Reference: Debtor
American
One under obligations, whether pecuniary or moral, Mt 23:16; Ro 1:14; Ga 5:3. If the house, cattle, or goods of a Hebrew would not meet his debts, his land might be appropriate for this purpose until the year of Jubilee, or his person might be reduced into servitude till he had paid his debt by his labor, or till the year of Jubilee, which terminated Hebrew bondage in all cases, Le 25:29-41; 2Ki 4:1; Ne 5:3-5.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
"If a person sells a residential house in a walled city, he is to redeem it within the year in which it was sold. He may have right to its redemption for a full year. But if it's not redeemed by the end of a full year, then the house next to which is a wall is to belong in perpetuity to the one who bought it throughout his generations. It is not to be returned in the jubilee. read more. However, the houses in the villages that don't have walls around them are to be categorized along with the fields of the land they may be redeemed and returned in the jubilee. Nevertheless, the cities that belong to the descendants of Levi that is, the houses in the cities that belong to them are to belong to the descendants of Levi perpetually as part of their right of redemption. If someone from the descendants of Levi redeems the houses in the cities that they own, they are to be returned in the jubilee, because the houses of the cities of the descendants of Levi are to remain their property among the Israelis. Also, the open land of their cities is not to be sold, because it is to remain their perpetual inheritance." "If your relative becomes so poor that he is indebted to you, then you are to support him. You are to let him live with you just like the resident alien and the traveler. You are not to take interest or profit from him. Instead, you are to fear your God and let your relative live with you. You are not to loan him money with interest or sell him your food at a profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. "If your brother with you becomes so poor that he sells himself to you, you are not to make him serve like a bond slave. Instead, he is to serve with you like a hired servant or a traveler who lives with you, until the year of jubilee. Then he and his children with him may leave to return to his family and his ancestor's inheritance.
Others were saying, "We're having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine." Still others were saying "We've borrowed money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king's taxes. read more. Now our bodies are no different than the bodies of our relatives, and our children are like their children. Nevertheless, we're about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already in bondage. It's beyond our power to do anything about it, because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
"How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, "Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.'
Both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to foolish people, I am a debtor.
Easton
Various regulations as to the relation between debtor and creditor are laid down in the Scriptures.
(1.) The debtor was to deliver up as a pledge to the creditor what he could most easily dispense with (De 24:10-11).
(2.) A mill, or millstone, or upper garment, when given as a pledge, could not be kept over night (Ex 22:26-27).
(3.) A debt could not be exacted during the Sabbatic year (De 15:1-15).
For other laws bearing on this relation see Le 25:14,32,39; Mt 18:25,34.
(4.) A surety was liable in the same way as the original debtor (Pr 11:15; 17:18).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If you take your neighbor's coat as collateral, you are to return it to him by sunset, for it's his only covering; it's his outer garment, for what else can he sleep in? And when he cries out to me, I'll hear him, for I am gracious.
So if you had sold property to a neighbor or had acquired land from your neighbor, you are not to cheat one another.
Nevertheless, the cities that belong to the descendants of Levi that is, the houses in the cities that belong to them are to belong to the descendants of Levi perpetually as part of their right of redemption.
"If your brother with you becomes so poor that he sells himself to you, you are not to make him serve like a bond slave.
"You must cancel your debts at the end of every seventh year. This is the way to conduct remission: every creditor must cancel the loan that his friend borrowed, and he must not pressure his friend or brother to repay it, because remission to the LORD will be proclaimed. read more. You may exact payment from a foreigner, but cancel whatever your brother owes you. Moreover, there will be no poor person among you, for the LORD will surely bless you in the land that he is about to give you to possess. Only be certain to obey the voice of the LORD your God. Carefully observe all of these commands that I'm commanding to you today. For the LORD your God will bless you just as he promised. You are to lend to many nations but not borrow. Also, you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you." "If there should be a poor man among your relatives in one of the cities of the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, don't be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor relative. Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need. Be careful not to think this wicked thought to yourselves: "The seventh year, the year of remission, is drawing near,' and you show ill will toward your poor relative and not give to him. He may then call to the LORD on account of you, and you will be guilty of sin. You must certainly give to him and not feel regret for doing so. Because of this, the LORD your God will bless all your works and everything you do. Since poor people won't cease to exist in the land, therefore I'm commanding you: Be sure to be generous to your poor and needy relatives in your land." "When a fellow Hebrew male or female slave is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you are to set them free. But when you set them free, don't send them away empty-handed. Provide for them liberally from your flock, threshing floor, and wine vat. As the LORD your God has blessed you, so give to them. Don't ever forget that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, yet the LORD your God redeemed you. Therefore, I'm giving you these commands today.
"When you loan something to your neighbor, don't enter his house to seize what he offered as collateral. Stay outside and let the man to whom you made the loan bring it out to you.
Securing a loan for a stranger will bring suffering, but by refusing to do so, one remains safe.
A man who lacks sense cosigns a loan, becoming a guarantor for his neighbor.
Because he couldn't pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned to be sold so that payment could be made.
In anger his master handed him over to the jailers until he could repay the entire debt.
Smith
Debtor.
[LOAN]
See Loan