John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. My son, if thou be surety for thy friend , etc.] 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 f122 ; 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” 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - If we live as directed by the word of God, we shall find it profitabl even in this present world. We are stewards of our worldly substance and have to answer to the Lord for our disposal of it; to waste it is rash schemes, or such plans as may entangle us in difficulties an temptations, is wrong. A man ought never to be surety for more than he is able and willing to pay, and can afford to pay, without wronging his family; he ought to look upon every sum he is engaged for, as his ow debt. If we must take all this care to get our debts to men forgiven much more to obtain forgiveness with God. Humble thyself to him, make sure of Christ as thy Friend, to plead for thee; pray earnestly tha thy sins may be pardoned, and that thou mayest be kept from going dow to the pit.
Original Hebrew בני1121 אם518 ערבת6148 לרעך7453 תקעת8628 לזר2114 כפיך׃3709
