Does the Bible say anything about lending money?

from the old testament

• In Deuteronomy 15:7–8, God told the Israelites, "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be."
• The Israelites were not permitted to charge interest on loans made to other Jews (Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19–20; Leviticus 25:36–38). This demonstrated that lending should not be done to get rich but to help the needy (Proverbs 28:8).
• Another example of this principle about lending is that every seven years, debts were cancelled among Israelites (Deuteronomy 15; Leviticus 25).

from the new testament

• In Matthew 5:42, Jesus said, "Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” This is a general principle; common sense and stewardship of money matter as well. We’re to be good stewards of any resources the Lord has blessed us with, including money (Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 16:10–11; 1 Peter 4:10).
• God encourages generosity: "give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).
• Before lending to others, though, we must provide for our own families. Paul reveals that if we do not, we are “worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
• Suppose we have the resources to provide for others in need. An unwillingness to financially assist someone in that situation may indicate an attachment to money that is spiritually unhealthy: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs" (1 Timothy 6:10).

implications for today

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius’s advice to his son Laertes has become one of the most well-known lines in the play: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” (1.3). Polonius doesn’t want his son to fall into the financial traps that often come with lending and borrowing.

Our heavenly Father also wants us to be good stewards of what He has blessed us with, including money (Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 16:10–11; 1 Peter 4:10). But for Christians, good stewardship includes lending money to those in need. By doing this, we are laying up treasures in heaven by showing the love of God on earth (Matthew 6:19–20).

Do we have to lend money even if we know that a person has regularly used our donations for harmful things, like drugs or alcohol? No, but we should use our funds to help that person as best we can—whether with food, rehabilitation, or other assistance. Also, family must be the priority (1 Timothy 5:8). In other words, we’re to use discernment and wisdom. But when we see a brother or sister in need, it isn’t enough to merely express sympathy for their plight. James put it this way: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:15-17).

As “new creations,” we should want to help others with the means God has blessed us with (2 Corinthians 5:17), including money. When we do so, we give glory to our Father in heaven.