Bible Encyclopedias
Creditor

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kred´i -tẽr (( a ) נשׁה , nōsheh , participle of נשׁה , nāshāh ̌ : Exodus 22:24 (English translation: 25); 2 Kings 4:1; Isaiah 50:1; translated "extortioner," Psalm 109:11; "taker of usury," Isaiah 24:2 the King James Version; ( b ) מלוה , malweh , participle of לוה , lāwāh , Isaiah 24:2 the Revised Version (British and American), the King James Version "lender"; ( c ) בּעל משׁה ידו , ba‛al mashshēh yādhō ̌ : "lord of the loan of his hand," Deuteronomy 15:2; (d) δανιστής , danistḗs ̌ : Luke 7:41 , "creditor" the King James Version, "lender" the Revised Version (British and American); compare further danistós , 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. 2 Kings 4:1 shows that the actual practice was not so considerate, and in consequence the creditor fell into bad repute. In Psalm 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; Jeremiah 34:8; and Sirach 29:1-11. See also DEBT .