( Maimonides, in Ainsworth. ) We nowhere learn from the
institutes delivered by Moses that the simple taking of interest,
especially from the neighbouring nations (Deuteronomy 23:19, 20), was
forbidden to the Israelites; but the divine law would give no
countenance to the griping and extortionate practices to which
miserly money-lenders are always prone. The deserving and industrious
poor might sometimes be reduced to such straits, that pecuniary
accommodations might be very desirable to them; and towards such God
would inculcate a mild, kind, and forbearing spirit, and the precept
is enforced by the relation which they sustained to him: q.d.,
"Remember that you are lending to my people, my poor;
and therefore, take no advantage of their necessities. Trust me
against the fear of loss, and treat them kindly and generously."
George Bush, in "Notes on the Book of Exodus," 1856.
Verse 5. "He that putteth not out his money to usury."
With respect to the first clause, as David seems to condemn all kinds
of usury in general, and without exception, the very name has been
everywhere held in detestation. But crafty men have invented specious
names under which to conceal the vice; and thinking by this artifice
to escape, they have plundered with greater excess than if they had
lent on usury avowedly and openly. God, however, will not be dealt
with and imposed upon by sophistry and false pretenses. He looks upon
the thing as it really is. There is no worse species of usury than an
unjust way of making bargains, where equity is disregarded on both
sides. Let us, then, remember that all bargains, in which the one
party unrighteously strives to make gain by the loss of the other
party, whatever name may be given to them, are here condemned. It may
be asked, whether all kinds of usury are to be put into this
denunciation, and regarded as alike unlawful? If we condemn all
without distinction, there is a danger lest many, seeing themselves
brought into such a strait as to find that sin must be incurred, in
whatever way they can turn themselves, may be rendered bolder by
despair, and may rush headlong into all kinds of usury without choice
or discrimination. On the other hand, whenever we concede that
something may be lawfully done in this way, many will give themselves
loose reins, thinking that a liberty to exercise usury, without
control or moderation, has been granted them. In the first place,
therefore, I would, above all things, counsel my readers to beware of
ingeniously contriving deceitful pretexts by which to take advantage
of their fellow men, and let them not imagine that anything can be
lawful to them which is grievous and hurtful to others. . . . . It is
not without cause that God has in Leviticus 25:35, 36, forbidden
usury, adding this reason: "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. Take
thou no usury of him, or increase." We see that the end for which the
law was framed was that man should not cruelly oppress the poor, who
ought rather to receive sympathy and compassion. This was, indeed, a
part of the judicial law which God appointed for the Jews in
particular; but it is a common principle of justice, which extends to
all nations, and to all ages, that we should keep ourselves from
plundering and devouring the poor who are in distress and want.
Whence it follows, that the gain which he who lends his money upon
interest acquires, without doing injury to any one, is not to be
included under the head of unlawful usury. The Hebrew word (Heb.)
neshek, which David employs, being derived from another word
which signifies to bite, sufficiently shows that usuries are
condemned in so far as they involve in them, or lead to, a license of
robbing, or plundering our fellow men. Ezekiel, indeed (chapters
18:17, and 22:12), seems to condemn the taking of any interest
whatever upon money lent; but he, doubtless, has an eye to the unjust
and crafty arts of gaining by which the rich devoured the poor
people. In short, provided we had engraven on our hearts the rule of
equity which Christ prescribes in Matthew 7:12, "Therefore, all
things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so
to them," it would not be necessary to enter into lengthened disputes
concerning usury. John Calvin, in loc.
Verse 5 ( first clause ). The Mosaic law forbids the
lending of money for interest to an Israelite. Exodus 22:25;
Leviticus 25:37; Deuteronomy 23:19; Proverbs 28:8; Ezekiel 18:8. In
several of the passages referred to, it is expressly supposed that
money is lent only to the poor, a supposition which has its ground in
the simple relations of the Mosaic times, in which lending, for the
purpose of speculation and gain, had no existence. Such lending ought
only to be a work of brotherly love; and it is a great violation of
that if any one, instead of helping his neighbour, takes advantage of
his need to bring him into still greater straits. The Mosaic
regulation in question has, accordingly, its import also for New
Testament times. With the interest-lending of capitalists, who borrow
for speculation, it has nothing to do. This belongs to a quite
different matter, as is implied even by the name (Heb.), a
mordendo, according to which only such usury can be meant as
plagues and impoverishes a neighbour. By unseasonable comparison with
our modes of speech, many would expound, "His money he puts not to
interest." E. W. Hengstenberg.
Verse 5 ( first clause ). The worm called in Latin
teredo, whereof Pliny hath reported something in his story,
breeding in wood, to the touch as soft yet it hath such teeth as
endeavoureth and consumeth the hard timber. So the usurer is a soft
beast at first to handle, but in continuance of time the hardness of
his teeth will eat thee up, both flesh and bone, if thou beware not.
