Proverbs 6:1

1 son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

Proverbs 6:1 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 6:1

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend
To another; hast engaged thyself by promise or bond, or both, to pay a debt for him, if he is not able, or if required; or hast laid thyself under obligation to any, to see the debt of another paid; [if] thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger;
or "to" him ^F2; whom thou knowest not, and to whom thou owest nothing; and hast given him thine hand upon it, as well as thy word and bond, that what such an one owes him shall be paid; a gesture used in suretyship for the confirmation of it, ( Proverbs 17:18 ) ( 22:26 ) ; or, "for a stranger" ^F3 And the sense is, either if thou art become bound for a friend of thine, and especially if for a stranger thou knowest little or nothing of, this is a piece of rashness and weakness; or, as Gersom, if thou art a surety to thy friend for a stranger, this also is a great inadvertency and oversight. It is a rash and inconsiderate entering into suretyship that is here cautioned against; doing it without inquiring into, and having sufficient knowledge of the person engaged for; and without considering whether able to answer the obligation, if required, without hurting a man's self and family; otherwise suretyship may lawfully be entered into, and good be done by it, and no hurt to the surety himself and family. Jarchi interprets it of the Israelites engaging themselves to the Lord at Sinai, to keep his commandments.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (rzl) "extraneo", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Baynus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Cocceius, Schultens.
F3 "Pro alieno", Tigurine version; "pro alio peregrino", Michaelis.

Proverbs 6:1 In-Context

1 son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

2 For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

3 son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend's account thou art come into the power of evil : faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety.

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;

5 that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.