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Pawn

Biblical law protected the poor from exploitation through pledges and pawns, requiring lenders to treat borrowers with dignity and mercy. God's heart for the vulnerable is reflected in strict regulations governing how collateral could be taken and used.

Overview

In biblical times, a pawn was personal property pledged as collateral for a loan. God's law provided remarkable protections for the poor who had to borrow, forbidding lenders from taking essential items and requiring the return of pledges needed for survival. These commands reveal God's compassion for the economically vulnerable.

Key Scriptures

"If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down" (Exodus 22:26, ESV). "You shall not take a widow's garment in pledge" (Deuteronomy 24:17, ESV). "He is righteous...if he does not take advance or accrued interest; if he withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between man and man" (Ezekiel 18:5, 7, ESV).

Application

Believers should extend grace to those in financial hardship and avoid exploiting vulnerable people through lending practices, reflecting God's merciful character in all business dealings.

Scripture References 13
Deuteronomy 24:10 Deuteronomy 24:11 Deuteronomy 24:12 Deuteronomy 24:13 Exodus 22:26 Deuteronomy 24:17 Job 24:3 Proverbs 22:27 Ezekiel 18:5 Ezekiel 18:7 Ezekiel 18:12 Ezekiel 33:15 Amos 2:8
Full Topical Reference List 13 total — Nave's Topical Bible

General references

Amos 2:8 Deuteronomy 24:10 Deuteronomy 24:11 Deuteronomy 24:12 Deuteronomy 24:13 Deuteronomy 24:17 Exodus 22:26 Ezekiel 18:5 Ezekiel 18:7 Ezekiel 18:12 Ezekiel 33:15 Job 24:3 Proverbs 22:27
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