Leviticus 25:37 Meaning: Help Freely, Not for Profit
You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.
Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals for increase.
thy money thou givest not to him in usury, and for increase thou givest not thy food;
Thy money shalt thou not give him upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
Meaning in one sentence
Does Leviticus 25:37 forbid all interest? The verse addresses lending to a poor brother, a call to generosity, not a universal banking ban.
Context
Leviticus 25 sits at the heart of God's instructions for how Israel should live as a redeemed community. The chapter gives laws about the Sabbath year, the Jubilee, and the care of land and people. Verses 35 through 38 focus on a specific situation: a fellow Israelite has fallen into poverty and cannot support himself. God tells His people not to treat this person as a business opportunity. They are to lend money and food without expecting anything extra in return. The command is rooted in Israel's own story, God brought them out of Egypt when they were slaves with nothing. So they know what it feels like to be needy, and they are to pass on that same mercy.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words capture the heart of this verse. The word for interest, neshekh, literally means “a bite.” It pictures interest gnawing away at a person's resources, like a snake's fangs sinking in. The other word, marbit, means “increase” or “profit.” It is the same root used for the abundance of a harvest or the growth of a crop. But here it is twisted, making gain from someone who is already down. The text piles up both words to block every loophole. Do not take a bite. Do not seek increase. Just help. These words turn a financial transaction into a spiritual test: will you see your brother's need as a chance to love, or a chance to gain?
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse with different emphasis. Many in the early church and medieval period saw it as a total ban on charging any interest among believers, and some traditions still hold that view. Others, following a distinction found in Deuteronomy 23:20, believe the prohibition applies only to lending to the poor within the covenant community, while allowing reasonable interest in commercial loans to strangers. Catholic social teaching has long stressed fairness in lending and protecting the vulnerable. Both sides agree on the central point: when someone is in serious need, we are not to profit from their desperation.
A common misunderstanding
A common misunderstanding is to read this verse as an absolute ban on all lending with interest, for any reason, to anyone. In fact, the verse says “him”, and that “him” is the poor brother described in the previous verse. The Bible elsewhere mentions interest from foreigners (Deuteronomy 23:20) and even a parable of Jesus assumes lending with interest is ordinary (Matthew 25:27). The mistake is missing the context: this law is a protective fence around the poor, not a blanket financial policy.
Living This Out
Think about a time someone close to you asked for help with money or food. Did you keep a mental tally of what they “owed” you? Did you expect a favor in return? This verse asks us to notice the difference between helping and profiting. This week, look for a chance to give without counting the cost. It could be a meal, a ride, or a loan. Let your help be a gift, not a transaction. That is what it means to let a brother or sister live beside you, not just survive beside you.
Main takeaway: When a brother or sister falls into need, God calls us to help freely, not to profit from their hardship.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
If your friend forgets their snack, share yours without asking them to pay you back. God loves a happy giver.
For ages 9, 12
This verse is about a rule God gave Israel: when someone is poor, don't try to make money from them. If a classmate needs a pencil, don't charge them for it. God wants us to use what we have to help others, not to get ahead at their expense.
Questions People Ask
Does Leviticus 25:37 forbid all interest on loans?
No. The verse is about lending to a poor brother in the community. Lending with interest in business or commercial contexts is not condemned here, though the Bible warns against exploiting the poor.
What is the difference between 'usury' and 'interest' in the Bible?
In older English, 'usury' meant any interest at all. Today it usually means excessive or unfair interest. The Hebrew word neshekh implies a 'bite' taken from the borrower. The Bible uses it to forbid charging interest on loans to the needy.
Can Christians charge interest on loans to friends today?
Many Christians believe that charging reasonable interest is acceptable in business arrangements, but that lending to a friend or family member in need should be without interest or with very low interest, following the heart of this command.
How does this verse apply to modern banking and credit cards?
This verse isn't a direct rule for modern finance, but its principle challenges us to ask whether our financial practices take advantage of the poor. It calls us to support systems that offer fair access to credit and to avoid predatory lending.
What does 'victuals for increase' mean?
It means lending food and expecting more in return. In an agricultural society, someone might lend a bushel of grain and demand two bushels back. The verse forbids profiting from a neighbor's hunger.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study