Borrow

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

We do not meet with this word very often in Scripture, nevertheless, seldom as it is used, it is not always used in the same sense. From that memorable passage in Scripture,  Exodus 3:22, where the Lord commanded Moses, that the people should borrow of their neighbours, on their departure from Egypt, jewels of gold and of silver, the idea hath arisen in many minds, that as the things then borrowed were never afterwards returned, there was intended, and committed, a real fraud. But it is to be observed, that the word borrow, from the same root, is differently rendered in the case of Hannah, when asking the Lord for a son. Had the root been regarded in her instance, from whence the word Hannah used it, and from whence it was taken, it would have been, she borrowed of the Lord a son. Whereas, there it is rendered she called his name Samuel, which (as the margin of the Bible renders it,) is asked of God; "for she said, I have asked him of God." ( 1 Samuel 1:20) Now, here we find the word, though the same, from the same root is not to borrow, but to beg as a favour. And the subject is farther explained in the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth verses of the same chapter. For when she brought Samuel to the temple, she tells Eli, for this child (said she) I prayed, and the Lord "hath given me my petition which I asked of him;" therefore also, I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. In the margin it is, I have returned him, whom I have received by petition, to the Lord; or, he whom I have received by petition shall be returned. Hence, therefore, the original word is not, in the strict sense of it, to borrow as a loan; but may be rendered, to ask or request, or beg and crave. And so I find the verb, or root, rendered in Mr. Parkhurst's Lexicon, page 656.

I have thought it proper, in a work of this kind, to notice the above. But I beg that it may be considered, at the same time, that if the word be still accepted, as our translators have rendered it to borrow,  Exodus 3:22, there will not attach to it the least matter of fraud. Let it be remembered, that when the children of Israel, under the first Pharaoh, went down into Egypt, they were commanded by the king not "to regard their stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt was to be theirs." ( Genesis 45:16-20) But it appears from their history, that when Jacob and his family went down to sojourn in "Egypt, they took their cattle and their goods with them." ( Genesis 46:1-7) It becomes an important question in the subject, to ask, What became of this property, improved and increased, as we may reasonably suppose it to have been, when another king arose, who knew not Joseph? Moreover, we are told, that the children, when in bondage, built treasure cities for Pharaoh,  Exodus 1:8. And what wages did the tyrant give them for those labours? We are told, indeed, that they made their lives bitter to them with their cruel bondage; "and that they cast out their children, to the end they might not live." ( Acts 7:19) When, therefore, the Lord had turned their tables upon them, and by the plagues upon Pharaoh, and all his people, had made a way for the Exodus, of his chosen, no doubt, under the remorse of their minds, and their sorrow of heart, the Egyptians were glad to part with the Israelites at any rate, and therefore lent them, or gave them such things as they asked.

I only beg to add, under this view of the subject, that as the tabernacle in the wilderness was afterwards adorned with the gold and silver the Israelites brought with them from Egypt, it is plain that the Lord approved of the conduct of his servants in asking from their neighbours such things as they needed, and as the Lord himself had commanded. ( Exodus 3:22)

And might there not be somewhat typical in the thing itself, in reference to the future call (as was all along intended) of the Gentile church? I beg the reader to read that sweet passage of the prophet  Isaiah 19:18-25; and see the rich promises of the call of Egypt with Assyria, when the Lord shall set up the New Testament altar, even the Lord Jesus Christ, in the midst of the land of Egypt; and five cities shall speak the language of Canaan, even the gospel language of salvation by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I would ask, Is not that day, yea, that very day, at hand? Hath not the Lord, even now, been planting the gospel in Egypt? Hath not our God, when working by terrible things in righteousness, as he doth in the present awful war, caused even the Musselmen and inhabitants of Egypt to look on the congregations and prayer meetings of some of our pious soldiers who have been there? The writer of this hath himself received testimony to this striking providence of our God from a faithful soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as a faithful servant of his king and country, who was there, and an eye-witness to such characters looking in upon them, when he and a few of his devout comrades met together to read the Scriptures, and pray, and sing praises to the Lord. And who shall say what eventual blessed consequences may arise out of it? Who knows, but from this may spring up, as from a grain of mustard seed, a glorious harvest to our God? Oh! for that happy period when, according to this sweet prophecy, "the Lord of hosts himself shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hand, and Israel mine inheritance."

