H5392 H5392
Interest, usury — loan interest charged on money or goods, condemned in biblical law as exploitative
The noun נֶשֶׁךְ (neshek) denotes interest charged on a loan, from the verb nashakh ('to bite'), evoking a creditor's consuming grip. Biblical law prohibits charging interest to fellow Israelites: 'You shall not exact interest from him' (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:19). Ezekiel lists taking interest among sins that condemn a person (Ezek 18:8, 13, 17; 22:12), and Psalm 15:5 counts refusing to lend at interest as a mark of the righteous. Proverbs 28:8 pairs it with tarbit ('increase') for exploitative lending. Spanish 'usura' and French 'usure' reflect the moral dimensions.
Senses
1. interest, usury — Interest or usury charged on loans, condemned in Israelite law. Prohibited between Israelites (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:19-20), though permitted toward foreigners. Ezekiel counts it among capital sins (Ezek 18:8, 13, 17; 22:12), and Psalm 15:5 lists abstaining from it as a mark of the righteous. The etymology from nashakh ('to bite') captures the predatory nature of exploitative lending. 12×
AR["بِ-رِبًا", "بِ-رِبَا", "بِـ-الرِّبَا", "رِباً", "رِبًا", "رِبَا-", "رِبَا-طَعَامٍ", "رِبَا-فِضَّةٍ"]·ben["-তে-সুদে;", "-সুদে-এবং-", "সুদ", "সুদ।", "সুদে", "সুদে-"]·DE["Zins", "Zins-von", "[בנשך]", "[נשך]", "bei-interest", "fuer-Zins", "interest"]·EN["at-interest", "by-interest", "for-interest", "in-the-interest", "interest", "interest-of"]·FR["dans-intérêt", "dans-בנשך", "interest", "interest-de", "intérêt", "pour-interest"]·heb["ב-נשך", "נשך"]·HI["पर-ब्याज", "ब्याज", "ब्याज-से", "में-ब्याज", "में-ब्याज-पर"]·ID["bunga", "bunga-uang", "dengan-bunga", "dengan-riba", "riba"]·IT["[בנשך]", "[נשך]", "in-da-interest", "interest", "interest-di", "per-interest"]·jav["Kanthi-anakan", "anakan", "kalayan-renten", "mawi-renten", "mawi-riba", "riba", "riba."]·KO["~으로-이자", "이자-로", "이자로", "이자로-", "이자를", "이자와"]·PT["a-juros", "com-juros", "juros", "juros-de"]·RU["в-рост", "лихву", "под-процент", "процент", "процента", "проценты", "роста", "ростом"]·ES["Con-usura", "a-usura", "con-interés", "con-usura", "interés", "interés-de", "usura"]·SW["Kwa-riba", "kwa-riba", "riba"]·TR["-de-faiz", "faiz", "faizi", "faizle", "faizle-"]·urd["-سود-پر", "سود", "سود-پر", "سے-سود"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נֶ֫שֶׁךְ n.[m.] interest, usury (lit. something bitten off);—נ׳ abs. Ex 22:24 +; cstr. Dt 23:20;—c. שִׂים עַל־ Ex 22:24 (E); c. לָקַח מִן Lv 25:36, הֵשִׁיב מִן Ez 18:17, לָקַח 22:12 (no prep.), בְּנֶשֶׁךְ Lv 25:37 at interest, so ψ 15:5 Ez 18:8, 13; בְּנ׳ Pr 28:8 by usury; as acc. cogn. Dt 23:20(×3).