Interest

VIEW:36 DATA:01-04-2020
INTEREST.—See Usury.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909


in?tẽr-est (נשׁך, neshekh, משּׁא, mashshā'; τόκος, tókos): The Hebrew word neshekh is from a root which means ?to bite?; thus interest is ?something bitten off.? The other word, mashshā', means ?lending on interest.? The Greek term is from the root tı́ktō, ?to produce? or ?beget,? hence, interest is something begotten or produced by money. The Hebrew words are usually translated ?usury,? but this meant the same as interest, all interest being reckoned as usury.
Long before Abraham's time money had been loaned at a fixed rate of interest in Babylonia and almost certainly in Egypt. The Code of H̬ammurabi gives regulations regarding the lending and borrowing of money, the usual interest being 20 percent. Sometimes it was only 11 2/3 and 13 1/3, as shown by contract tablets. In one case, if the loan was not paid in two months, 18 per cent interest would be charged. Corn (grain), dates, onions, etc., were loaned at interest. Thus Moses and Israel would be familiar with commercial loans and interest. In Israel there was no system of credit or commercial loans in Moses' time and after. A poor man borrowed because he was poor. The law of Moses (Exo_22:25) forbade loaning at interest. There was to be no creditor and no taker of interest among them (Lev_25:36, Lev_25:37). Dt permits them to lend on interest to a foreigner (Deu_23:19, Deu_23:20), but not to a brother Israelite. That this was considered the proper thing in Israel for centuries is seen in Psa_15:5, while Pro_28:8 implies that it was an unusual thing, interest being generally exacted and profit made. Ezekiel condemns it as a heinous sin (Eze_18:8, Eze_18:13, Eze_18:17) and holds up the ideal of righteousness as not taking interest (Eze_22:12). Isa_24:2 implies that it was a business in that age, the lender and borrower being social types. Jeremiah implies that there was not always the best feeling between lenders and borrowers (Jer_15:10). According to Neh_5:7, Neh_5:10, rich Jews were lending to others and exacting heavy interest. Nehemiah condemns such conduct and forbids its continuance, citing himself as an example of lending without interest. The lenders restored 1 percent of that exacted.
In the New Testament, references to interest occur in the parable of the Pounds (Luk_19:23) and of the Talents (Mat_25:27). Here the men were expected to put their master's money out at interest, and condemnation followed the failure to do so. Thus the principle of receiving interest is not condemned in the Old Testament, only it was not to be taken from a brother Israelite. In the New Testament it is distinctly encouraged. See also USURY.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINTER 1915.


Interest
SEE URSURY.

CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
press 1895.





Norway

FACEBOOK

Participe de nossa rede facebook.com/osreformadoresdasaude

Novidades, e respostas das perguntas de nossos colaboradores

Comments   2

BUSCADAVERDADE

Visite o nosso canal youtube.com/buscadaverdade e se INSCREVA agora mesmo! Lá temos uma diversidade de temas interessantes sobre: Saúde, Receitas Saudáveis, Benefícios dos Alimentos, Benefícios das Vitaminas e Sais Minerais... Dê uma olhadinha, você vai gostar! E não se esqueça, dê o seu like e se INSCREVA! Clique abaixo e vá direto ao canal!


Saiba Mais

  • Image Nutrição
    Vegetarianismo e a Vitamina B12
  • Image Receita
    Como preparar a Proteína Vegetal Texturizada
  • Image Arqueologia
    Livro de Enoque é um livro profético?
  • Image Profecia
    O que ocorrerá no Armagedom?

Tags