Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. The prohibition on charging interest to the impoverished fellow Israelite — the same interest-prohibition that Exodus 22:25 establishes — is grounded in the fear of God. The interest-free loan is the covenant community's provision for the impoverished member who needs assistance without exploitation. The one who lends to the poor and charges no interest expresses the covenant's character: the community that fears God cannot exploit the God's image-bearers who are in distress.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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