Exodus 22:25 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Any of my people, i.e. any Israelite; for it was permitted to take usury of the Gentiles, Deuteronomy 23:20. That is poor: this seems to be added not by way of apposition, as if God's people and the poor were all one, because such are commonly poor; but by way of restriction; for God had promised greatly to bless and enrich the generality of his people, if they by their wickedness did not hinder it, and that there should be few poor among them; yet some such there should be for the trial and exercise of their charity. See Leviticus 19:10 Deuteronomy 15:4,7,11. Usury; the Hebrew word signifies biting; so usury is called, not by way of distinction, as if moderate usury were allowed in this case, which is manifestly false, because the borrower is here supposed to be poor, to whom not the use only, but ofttimes even the principal is to be remitted, Luke 6:34,35; but by way of explication, because all usury is of a biting or eating nature, which commonly consumes the person that pays it.