Sometimes you may wonder if borrowing money a sin. Borrowing money is not always sinful, but the Bible tells us that it can be sinful and it is not always wise to borrow. We should never seek to borrow money, but instead seek the Lord for His provision. Here are the top 24 Bible verses about borrowing money.
24 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.
- Deuteronomy 28:12
0
23 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
- Isaiah 24:2
0
22 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
- Nehemiah 5:4
0
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
- Psalm 37:21
2
20 For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
- Deuteronomy 15:6
3
19 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
- Matthew 5:42
3
18 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
- Proverbs 13:22
3
17 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
- 1 Timothy 6:10
5
16 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
- Proverbs 22:7
6
15 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
- Malachi 3:10
6
14 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
- Deuteronomy 8:18
6
13 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
- Proverbs 13:11
6
12 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
- 1 Timothy 6:17-19
6
11 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
- Luke 12:33-34
8
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
- Ecclesiastes 5:10
9
9 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- Matthew 6:19-21
9
8 Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
- Ecclesiastes 11:1
10
7 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
- 2 Corinthians 9:6
12
6 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
- Proverbs 11:24-25
13
5 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
- Luke 12:15
17
4 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
- Matthew 6:24
24
3 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
- 1 Timothy 5:8
29
2 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.
- Proverbs 19:17
141
1 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
- Hebrews 13:5
148
5 Stories From The Bible About Borrowing Money
Here are 5 stories from the Bible about borrowing money.
The Righteous are Generous
I have people in my life who have never paid me back, but I’ve not made an issue of it. If they hadn’t paid me back by now, I figure it’ll never happen. Then I read this Scripture: “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives” (Psalm 37:21). I wanted to be in the latter group where I was generous rather than charging interest on what I gave. Otherwise, it’s no better than a bank loan. Besides, God was more generous to me than I could ever be to others.
Owe no one Anything
I think today it’s better than ever to stay out of debt and keep out of debt as soon as you can. The Bible teaches us to be prudent or wise stewards, saying we are to “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). I think it’s unwise to borrow money from family and friends, because owing money can wreck relationships. Rather we must “love each other,” fulfilling the law itself.
Slave to the Lender
It’s not hard to believe that “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). The one who borrows works for the lender, or is slave to them, at least until the loan is paid off, however this doesn’t mean borrowing money is wrong because that’s how we are able to buy homes and cars and other necessities.
Pledging Money
A fundraiser I worked at had people calling in to pledge money, but sadly, when it came time to collect, the money, the collected money did not match the pledges that were given. This makes more sense of Solomon’s sage advice where he wrote, “Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you” (Proverbs 22:26-27)?
Exacting Interest
The Old Testament taught, “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him” (Exodus 2:25). This would be like me charging my widowed neighbor $5 interest on the $20 I loaned her. She’d probably not ask me for money again and I can’t say that I’d blame her.
One lesson I learned is to “not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you” (Proverbs 3:27-28). This would be like me having the means to help someone but not wanting to go to the trouble. I might even say, “I am sorry…I will pray for you” but I must remember what God said: “I will hear, for I am compassionate” (Exodus 22:27).
I hope you’ve learned more about borrowing money with these Bible verses! Don’t forget to share this page and visit another one of our great pages about God’s word.
Written by Pastor Jack Wellman
