Exodus 22:25 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou shalt not be to him as an usurer— The Hebrew word נשׁךֶ neshek, signifies biting usury, says Parkhurst: so the Latins call it usura vorax: to this purpose some Hebrew. critics observe, that "the increase of usury is called נשׁךֶ neshek, because it resembles the bite of a serpent; for, as this is so small as scarcely to be perceptible at first, but the venom soon spreads and diffuses itself, till it reaches the vitals; so the increase of usury, which, at first, is not perceived or felt, at length grows so much, as by degrees to devour another's substance." It is evident, that what is here said must be understood of accumulated usury, or what we call compound interest, only. This is an offence, which almost all nations and people have agreed to condemn: indeed, the word usurer is commonly understood with us in a bad sense, for an exactor of illegal and exorbitant interest; and our laws subject the offender, on conviction, to a threefold restitution: on this account it is to be wished that, in Matthew 25:27 and Luke 19:23 our translators had used the word interest or increase, instead of usury. This usury is certainly forbidden to the Hebrews: but, from Deuteronomy 23:19-20 one would be apt to conclude, that every kind of usury or interest upon money, &c. between Hebrew and Hebrew, was forbidden; as usury from a stranger is there permitted. See Leviticus 25:35-36. The design of the great Lawgiver seems to have been, to inculcate benevolence among his people, and a tender regard to the poorer sort especially: while, with respect to strangers and others who traded with the nation, he permitted that advantage arising from the loan of money or commutation of goods, which all nations have agreed to allow, and upon which all commerce is founded. See Nehemiah 5:7.