He pleadeth love, but not for thy sake, but for his own; for as the
ivy colleth and claspeth the oak as a lover, but thereby it groweth
up and over toppeth the oak, and sucketh out the juice and sap
thereof, that it cannot thrive nor prosper; so the usurer colleth,
embraceth, and claspeth in arms the borrower, that thereby himself
may grow richer, and suck all wealth, goods, and riches from him,
that he never thriveth or prospereth after. The pleasure the usurer
showeth is like the playing of the cat with the silly mouse: the cat
playeth with the mouse, but the play of the cat is the death of the
mouse. The usurer pleasureth the borrower; but the pleasure of the
usurer is the undoing of the borrower. The fox through craft slideth
and tumbleth and maketh much pastime till he come to the prey, then
he devoureth: the usurer maketh many fair speeches, giveth out many
fair promises, pretendeth very great kindness, until he have got thee
within his compass, then he crusheth and cruciateth thee. The usurer
preyeth upon the poor, he waxeth rich at the penury of his brother,
he clotheth himself with the coat of the naked, he gathereth riches
of the indigency and want of his neighbour; he feedeth himself of the
bread of the hungry, and devoureth his poor brother, as the beasts do
the smaller; than which, saith Ambrose, there is no greater
inhumanity and cruelty, no greater wretchedness and iniquity, as
Chrysostom in many places, and Basil upon this Psalm, have well
observed. Richard Turnbull.
Verse 5. The rich make the poor to fill them; for
usurers feed upon the poor, even as great fishes devour the
small. Therefore, he which said, Let there not be a beggar in Israel
(Deuteronomy 15:4), said too, Let there not be an usurer in Israel.
For if there be usurers in Israel there will be beggars in Israel;
for usurers make beggars, even as lawyers make quarrellers. . . . .
It is a miserable occupation to live by sin, and a great comfort to a
man when he looketh upon his gold and silver, and his heart telleth
him, All this is well gotten; and when he lieth upon his death-bed,
and must leave all to his children, he can say unto them, I leave you
mine own; but the usurer cannot say, I leave you mine own, but I
leave you other men's; therefore the usurer can never die in peace,
because if he die before he maketh restitution, he dieth in his sin.
Henry Smith.
Verse 5. Biting usurers were so abhorred in the
primitive church, that as they condemned the usurer himself, so they
made the scribes, who wrote the bonds, and also the witnesses,
incapable of any benefit; and that no testament or latter will,
written by such should be valid. The house of the usurer was called
domus Satanae, the house of the devil; and they ordained that no man
should eat or drink with such usurer, nor fetch fire from them; and
after they were dead that they should not be buried in Christian
burial. The conclusion of this is (Ezekiel 18:13), this sin is
matched with theft; and verse ll, with adultery; and verse 12, with
violence; it is the daughter of oppression and sister to idolatry,
and he that doth these things shall not dwell in God's holy
hill. Albeit, these worldlings think themselves more honest than
thieves and adulterers, yet the Lord maketh their case all alike.
John Weemse, 1636.
Verse 5. "Taketh reward against the innocent." I am
sure this is scala inferni, the right way to hell, to be
covetous, to take bribes, and pervert justice. If a judge should ask
me the way to hell, I should show him this way: First, let him be a
covetous man; let his heart be poisoned with covetousness. Then let
him go a little further and take bribes; and, lastly, pervert
judgments. Lo, here is the mother, and the daughter, and the
daughter's daughter. Avarice is the mother; she brings forth
bribe-taking, and bribe-taking perverting of judgment. There lacks a
fourth thing to make up the mess, which, so help me God, if I were
judge, should be hangum tuum, a Tyburn tippet to take with
him; an it were the judge of the King's Bench, my Lord Chief Judge of
England, yea, an it were my Lord Chancellor himself, to Tyburn with
him. Hugh Latimer.
Verse 5. Taketh reward against the innocent." I come to
corrupt lawyers and advocates, who so often take rewards against
the innocent, as they do take upon them the defence of such
causes as they in their own conscience are persuaded to be evil and
unjust. Which being so common a fault among lawyers, as that very few
which plead causes, either in civil or ecclesiastical courts, do seem
to make any conscience thereof, to whom all is fish that cometh to
their nets; therefore all lawyers are to be exhorted to apply this
note unto themselves. George Downame.
Verse 5. "He that doeth." 'Tis not said he that
professes this or that, or he that believes thus and thus, or
he that is of such or such an opinion or way of
worship, or he that sets up new lights, and pretends the
Spirit for his immediate guide; 'tis not he that hears
much or talks much of religion; no, nor he that
preaches and prays much, nor he that thinks much
of these things, and means well; but 'tis he that " doeth
these things "—that is actually employed about them—that is the
religious and truly godly man. 'Tis not, I say, a formal
professor , a confidant solifidian, a wild
opinionist, a high-flown perfectist; it is not a
constant hearer, or a mighty talker, or a laborious
teacher, or a gifted brother, or a simple