Lexical Summary
tarbith: Increase, interest, usury
Original Word:תַּרְבִּית
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:tarbiyth
Pronunciation:tar-beeth'
Phonetic Spelling:(tar-beeth')
KJV: increase, unjust gain
NASB:increase, profits, usurious, usury
Word Origin:[fromH7235 (רָבָה - To increase)]
1. multiplication, i.e. percentage or bonus in addition to principal
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
increase, unjust gain
Fromrabah; multiplication, i.e. Percentage or bonus in addition to principal -- increase, unjust gain.
see HEBREWrabah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
rabahDefinitionincrement, interest, usury
NASB Translationincrease (3), profits (1), usurious (1), usury (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(=
; compare (on both) Arabic
IV.take usury,
interest, usury, Syriac
; SaalschützMos. Recht (ii. 1848), 859 HoelemannLetzte Bibelstud. (1885), 297 f. DiLeviticus 25:36 BennHast. DB DEBT); — always absolute : +Leviticus 25:36 (H),Ezekiel 18:17;Ezekiel 22:12;Proverbs 28:8; ""id.Ezekiel 18:8,13.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Conceptתַּרְבִּית (tarbith) denotes “increase” in the sense of gain accrued from a loan. In the five Old Testament occurrences it refers specifically to interest (or usury) taken from the needy, standing alongside נֶשֶׁךְ (neshekh, “bite”) as a parallel term for exploitative profit.
Occurrences and Context
•Proverbs 28:8 warns, “He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.” Scripture depicts such wealth-building as temporary and ultimately transferred to the righteous.
•Ezekiel 18:8 lists refusal to take interest or profit among the marks of a just man.
•Ezekiel 18:13 condemns the opposite practice: “He lends at interest and takes a profit—will such a man live? He will not!”
•Ezekiel 18:17 repeats the righteous standard.
•Ezekiel 22:12 places interest and profit alongside bribery and bloodshed as evidence of Jerusalem’s corruption.
Together these passages frame תַּרְבִּית as an indicator of either covenant faithfulness or apostasy, depending on whether it is rejected or embraced.
Historical and Cultural Background
In the agrarian economy of ancient Israel, loans were commonly sought by the poor to survive a failed harvest or other crisis. Mosaic law protected such borrowers: “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest” (Exodus 22:25). Taking תַּרְבִּית from a fellow Israelite thus violated covenant ethics, exploiting vulnerability and threatening the kinship solidarity on which the community depended. Outside Israel (Deuteronomy 23:20) interest was permitted, reflecting a distinction between covenant family and foreign trade.
Theological Emphases
1. Justice and Mercy. Refusal to exact תַּרְבִּית embodies God’s concern that economic power never be used to “bite” the poor (cf.Leviticus 25:35-38). Charging it marks a breakdown of love of neighbor.
2. Stewardship under God. Wealth comes from the Lord; therefore gain that ignores His commands is ultimately insecure (Proverbs 28:8).
3. Personal Accountability.Ezekiel 18 stresses individual responsibility: the righteous man rejects interest; the wicked man embraces it and “will surely die” (Ezekiel 18:13).
4. Corporate Guilt and Judgment.Ezekiel 22 portrays a citywide pattern of תַּרְבִּית contributing to impending exile, illustrating that systemic injustice invites divine judgment.
Connections with Wider Biblical Teaching
•Psalm 15:5 includes refusal to “lend money at interest” among the qualities of one who may dwell on God’s holy hill.
•Nehemiah 5 narrates real-life reform when leaders repent of exacting usury.
• In the New Testament, while commercial lending in a developed economy is not directly addressed, the spirit of the law endures: love seeks the other’s good (Romans 13:8), generosity toward the needy is praised (Luke 6:34-35;2 Corinthians 8:13-15), and disciples are warned against greed (1 Timothy 6:9-11).
Practical and Ministry Implications
• Teaching on biblical finance should highlight the heart issue—profit must never eclipse compassion.
• Churches can model just lending through benevolence funds or interest-free microloans to members in crisis.
• Advocacy for fair lending practices aligns with the prophetic stance against exploitation.
• Personal application involves examining investments and business practices for hidden forms of unjust gain.
Summary
תַּרְבִּית serves as a litmus test of covenant fidelity: when God’s people refuse unjust profit, they reflect His character of mercy; when they demand it, they invite judgment. The enduring principle is clear—economic dealings must be governed by love, justice, and trust in the Lord rather than by the pursuit of gain at another’s expense.
Forms and Transliterations
וְתַרְבִּ֣ית וְתַרְבִּ֥ית וְתַרְבִּית֙ וְתַרְבִּ֑ית ותרבית vetarBit
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