What does the Bible say about debt?
Maybe you grew up thinking any debt is sin. Maybe you’ve never thought about debt and the Bible at all. Either way, God has more to say about it than most people realize.
The Bible doesn’t forbid borrowing, but it treats debt as a weight to avoid and escape. It warns that the borrower becomes servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7), calls people of God to repay what they owe (Psalm 37:21), tells them to lend generously without exploiting the poor (Exodus 22:25), and calls them to owe nothing except love (Romans 13:8). God built debt release into Israel’s calendar (Deuteronomy 15:1–2), a picture of what Jesus did when He canceled the debt of our sin (Colossians 2:14).
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The servant forgiven a fortune
Jesus told of a servant who owed his king ten thousand talents, a debt he could never repay in a lifetime. He begged for time, and the king did something stunning: he canceled the entire debt. Then that same servant found a man who owed him a small amount and had him thrown into prison (Matthew 18:23–34). Jesus’ point: we have been forgiven a debt we could never pay. That should change how we treat everything we owe and everything owed to us.
What the Bible teaches
Debt limits your freedom. The borrower serves the lender (Proverbs 22:7).
Repaying is righteous. Not paying what you owe is called wicked (Psalm 37:21).
Lending should be generous. God’s people were told not to charge interest to the poor (Exodus 22:25).
Release is built in. Every seventh year, debts among Israelites were released (Deuteronomy 15:1–2).
Love is the debt that never ends. Owe nothing except to love one another (Romans 13:8).
The bigger picture
Throughout Scripture, debt becomes a picture of sin: something we owe God and can’t pay. The cross is where that record was canceled and nailed down (Colossians 2:13–14). The freedom Jesus gives you spiritually is the freedom He wants to grow in every part of your life, including your finances.
What the Bible says
- 01
The borrower and the lender.
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”
Proverbs 22:7 - 02
Owe nothing but love.
“Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”
Romans 13:8 - 03
Repaying what you owe.
“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.”
Psalm 37:21 - 04
The year of release.
“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed.”
Deuteronomy 15:1–2 - 05
The debt Jesus canceled.
“When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses, having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!”
Colossians 2:13–14 - 06
Lending, not borrowing.
“The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.”
Deuteronomy 28:12
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.
Read Matthew 18:23–35 today. Then write down one debt you owe and one way you can start paying it down this month.
Common questions
Is it a sin to take out a loan?
No. Scripture never calls borrowing itself a sin, but it warns about its weight. Borrow rarely, borrow wisely, and repay faithfully.
Is a mortgage biblical?
A home loan you can afford, on a home that holds or grows in value, can be part of building an inheritance. The danger is debt that funds consumption rather than assets.
Should Christians lend money?
Yes, generously and without exploiting anyone in need (Psalm 112:5). Many people find it wiser to give a gift than to lend to a friend.
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