Why is lending money without interest emphasized in Psalm 15:5? The Canonical Passage “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? … He who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.” (Psalm 15:5). Psalm 15 is a short, liturgical psalm that answers its opening question—“LORD, who may abide in Your tent?”—with a profile of the person whose life resonates with God’s holiness. Verse 5 closes the portrait by highlighting two economic behaviors: interest-free lending and rejection of judicial corruption. They illustrate love of neighbor in a realm—finance—where selfishness normally prevails. Psalm 15 as a Character Portrait Each couplet of Psalm 15 pairs an inner disposition with an outward act. The progression moves from general integrity (vv. 2–3) through relational honesty (v. 3b–4) to economic mercy (v. 5). The structure climaxes on money because possessions often reveal the heart most clearly (cf. Matthew 6:21). Thus lending without interest is not peripheral; it is the capstone that tests whether prior claims of righteousness are genuine. Mosaic Foundations: Covenant Law on Interest-Free Lending Psalm 15:5 echoes explicit Torah commands: • “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to charge him interest” (Exodus 22:25). • “Do not take any interest or profit from him… Fear your God” (Leviticus 25:35-37). • “You must not charge your brother interest” (Deuteronomy 23:19). Only loans to foreigners for commercial trade could bear interest (Deuteronomy 23:20), underscoring that Israel was to treat family differently from business rivals. Psalm 15 applies that covenant ideal to everyday life. God’s Character Expressed in Economic Law Divine legislation is never arbitrary. God redeemed Israel out of slavery without “interest”; therefore His people must mirror His unmerited generosity (Leviticus 25:38; Deuteronomy 15:15). Charging interest on survival loans denies God’s image in the debtor and undermines the communal reflection of divine grace. Psalm 15 celebrates the worshiper who comprehends that theology and economics must harmonize. Historical and Cultural Background Archaeological tablets from Old Babylon (Code of Hammurabi §§ 48 – 51, 94) list grain-interest at 33 % and silver-interest at 20 % annually. Mari documents (18th c. BC) and the Elephantine papyri (5th c. BC) show similar rates and frequent enslavement for default. By contrast, Israel’s Torah is uniquely protective. The contrast would have been vivid to ancient hearers, making the psalm’s ethic counter-cultural and credibly divine. Prophetic Echoes and Wisdom Literature Prophets castigated Israel whenever she forgot this principle: Ezekiel 18:8 praises the man who “does not lend at interest,” while Ezekiel 22:12 indicts Jerusalem for the opposite sin. Nehemiah 5 records a national revival sparked by abolishing interest. Proverbs 28:8 warns that God ultimately transfers wealth gained by usury to the poor. Psalm 15 stands in harmony with that prophetic chorus. Christological Fulfillment and New Testament Resonance Jesus intensified the principle: “If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? … But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” (Luke 6:34-35). The cross becomes the supreme cancellation of debt (Colossians 2:14), and believers become stewards, not owners (1 Corinthians 4:2). Thus the Old Testament call to interest-free compassion blossoms into gospel-motivated generosity. Eschatological and Gospel Motifs Psalm 15’s closing guarantee—“will never be shaken”—links mercy in money matters to unshakable hope. The New Jerusalem economy is one of gift, not exploitation (Revelation 22:17). Interest-free lending foreshadows the eschatological jubilee where debts are forever cancelled (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-21). Archaeological Corroborations of Biblical Economic Ethics Tel Gezer’s boundary stones (10th c. BC) and the “house of Elisha” ostracon at Tell Deir Alla show community granaries apparently used as interest-free relief banks during droughts, matching Leviticus 25 practice. Ostraca from Arad list rations “for the poor” during the Judean monarchy, corroborating an institutionalized system of mercy loans. These finds affirm that Israel’s economy often operated on the principles Psalm 15 exalts. Contemporary Application for Believers Modern Christians emulate this ethic through benevolence funds, interest-free emergency loans, and debt-forgiveness ministries like Crown Financial and Christian Credit Counselors. Business investors can apply the principle by prioritizing kingdom impact over profit margins, thereby displaying God’s heart to a watching world. Concluding Synthesis Psalm 15:5 spotlights interest-free lending because it distills covenant loyalty, reflects God’s generous nature, safeguards the vulnerable, confronts exploitative culture, foreshadows gospel debt-forgiveness, and resonates through both Testaments. The worshiper who “lends his money without interest” embodies authentic holiness—economic mercy that proves a heart aligned with Yahweh, guaranteeing, by divine promise, a life that “will never be shaken.” |
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