“The Mosaic law required that when an Israelite needed to borrow,” “what he asked was to be freely lent to him, and no interest was” “to be charged, although interest might be taken of a foreigner” “(Ex. 22:25; Deut. 23:19, 20; Lev. 25:35-38). At the end of seven” “years all debts were remitted. Of a foreigner the loan might,” “however, be exacted. At a later period of the Hebrew” “commonwealth, when commerce increased, the practice of exacting” “usury or interest on loans, and of suretiship in the commercial” “sense, grew up. Yet the exaction of it from a Hebrew was” “regarded as discreditable (Ps. 15:5; Prov. 6:1, 4; 11:15; 17:18;” 20:16; 27:13; Jer. 15:10). “Limitations are prescribed by the law to the taking of a pledge from the borrower. The outer garment in which a man slept at “night, if taken in pledge, was to be returned before sunset (Ex.” “22:26, 27; Deut. 24:12, 13). A widow’s garment (Deut. 24:17) and” a millstone (6) could not be taken. A creditor could not enter “the house to reclaim a pledge, but must remain outside till the” “borrower brought it (10, 11). The Hebrew debtor could not be” “retained in bondage longer than the seventh year, or at farthest” “the year of jubilee (Ex. 21:2; Lev. 25:39, 42), but foreign” “sojourners were to be “bondmen for ever” (Lev. 25:44-54).”

Posted by webmaster on Friday, August 25th, 2017 @ 10:53PM
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