Deuteronomy 33:18

hire of a harlot] Both of the consecrated and common prostitute, cp. Hosea 9:1; Micah 1:7; Isaiah 23:17 f., Ezekiel 16:34. Mövers (op. cit.) shows that in Phoenicia this hire was brought to the temple.

wages of a dog Heb. meḥîr, wage, Micah 3:11, elsewhere priceor payment, e.g. 2 Samuel 24:24; 1 Kings 10:28. Dog, keleb; the official name of the ḳadesh; cp. Phoen. inscription from Larnaca in CIS. i. 97, Revelation 22:15 and the Greek κύναιδος; in Ass. possibly also a general name for priests (above, p. 23, n. 1). See further W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem. 274.

house of Jehovah thy God In Deut. only here, but cp. E, Exodus 23:19, J, Exodus 34:26; Joshua 6:24; Judges 19:18, and frequently in Kings.

abomination See on Deuteronomy 7:25.

19, 20 ( 20, 21). Of Interest; forbidden on loans to fellow-Israelites, but allowed on loans to foreigners. In the Sg. address, with brother(not neighbour) and other of D's phrases; Deuteronomy 33:19 is parallel to E, Exodus 22:25 (24) and H, Leviticus 25:35-37, which forbid taking interest from poorIsraelites. In these cases it is clear that we have to do with charitable, not commercial, loans, on the latter of which in later days interest was expected (Matthew 25:27). Deuteronomy 33:20 on loans to foreigners deals with commercial loans, see Driver's note on Exodus 22:25. It is peculiar to D; there is no reason for regarding it (with Steuern.) as secondary. It is the proof, with several others, of the extension of Israel's foreign trade by the time of D. See above on Deuteronomy 15:6 and § 54 of the present writer's art. -Trade, etc.," in E.B.

Similarly among other Semites. Where poverty prevails and loans are for its relief and there is little trade, no interest is exacted, as among the Arabs (Doughty, Ar. Des.i. 318). In early Babylonian history -advances of all sorts were freely made both with and without interest," and -most of the loans were evidently contracted to meet temporary embarrassment" (Johns, Bab. and Ass. Laws, etc., 250 f.). But a very complicated system including advances of money and kind by private persons, the temple treasuries and the king's (cp. Matthew 25:14 ff., Luke 19:12 ff.) with various rates of interest and regulations, gradually developed in Babylonia (op. cit.ch. xxiii.), and we find a number of prescriptions already in the Code of Ḫammurabi (§§ 48 52, 100 107).