The meaning of Creditor in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

kred'-i-ter ((a) nosheh, participle of nashah: Exodus 22:24 (English translation: 25); II Kings 4:1; Isaiah 50:1; translated "extortioner," Psalms 109:11; "taker of usury," Isaiah 24:2 the King James Version; (b) malweh, participle of lawah, Isaiah 24:2 the Revised Version (British and American), the King James Version "lender"; (c) ba'al mashsheh yadho: "lord of the loan of his hand," Deuteronomy 15:2; (d) danistes: Luke 7:41, "creditor" the King James Version, "lender" the Revised Version (British and American); compare further danistos, Sirach 29:28, "lender" the King James Version, "money-lender" the Revised Version (British and American)): In the ideal social system of the Old Testament, debts are incurred only because of poverty, and the law protected the poor debtor from his creditor, who in Exodus 22:25 is forbidden to demand interest, and in Deuteronomy 15:2 to exact payment in view of the nearness of the year of release. II Kings 4:1 shows that the actual practice was not so considerate, and in consequence the creditor fell into bad repute. In Psalms 109:11 he is the extortioner; in Proverbs 29:13 the oppressor is evidently the creditor, though a different word is used; compare also Proverbs 22:7. In Sirach 29:28 the importunity of the creditor is one of the hardships of the poor man of understanding. The actual practice of the Jews may be gathered from Nehemiah 5:1 ff.; Jeremiah 34:8 ff.; and Sirach 29:1-11.

See also DEBT.

Walter R. Betteridge

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