Take thou no usury of him, &c.— This is explained by the next verse. See Exodus 22:25. That thy brother may live with thee, signifies that he may prosper and thrive, &c. for, to live, in the Scripture, frequently signifies to be comfortable; Deuteronomy 8:1. A stronger motive to induce the people to be free and disinterested in their benevolence could not well be urged, than the free and disinterested benevolence of God to them, Leviticus 25:38.
REFLECTIONS.—God will have particular regard paid to his poor people, and no difference must be made between the home-born and the stranger. Wherever poverty is, it is a demand for our assistance. They must pity, and, out of their abundance, supply their wants; and as a small sum lent to the industrious poor is often the greatest charity which can be done them, as enabling them to work for themselves, they may not take any usury for it. These are laws still in force; for though interest from those who use our money to traffic and make gain with is lawful, yet many times the same charity which bids us freely give to one obliges us freely to lend another. The rich must not live for themselves merely, or engross all; God expects that, as he has given the poor life, we should make their subsistence comfortable.