The borrower is slave to the lender
Proverbs 22:7 - Jesus offers freedom from the ultimate debt of sin, with believers set free from sin and becoming slaves to righteous living.
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”
Proverbs 22:7 NIV
Money has always been a biblical “hot topic”. A little over a week ago, God pointed me to Ecclesiastes 5:10 (“Whoever loves money never has enough”), and today he nudged me to this proverb of Solomon. I know that Barb and I — in the days before our return to Christianity — used to worry needlessly about how much money we made and how it was being spent. Barb can tell you that early in our courtship and marriage, I was a notorious penny-pincher, something that I think I learned from my Depression-era parents. Now? We keep an eye on our expenditures, we give generously to our church and to charities, and we let our faith in God’s provision keep us from worrying about money.
In this proverb, Solomon expresses an age-old truth. The Bible highlights this truth a lot, accurately describing the interplay of wealth and power. In Solomon’s time (and it’s also valid today), wealth equated to social influence and political power. Those with a lot of resources — the rich — could shape society to their advantage and control those who are less fortunate.
Remember that verse from Ecclesiastes (see above)? The two verses before that (Ecclesiastes 5:8-9) show just how those of means often oppress the poor and make a mockery of justice:
“If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.”
Both Old and New Testaments warn against misusing wealth and power. A more righteous use of wealth would be to act with more justice and to help provide for the needy. Think of this reminder from Isaiah 1:17:
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
The second part of the verse shows how debt makes a person vulnerable and dependent. In the countries of the ancient Near East, if a person borrowed money and then couldn’t repay the loan, they were forced into indentured servitude. Today, bankruptcy makes it much more difficult to borrow money again in the future although there’s no worry about becoming a slave to a lender…
However, even today there is a sense of slavery associated with debt. There’s a loss of autonomy and a burden of obligation that goes along with borrowing. I know that one of the most liberating days of my life was when our home mortgage was paid off! There are many warnings in scripture about overextending oneself financially, as well as numerous verses encouraging cautious stewardship of resources.
There’s a spiritual dimension to debt that is at the heart of the New Testament. Jesus offers freedom from the ultimate debt of sin, with believers set free from sin and becoming slaves to righteous living. This is described perfectly in Romans 6:18:
“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”
I’ll end today’s devotional with this commentary from Enduring Word:
i. “The point…is that one must regard indebtedness only as a last resort (wary of those who offer to lend money) and endeavor to get out of debt as rapidly as possible. Debt is debilitating and demoralizing.” (Garrett)
ii. “Too often the rich rule over the poor in a harsh way. Indeed, without submitting to God’s rule over us, we can hardly be trusted with power over our fellowmen.” (Bridges)
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, You are our provider and source of peace. Guard our lives and hearts from the snares of both financial debt and the ultimate debt of sin. Teach us to live with contentment, steward our possessions with care, and seek Your kingdom above worldly gain. Help us to walk confidently in freedom from greed and fear, and to have only You as our master. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author
BibleHub was accessed on May 11, 2025 for commentary on Proverbs 22:7