Proverbs 6 Footnotes

6:1-5 Becoming responsible for someone else’s debt is the epitome of folly because the person does not know how much such a commitment may cost him. Given the serious risk that this involves, Proverbs exhorts the person who has made this mistake to do whatever he can to extricate himself from the unwise commitment. It is unlikely that Proverbs means this as an absolute prohibition against ever cosigning for another person’s loan, but given the risks, it should always be entered into with extreme care.

6:15 One of the themes of the OT, beginning with Noah, is that sudden and quick judgment will come on the wicked. Sometimes the evil person, characterized by the qualities listed in vv. 12-14, is so consumed by his own arrogance that he does not see the danger clearly evident to those wiser than he. There are exceptions to this quick retribution. This caused great distress for the righteous (i.e., Pss 37; 73; Jr 12:1-4; and the book of Habakkuk).

6:28 The fact that there are people who can walk on coals without burning their feet does not negate the truth of the proverb but rather reflects a lack of understanding of what a proverb is. The point of the statement is that certain behaviors, such as holding fire against one’s body (v. 27) or walking on hot coals, involve innate and significant risks, and wisdom dictates that such behaviors should be avoided. Clearly adultery and sexual immorality belong in that category, and as v. 32 points out, they are self-destructive.