“The rich rules over the poor and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7)

This is one of the most common verses quoted among Christians when talking about debt. That’s because it is very clear and shows debt from the debtors point of view. Many verses in the Bible related to debt are commands or statements about the lenders. They talk about God’s people abusing the poor among them by exacting large amounts of interest that couldn’t be repaid, or commands not to do such things. It tells the rich not to rule over the poor and the lender not to treat the borrower like a slave.

Proverbs 22:7 is not inconsistent with other places in scripture that talk about debt because it is not an excuse to rich lenders to rule over the poor, it is merely telling how things often are. The very next verse commands justice for all people: “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.” (Proverbs 22:8) The Bible clearly condemns taking advantage of those less fortunate.

So while this proverb is mentioning a sad state of the world, I don’t think it is a command against getting into debt, as some Christians have argued.

To be sure, getting into debt should be avoided if possible. Logic and history show that it is better not to spend money you don’t have. However, sometimes it is impossible—or at least unrealistic— to buy something large like a house or to get a school degree without debt. This is especially true in today’s culture. If a person is paying for an apartment, they may not have enough money to save for a house, but if they buy one ahead of time that money can go straight to the lender, instead of paying for two housings at once. A person without a college degree fresh out of high school usually can’t make as much money as a graduate, who can then use their higher wages to pay off debt. While it is possible to go without debt, it can be very difficult.

God clearly commands us to be responsible with out money, so we should not carelessly spend or borrow, but I also don’t think He forbids getting into debt. After all, would God command lenders to be fair if borrowing money was a sin? I don’t think so. The Bible never says, “Make sure you pay a prostitute fairly” because prostitution is condemned. We should treat all people with justice and fairness, but God would not encourage any form of sin.

So what is the purpose of telling us, “The rich rules over the poor and the borrower is the slave of the lender”?

I think it is a warning and a “just be aware” statement. God (through Solomon) tells those who would get into debt to be aware that if they must take a loan, they are a slave to the lender until their debt is paid. In ancient times, if a person could not pay off a debt, they would actually become a slave or indentured servant as payment for their debt. But even in modern times, we see that we must pay what we owe or we could lose everything. We cannot follow our own whims and use our money however we wish, because some of our money is not actually ours and must be paid off. I just learned the other day that “mortgage” means “death pledge.” Think about that for a moment. Debt is a serious thing.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul says, “Pay to all what is owed to them.” (Romans 13:7a) In that verse he is specifically talking about taxes, but the statement is pretty clear. If you owe someone money, you must pay them back as quickly as you are able.

It is the lender’s job to be fair, and it is the borrowers job to pay what he owes, knowing he is a “slave” until he has finished paying.

While each person should do what the Holy Spirit and his/her conscience permit (some people are not comfortable with any debt), this is what my husband and I have decided about debt: avoid it if possible, and if you must get into debt, pay it off as quickly as possible.

So far in our lives (before and during marriage), my husband and I have been able to have a beautiful wedding, buy two vehicles, and get my husband’s engineering degree without any debt. Now, with buying land so we can build a house, we decided to get a loan. Our plan is to get the loan for as much as we can afford the downpayment for, and then pay it off as quickly as possible. The biggest ways to pay it off more quickly are to finish the house so we can move in and stop paying for our apartment and utilities here and finding little ways to make and save money. You may be surprised how quickly little things can add up when you think about them and act intentionally!

Jesus talks about building and money in Luke 14:28-30: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.'”

While these verses are an analogy of what it is like to follow Jesus, that we must count the cost of following Him so we can endure until the end, they are true in a literal sense too. Jesus is basically saying, “if you count the cost for something as little as a tower or house, how much more should you see what you want to dedicate your life and death to!” While the cost of following Jesus is a topic for another time, we see that we must count the cost before any endeavor whether big or small. As this relates to debt, we must see, “if I get this debt will I actually be able to pay it back?”

While we do not know the future and we are told not to be anxious about tomorrow for we do not know what will happen, that doesn’t mean planning and counting the costs are not important. True, God may bless us with money or a job or a raise we did not expect, but we cannot count on that. True, we may fall into poverty or lose our jobs or homes, but we do not need to worry about that. When it comes to money and planning, Christians are often called to plan but know that it is God’s plans that will come to pass. Debt must not become a stumbling block or a source of anxiety or fear, but rather we should earnestly seek God and ask the Holy Spirit to help us plan to use our time, money, and resources in a way that is honoring to him.