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

In  Exodus 3:22;  Exodus 12:35-36 not in the sense of taking on loan, which has given a handle for scoffers, as if the Israelites borrowed what they did not return, and so purloined from the Egyptians. Shaal means only to ask: the Israelites asked, and "the Egyptians MADE THEM ASK," i.e. urged them to ask, so eager were they to get them away, through fear of the plagues, which  Exodus 11:8 confirms, also  Psalms 105:37-38; they allowed them to ask (not "lent"), i.e. received favorably their asking jewels of silver, gold, and raiment, yea, even urged them to ask for more than the Israelites at first asked.

The Egyptians could not for a moment have expected the Israelites would return them; for Jehovah's demand, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me," enforced by the rapidly successive plagues, must have convinced the Egyptians that Israel had before them some far more momentous movement than a three days' march to a feast. The Egyptians' gifts, though outwardly seeming to flow from their goodwill, if viewed more deeply were the result of Jehovah's constraining power, which made them just and generous in spite of themselves.

As they had spoiled Israel by the bondservice unremunerated, so Israel, Jehovah's host ( Exodus 12:41) marched forth "with an high hand" ( Exodus 14:8)," by strength of Jehovah's hand" ( Exodus 13:16), having "spoiled" their spoilers, an earnest of the saints' and Israel's final victory over the world powers and the prince of this world ( Zechariah 14:14). In  1 Samuel 1:28 the same Hebrew verb ought not to be translated "I lent him to the Lord ... he shall be lent to the Lord," but "I also (on my part in return for His favor) make him one asked of the Lord (and therefore returned to the Lord, see margin); ... he shall be as one asked of (and therefore returned to) the Lord."

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Leviticus 25:35-37 Deuteronomy 15:6 Deuteronomy 26:12 Nehemiah 5:1-5 Exodus 22:14-15

In  Matthew 5:42 , Jesus cites generosity “from him that would borrow of thee” as one example of an unexpected, loving response (instead of the typical self-protective response) to others' demands and abuses. In each example ( Matthew 5:38-42 ) the disciple's primary concern is the other person, not protecting one's own vested interests. The second person singular in  Matthew 5:42 makes clear the personal nature of this response to the would-be borrower. This passage is part of Jesus' consistent emphasis on absolute loyalty to the way of God's kingdom, which necessitates a carefree regard for one's possessions (  Matthew 6:24-34 ) and personal security ( Matthew 5:43-48 ) as one unselfishly loves the neighbor.

David Nelson Duke

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: δανείζω (Strong'S #1155 — Verb — daneizo — dan-ide'-zo )

in the Active Voice, signifies "to lend money," as in  Luke 6:34,35; in the Middle Voice, "to have money lent to oneself, to borrow,"  Matthew 5:42 . Cp. dan(e)ion, "a debt,"  Matthew 18:27 , and dan(e)istes, "a creditor,"  Luke 7:41 . See Lend.

King James Dictionary

BOR'ROW,

1. To take from another by request and consent, with a view to use the thing taken for a time, and return it, or if the thing taken is to be consumed or transferred in the use, then to return an equivalent in kind as, to borrow a book, a sum of money,or a loaf of bread. It is opposed to lend. 2. To take from another, for one's own use to copy or select from the writings of another author as, to borrow a passage from a printed book to borrow a title. 3. To take or adopt for one's own use, sentiments, principles, doctrines and the like as, to borrow instruction. 4. To take for use something that belongs to another to assume, copy or imitate as, to borrow a shape to borrow the manners of another, or his style of writing.

BOR'ROW, n. A borrowing the act of borrowing. Not used.

But of your royal presence I'll adventure.

The borrow of a week.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): (n.) The act of borrowing.

(2): (n.) Something deposited as security; a pledge; a surety; a hostage.

(3): (v. t.) To receive from another as a loan, with the implied or expressed intention of returning the identical article or its equivalent in kind; - the opposite of lend.

(4): (v. t.) To take (one or more) from the next higher denomination in order to add it to the next lower; - a term of subtraction when the figure of the subtrahend is larger than the corresponding one of the minuend.

(5): (v. t.) To copy or imitate; to adopt; as, to borrow the style, manner, or opinions of another.

(6): (v. t.) To feign or counterfeit.

(7): (v. t.) To receive; to take; to derive.

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Exodus 3:22 (a) The Hebrew word for "borrow" is rendered "ask" eighty-five times and is rendered "borrow" five times. The real word for borrow, as we understand the meaning of it, is found in  Deuteronomy 28:12;  Nehemiah 5:4;  Psalm 37:21. Israel did not borrow from the Egyptians only that to which they were entitled as wages for four hundred years of slavery. There was no indication nor suggestion that repayment would be made. It was a plain solicitation of that which was rightly their due for years of service with no pay.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Exodus 12:35 Deuteronomy 28:12 Psalm 37:21 Exodus 12:36Loan