the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Usury
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or This word does not in scripture signify, as now, undue interest, but simply interest of any kind. The Israelites were forbidden to require interest from their brethren, always supposing the person having the loan to be poor, otherwise he would not need to borrow; to strangers, however, they were allowed to lend on interest. Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-38; Deuteronomy 23:19,20 . On the return of the Jews, Nehemiah sharply rebuked the nobles and the rulers for taking interest of their poorer brethren. Nehemiah 5:3-13 . Scripture strictly enjoins the rich to help the poor. The only mention of usury in the N.T. is in the parables of the Talents and the Pounds, where the master blamed the servant for not putting the gifts into use, so that he might have received his own with interest, or increase. Matthew 25:27; Luke 19:23 .
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Morrish, George. Entry for 'Usury'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/mbd/u/usury.html. 1897.
