The Mosaic Law on Usury
About the texts: Throughout the Old Testament we find admonitions against defrauding the widows and orphans, to care for the poor and the needy, and to forgive debts during the years of jubilee. Here we forego all the harsh words of the Prophets against those who disobey God’s commands and instead simply present the law given through Moses to the Hebrews freshly delivered from bondage in Egypt. These two texts taken from Exodus and Leviticus forbid the charging of interest for a loan and instead commands the care of our poor neighbours.
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Exodus 22:25–30
“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
“You shall not delay to offer from the fulness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses.
“The first-born of your sons you shall give to me. You shall do likewise with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.”
Leviticus 25:35–38
“And if your brother becomes poor, and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall maintain him; as a stranger and a sojourner he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or increase, but fear your God; that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.”
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Taken from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Instead, we have interest rates doubled, not forgiveness of debts caused by sociopaths. Instead, we have politicians and officials who can't wait to *deduct* whatever amount they can think up, in case those afflicted may be able to survive, to eat, to pay for venture capitalists hideous rental increases, to pay for hedge funders' outrageous charges for medical and hospital bills. But, then we are only delusional puppets, aren't we?