40 Powerful Bible Verses About Debt

Debt is a subject that affects millions of people worldwide. From personal loans to mortgages and credit cards, debt often brings stress and financial pressure. However, the Bible provides wisdom and guidance on how to view debt, handle it, and avoid falling into financial bondage. These Bible verses about debt offer not just financial guidance but also spiritual insight into living responsibly and trusting God as our ultimate provider.

This post will highlight 40 powerful Bible verses about debt, provide practical lessons, and explore real-life examples of debt in the Bible to encourage you in your financial and spiritual journey.

What Does the Bible Say About Debt?

The Scriptures do not outright forbid borrowing, but they warn about the dangers of becoming enslaved to creditors. Debt creates obligations and limits freedom. The Bible repeatedly encourages diligence, wisdom, and trust in God’s provision rather than reliance on borrowing.

One foundational truth is found in Proverbs 22:7: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the servant to the lender.” This verse sets the tone for a biblical perspective on debt, it places individuals in a position of servitude.

Examples of Debt in the Bible

Throughout Scripture, there are vivid illustrations of debt and its consequences:

The Widow’s Debt (2 Kings 4:1–7) – A widow of a prophet was left in great debt, and creditors threatened to take her sons as slaves. Through the prophet Elisha, God miraculously multiplied her oil, allowing her to pay off her debts and live in abundance. This story reveals that God cares about financial struggles and provides solutions.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23–35) – Jesus used debt as a metaphor for sin and forgiveness. A servant who owed an impossible amount was forgiven by his master but refused to forgive a smaller debt from another. This illustrates both God’s mercy and the importance of extending grace to others.
Nehemiah’s Rebuke of Debt Oppression (Nehemiah 5:1–13) – During a famine, wealthy Jews were charging interest and enslaving their own people. Nehemiah confronted this injustice, teaching us that debt can also be used to oppress the vulnerable, something God strongly condemns.

These examples of debt in the Bible serve as both warnings and encouragements for us to handle our finances with responsibility and compassion.

40 Bible Verses About Debt

Here are 40 Bible verses about debt for your study and reflection:

Romans 13:8 – “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
Proverbs 22:7 – “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
Deuteronomy 15:6 – “For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow.”
Deuteronomy 28:12 – “The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure… and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.”
Psalm 37:21 – “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.”
Matthew 6:12 – “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
Nehemiah 5:3–5 – “We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.”
Nehemiah 5:7 – “Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.”
Exodus 22:25 – “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer.”
Leviticus 25:35–36 – “If thy brother be waxen poor… thou shalt take no usury of him, or increase.”
Leviticus 25:39 – “If thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant.”
Deuteronomy 15:1–2 – “At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it.”
Deuteronomy 24:10–11 – “When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.”
2 Kings 4:1 – “There cried a certain woman… saying, Thy servant my husband is dead… and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.”
Proverbs 6:1–2 – “My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth.”
Proverbs 17:18 – “A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.”
Proverbs 11:15 – “He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it.”
Proverbs 20:16 – “Take his garment that is surety for a stranger.”
Proverbs 22:26–27 – “Be not thou one of them that strike hands… If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?”
Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 – “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it.”
Matthew 18:27 – “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.”
Matthew 18:28 – “But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence.”
Matthew 18:30 – “And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.”
Matthew 18:32 – “O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt.”
Luke 7:41–42 – “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.”
Luke 16:5 – “So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?”
Luke 16:7 – “Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat.”
Colossians 2:14 – “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us… and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”
Philemon 1:18–19 – “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account.”
Nehemiah 5:11 – “Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands… also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil.”
Ezekiel 18:12–13 – “Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge… he shall not live.”
Ezekiel 18:16–17 – “Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge… hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity.”
Ezekiel 22:12 – “In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase.”
Jeremiah 34:14 – “At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew… and hath been sold unto thee.”
Amos 2:6 – “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel… because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes.”
Habakkuk 2:6–7 – “Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? … Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee?”
James 5:4 – “Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth.”
Exodus 21:2 – “If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.”
2 Corinthians 8:13–14 – “For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: but by an equality.”
2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Practical Lessons from Bible Verses About Debt

Here are practical lessons from bible verses about debt that you can learn:

Avoid unnecessary borrowing. Debt places you in bondage to creditors.
Practice contentment. Live within your means and be satisfied with what God provides.
Be generous. Giving freely demonstrates trust in God’s provision.
Repay what you owe. Honesty and integrity require fulfilling your obligations.
Trust God for provision. He is your ultimate source, not creditors.

Conclusion

Debt can feel overwhelming, but the Word of God provides guidance, wisdom, and hope. These Bible verses about debt remind us of the importance of financial responsibility and dependence on God. By applying these Scriptures, you can live in greater freedom and peace, making choices that honor God.

May these 40 Bible verses about debt encourage you to live debt-free, trust God with your finances, and walk in the freedom that Christ offers.