# Is “The borrower is slave to the lender” in the Bible?

> Yes. “The borrower is slave to the lender” is in the Bible, at Proverbs 22:7.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-borrower-is-slave-to-the-lender
By Andrew Kittridge · November 11, 2026

It is one of the proverbs of Solomon.

## The verse

> The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
>
> — [Proverbs 22:7](https://www.lumin.faith/read/proverbs/22#7) (Lumin Translation)

These exact words are in the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible.

## What it means there

The first half says the rich rule over the poor. The proverb is not a law against borrowing. It is a plain warning that debt puts one person under another’s power. “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” is Shakespeare, not Scripture.

## Common questions

### Is “The borrower is slave to the lender” in the Bible?

Yes. “The borrower is slave to the lender” is in the Bible, at Proverbs 22:7. These exact words are in the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible. It is one of the proverbs of Solomon.

### Where in the Bible is “The borrower is slave to the lender”?

In Proverbs 22:7. In the Lumin Translation, Proverbs 22:7 reads: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”

### Who said “The borrower is slave to the lender”?

It is one of the proverbs of Solomon.

### What does “The borrower is slave to the lender” mean in the Bible?

The first half says the rich rule over the poor. The proverb is not a law against borrowing. It is a plain warning that debt puts one person under another’s power. “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” is Shakespeare, not Scripture.

## More

- [Is “An eye for an eye” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/an-eye-for-an-eye.md)
- [Is “Fight the good fight” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/fight-the-good-fight.md)
- [Is “Holier than thou” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/holier-than-thou.md)
- [Is “Jesus wept” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/jesus-wept.md)
- [Is “Let there be light” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/let-there-be-light.md)
- [Is “Love your neighbor as yourself” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/love-your-neighbor-as-yourself.md)
- [Is “No rest for the wicked” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/no-rest-for-the-wicked.md)
- [Is “A prophet is not without honor” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor.md)
- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)