Borrowing

Believers should respond to requests to borrow

Matthew 5:42 ESV

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

See also Dt 15:7–11; Lk 6:35; Lk 11:5–8

God’s blessing on Israel made borrowing unnecessary

Deuteronomy 28:12 ESV

The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

See also Dt 15:6

The responsibilities of those who borrow

Repayment

Ps 37:21; Ro 13:8

Restitution

Ex 22:14–15; 2 Ki 6:5–7

Borrowing can bring debt and servitude

Proverbs 22:7 ESV

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

See also Mt 18:23–25

Security for borrowing

Warnings against putting up security

Proverbs 11:15 ESV

Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.

See also Pr 6:1–5; Pr 17:18; Pr 22:26–27

Security may be required

Pr 20:16; Pr 27:13

Security must be just

Deuteronomy 24:6 ESV

“No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge.

See also Job 22:6; Ne 5:3–13

Jesus Christ was willing to borrow

Examples of borrowing

Luke 5:3 ESV

Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

See also Mt 21:1–3; Mt 26:17–19

Other examples

Ex 3:21–22; Ex 11:2–3; Ex 12:35–36; 2 Ki 4:3; Ne 5:3