נָשַׁךְ

# The Hebrew Word for Interest: נָשַׁךְ (nashakh) The Hebrew verb נָשַׁךְ (nashakh) denotes the act of charging or paying interest on a loan. Based on its four occurrences in the biblical text, this word captures a specific financial transaction—the extra amount demanded beyond the principal sum lent. The verb's straightforward definition reflects its role in economic exchanges, though the frequency of its appearance suggests it addressed a particular concern in ancient Israelite society. The rarity of this term in biblical literature (only four uses) indicates that while interest-bearing loans existed, they were not the dominant focus of biblical financial discourse. Instead of being a common everyday term, nashakh appears precisely where it needed to address a specific practice. This limited usage may reflect the biblical text's selective attention to financial ethics, highlighting certain lending practices for particular reasons rather than documenting all commercial activity. Understanding nashakh matters because it demonstrates that ancient Hebrew had precise vocabulary for describing financial mechanisms. Rather than using vague or metaphorical language, the biblical writers employed a dedicated verb when discussing interest payments, suggesting this was a recognized and distinct aspect of their economic system worthy of explicit terminology.