Bible Dictionaries
Usury
Holman Bible Dictionary
(yooss' uh ree) A sum of money charged for a loan. The Old Testament laws prohibited a Jew from charging another Jew usury but permitted it when money was loaned to a Gentile (Deuteronomy 23:19-20 ). Although the word has negative connotations today, it was not so in biblical days when usury simply was the interest charged for a loan. Excessive usury was condemned.
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Usury'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/u/usury.html. 1991.