KJV ORIGINAL
No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
No one should take a person's millstone (either the upper or lower grinding stone) as collateral for a loan, because that would be taking away their means of survival.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is protecting people from losing their basic tools for making food and earning a living when they borrow money.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, millstones were essential household tools used to grind grain into flour for daily bread. Taking someone's millstone as collateral would leave them unable to prepare food for their family. This law was part of Moses' instructions to create a just society that protected the poor and vulnerable from exploitation by lenders.
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