Proverbs 6:1
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "stricken your hand" isn't just a metaphor for agreement; it points to the physical act of a handshake that sealed a deal, turning a casual promise into a binding contract that could ensnare you. This ancient custom highlights how easily a seemingly small gesture of goodwill can lead to serious financial and personal entanglements.
This passage begins a series of warnings from a fatherly teacher about serious financial and moral pitfalls. The proverb immediately addresses the dangerous practice of becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, whether it's for a friend or a stranger. This act, often sealed by a handshake, can quickly entangle the giver in financial ruin and personal bondage, especially in a society where commerce and borrowing were becoming more complex.
In ancient times, a simple handshake sealed a deal. But in Proverbs, this gesture can become a trap.
The phrase 'stricken thy hand' refers to the physical act of shaking hands, a common way to finalize agreements and signify a promise. When it comes to suretyship, this handshake isn't just a friendly gesture; it's a binding legal commitment. The verse highlights that pledging yourself for someone else, whether a friend or a stranger, starts with this seemingly simple act. It underscores how easily financial entanglements can begin with what feels like a minor commitment, leading to significant consequences.
Does it matter if you're helping a close friend or a complete stranger? Proverbs says the danger is the same.
The verse mentions both 'your friend' and 'a stranger.' This is crucial because it broadens the warning against suretyship. It doesn't matter how well you know the person or how noble their intentions seem. The act of becoming a guarantor for someone else’s debt carries inherent risks, regardless of your relationship with them. Whether it's for a trusted friend who falls on hard times or a stranger with whom you have no prior connection, the potential for financial ruin is present. The wisdom here is that emotional connection doesn't eliminate financial risk.
Understand the original words
ben · Hebrew Noun
A term of endearment used by a teacher or parent to a pupil or child, signifying the transfer of wisdom, instruction, and responsibility in the context of covenantal discipleship.
arab · Hebrew Verb
To guarantee or become responsible for the debt or obligations of another, often involving legal or financial risk; it carries the weight of a legal obligation or bail.
taqa · Hebrew Verb
A legal or formal promise or collateral given to ensure the fulfillment of an obligation, often implying a binding commitment that places the giver in a position of potential vulnerability.
zar · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
One outside one's immediate family, clan, or covenant community; in Proverbs, it frequently warns against entering into unwise social or financial entanglements with those whose motives or reliability are unknown.
This passage lays out the original Mosaic Law regarding loans and pledges, showing that while there were protections for the poor, the emphasis was on compassion and not adding to their burdens, which contrasts with the risky suretyship warned against in Proverbs.
Job 17:3Job uses the imagery of striking hands as a symbol of a binding agreement, mirroring the 'striking hands' mentioned in Proverbs, and highlighting the serious commitment such an action entails.
Proverbs 11:15This verse directly echoes the warning in Proverbs 6, stating that whoever puts up security for a stranger will suffer harm, reinforcing the persistent danger of rash suretyship.
Proverbs 17:18This proverb succinctly warns against becoming a guarantor for a neighbor, linking the act of striking hands (making a pledge) with foolishness, mirroring the sentiment of Proverbs 6:1.
Nehemiah 5:3-5This passage illustrates the dire consequences of debt and economic hardship in ancient Israel, where people were forced to mortgage their lands and even sell their children into servitude due to financial distress, underscoring the very real dangers that suretyship could exacerbate.
bensonProverbs 6:1: "My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,"
Proverbs 6:1-2 . My son, if thou be surety for, or to, thy friend — Namely, rashly and unadvisedly, without considering for whom, or how the thou dost oblige thyself, or how thou shalt discharge the debt if occasion require it: otherwise suretiship, in some cases, may be not only lawful, but an act of justice and charity; if thou hast stricken thy hand — Obliged thyself by giving thy hand,…
barnesProverbs 6:1: "My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,"
Surety - The "pledge," or security for payment, which, for example, David was to bring back from his brothers 1 Samuel 17:18 . So the word was used in the primitive trade transactions of the early Israelites. In the warnings against this suretyship, in the Book of Proverbs, we may trace the influence of contact with the Phoenicians. The merchants of Tyre and Zidon seem to have discovered th…
The phrase "stricken your hand" isn't just a metaphor for agreement; it points to the physical act of a handshake that sealed a deal, turning a casual promise into a binding contract that could ensnare you. This ancient custom highlights how easily a seemingly small gesture of goodwill can lead to serious financial and personal entanglements.
This passage begins a series of warnings from a fatherly teacher about serious financial and moral pitfalls. The proverb immediately addresses the dangerous practice of becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, whether it's for a friend or a stranger. This act, often sealed by a handshake, can quickly entangle the giver in financial ruin and personal bondage, especially in a society where commerce and borrowing were becoming more complex.
This passage begins a series of warnings from a fatherly teacher about serious financial and moral pitfalls. The proverb immediately addresses the dangerous practice of becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, whether it's for a friend or a stranger. This act, often sealed by a handshake, can quickly entangle the giver in financial ruin and personal bondage, especially in a society where commerce and borrowing were becoming more complex.
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"My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger," — The phrase "stricken your hand" isn't just a metaphor for agreement; it points to the physical act of a handshake that sealed a deal, turning a casual promise into a binding contract that could ensna…
