My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "stricken thy hand" isn't just about a handshake; it describes the formal act of sealing a deal where you pledge your word and future resources for someone else's debt. This highlights that suretyship wasn't a casual promise, but a binding contract that instantly entwined your fate with another's.
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage marks the beginning of a new section in Proverbs, shifting from the wisdom of the father to a series of urgent warnings. The teacher is introducing a stark example of financial folly: rashly becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, whether it's for a close friend or an unfamiliar stranger. What follows is a vivid portrayal of how this seemingly simple act can quickly spiral into ruin, ensnaring the benefactor in a web of trouble from which escape is difficult.
That simple act of a handshake, a symbol of trust and agreement, can quickly become a trap. In ancient Israel, this gesture sealed a promise that could lead to ruin.
In Proverbs 6:1, the phrase "stricken thy hand" refers to the physical act of shaking hands, a solemn agreement in ancient culture. This wasn't just a casual gesture; it was a binding contract. When Solomon warns against becoming "surety for thy friend" or "with a stranger," he's talking about pledging your financial responsibility for someone else's debt.
The Ceremony of Trust
The 'clasping of hands' was the moment where a promise became a legal obligation. It was a visible sign that you were stepping in, taking on the risk. But this act, often done with good intentions to help a friend, could easily lead to becoming "snared" (as later verses in Proverbs 6 describe), losing your own freedom and peace because of another's obligations.
Whether it's for your closest buddy or someone you barely know, the danger of offering yourself as a guarantor is the same. Solomon uses both 'friend' and 'stranger' to highlight the universal peril.
The verse distinguishes between becoming surety for a 'friend' and 'striking hands with a stranger.' While helping a friend seems natural and charitable, the text implies that the risk doesn't diminish just because you know the person.
Extending to the Unknown
'Striking hands with a stranger' points to the even greater folly of extending your guarantee to someone you don't know well. This could involve a creditor demanding a pledge or a new acquaintance seeking a loan. In both scenarios, the underlying principle is the same: you are exposing your own resources and security to someone else's potential failure.
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The danger isn't in the relationship, but in the act of becoming legally responsible for another's debt. The consequences—being 'snared' and losing your own assets—are equally severe, regardless of whether the recipient is a familiar face or an unknown entity.
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 outlines the foundational laws regarding loans and pledges in ancient Israel, showing a concern for the vulnerable and a basic protection against excessive debt that Proverbs builds upon with its stern warnings.
Nehemiah 5:3-5This historical account vividly illustrates the dire consequences of debt and suretyship gone wrong, where people were forced into servitude and their children enslaved, mirroring the extreme dangers Proverbs warns against.
2 Corinthians 1:22Paul uses the concept of a pledge or guarantee, similar to suretyship, to describe how God marks believers with the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our future inheritance in Christ.
Philemon 1:18-19In this personal letter, Paul offers to personally cover Onesimus's debts, demonstrating a profound act of love and suretyship that stands in contrast to the reckless kind warned against in Proverbs.
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 thy hand" isn't just about a handshake; it describes the formal act of sealing a deal where you pledge your word and future resources for someone else's debt. This highlights that suretyship wasn't a casual promise, but a binding contract that instantly entwined your fate with another's.
This passage marks the beginning of a new section in Proverbs, shifting from the wisdom of the father to a series of urgent warnings. The teacher is introducing a stark example of financial folly: rashly becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, whether it's for a close friend or an unfamiliar stranger. What follows is a vivid portrayal of how this seemingly simple act can quickly spiral into ruin, ensnaring the benefactor in a web of trouble from which escape is difficult.
This passage marks the beginning of a new section in Proverbs, shifting from the wisdom of the father to a series of urgent warnings. The teacher is introducing a stark example of financial folly: rashly becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, whether it's for a close friend or an unfamiliar stranger. What follows is a vivid portrayal of how this seemingly simple act can quickly spiral into ruin, ensnaring the benefactor in a web of trouble from which escape is difficult.
"My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger," — The phrase "stricken thy hand" isn't just about a handshake; it describes the formal act of sealing a deal where you pledge your word and future resources for someone else's debt. This highlights tha…
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Last reviewed October 2026