy 23:20 permits charging interest to foreigners while forbidding it to fellow Israelites. Gill notes this is 'not as a precept, but as a permission' to non-Israelites, especially those engaged in trade. Keil and Delitzsch emphasize the theocratic distinction: 'of his brother (i.e., his countryman), the Israelite was not to take interest.' Lange adds that the Hebrew term for interest (neshek) means 'biting' or 'oppressive,' showing the law's protective intent within the covenant community. The purpose, as all highlight, is God's blessing: 'that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand unto' (Matthew Henry). The consensus treats this as a regulation for Israel's unique situation, not a universal moral law against all interest.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Strict application: Reads the prohibition as a timeless moral law forbidding all interest among God’s people.
- Covenantal/contextual: Sees the law as limited to Israel’s theocratic economy, with the principle of charitable lending applying, not the specific rule against all interest.
- Ethical distinction: Distinguishes between interest on loans to the poor (always wrong) and interest on commercial loans (permitted).
What is clear: Within the Old Covenant community, charging interest to a fellow Israelite in need was forbidden, with the promise of God’s blessing for obedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the 'brother'? | All traditions agree it refers to a fellow Israelite in the original context. | Some Christians apply it to all believers today; others say it only applied to the nation of Israel. |
| Who is the 'foreigner'? | The foreigner is a non-Israelite, but commentators distinguish the nokri (passing merchant) from the ger (resident alien, to be loved). | Some hold that the permission extends only to the seven nations of Canaan; others see it as any Gentile trader. |
| Is charging interest always a sin? | The historical church has not treated all interest as sinful (malum per se). | Some traditions see this verse as a timeless ban on interest; others argue it only prohibits oppressive interest on the poor within the covenant community. |
| Does the blessing still apply? | God rewards obedience, and the principle of blessing for generosity is echoed in Proverbs 19:17. | The specific promise of agricultural prosperity in the land of Canaan is unique to Israel’s covenant. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ancient Israel lived as a theocratic community where economic life was shaped by covenant obligations. Loans among Israelites were primarily for subsistence, helping a poor brother survive between harvests or recover from misfortune. Charging interest on such loans would exploit vulnerability and fracture the community. The law consistently protected the poor: Exodus 22:25 forbids taking interest from the poor, and Leviticus 25:35-38 extends the ban to any fellow Israelite who becomes destitute.
The 'foreigner' in this verse is debated. Lange distinguishes the nokri (a foreigner passing through for trade) from the ger (resident alien protected elsewhere). The ger was to be loved as oneself (Leviticus 19:34), while the nokri was a business partner from nations like Phoenicia or Arabia, where taking interest was normal. Gill suggests the permission was limited to the seven nations of Canaan or to Gentile merchants who profited from loans. This commercial context differs sharply from the brother in need.
The promise of blessing, 'in all that you put your hand to, in the land where you go in to possess it', ties obedience to agricultural prosperity. As Deuteronomy 15:10 promises, generosity to the poor brings God's blessing on all work. The law's goal was not to forbid all interest forever but to preserve a community where need did not become a profit opportunity.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 23:20. The verse appears consistently across Hebrew manuscripts and early versions.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse reinforced the boundary between Israel and the nations, with later rabbis debating whether the permission included resident aliens. Early church fathers like Ambrose and Chrysostom cited the broader Old Testament teaching against usury to argue that Christians should not lend at interest at all. Medieval scholastics, building on this verse, distinguished between ‘usury’ (oppressive interest on loans to the poor) and reasonable interest on business investments. Calvin, following the distinction, argued that this verse did not forbid all interest among Christians, only that which exploited a brother’s need. Reformation and later commentators (Gill, Matthew Henry) generally treated the command as particular to Israel’s theocracy while still applying its principle of charity within the church.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Principle: Charity within the covenant community. Interest was forbidden on loans to fellow Israelites because poverty was a family matter, not a business opportunity.
- The Permission: Different rules for foreigners. The foreigner in view was likely a merchant, not a resident alien; commercial loans could carry interest as part of normal trade.
- The Promise: God’s blessing on obedience. The land and work would prosper when the community cared for its own without exploiting the poor.
Five-Point Outline
- Not all interest is condemned, the context matters deeply.
- The prohibition aimed to protect the poor brother from cycles of debt.
- Foreign merchants operated under different economic assumptions, and the law permitted interest for those loans.
- Jesus and the apostles intensify the call to generosity, not to legalism about money (Luke 6:34-35).
- Christians today apply the heart of the law by asking: Is the loan helping a person in need or funding a business venture?
Illustration Hooks
- Lending a friend money for groceries vs. investing in a neighbor’s startup, same action, different relationships and motives.
- How a credit card or payday loan feels different from a church benevolence fund.
- Parents lending to adult children: most would refuse interest; why does that feel right?
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does this verse mean Christians can never charge interest?
- What about bank accounts, mortgages, or business loans?
- Who counts as my 'brother' today, just fellow church members, or all believers?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with a clear distinction: interest is forbidden within the covenant family but permitted with outsiders. As you discuss, explore not only the rule but the heart behind it, God’s desire to protect the vulnerable and bless obedient generosity.
Discussion Questions
- What does this verse teach about the relationship between God’s people and money?
- How did the ancient context of subsistence farming shape this command?
- Why does God tie the promise of blessing directly to not charging interest to a brother?
- How does the foreigner described here differ from the resident alien in Leviticus 19:33-34?
- Read Deuteronomy 15:7-11. What does it add about the attitude required when lending to a brother?
- How does Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:34-35 challenge or expand this Old Testament command?
- What would it look like for your small group to apply the principle of interest-free lending within the church today?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 19:33 | “‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. |
| Leviticus 19:34 | The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God. |
| Deuteronomy 14:21 | You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. |
| Deuteronomy 15:3 | Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release. |
| Deuteronomy 15:10 | You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. |
| Deuteronomy 28:12 | Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow. |
| Proverbs 19:17 | He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him. |
| Isaiah 1:19 | If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws a hard moral line between lending to a fellow believer and lending to an outsider. Charging interest to a stranger is permitted, but doing so to a brother is forbidden, because such gain would violate the covenant bond and forfeit God's blessing on Israel's labor.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill treats the permission to lend to a stranger as a practical allowance, not a divine command, and stresses that the repeated prohibition against charging a brother interest comes with a direct promise: God will bless the lender’s land and flocks, making generous, interest-free loans to the poor more than repaid.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights a legal distinction based on membership in Israel: an Israelite could not charge interest to a fellow countryman on any loan, but was permitted to take interest from foreigners. This difference reflects the separate theocratic rights of those inside the covenant community.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
For Matthew Henry, the command to shelter an escaped servant turns the land of Israel into a sanctuary for the oppressed. The law protects a fugitive from a harsh master, granting him freedom to settle where he chooses. Israel's borders become a place of refuge for the abused, not a place to return them to bondage.