John Gill Commentary Proverbs 11:15

"He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth suretyship is secure." — Proverbs 11:15 (ASV)

He that is surety for a stranger shall smart [for it]
Or in "breaking shall be broken" ^F17 , ruined and undone; he engaging or becoming a bondsman for one whose circumstances he knew not; and these being bad bring a load upon him, such an heavy debt as crushes him to pieces. Mr. Henry observes that our Lord Jesus Christ became a surety for us when we were strangers, and he smarted for it, he was bruised and wounded for our sins; but then he knew our circumstances, and what the consequence would be, and became a surety on purpose to pay the whole debt and set us free; which he was capable of doing: without being broken or becoming a bankrupt himself; for he was not broken, nor did he fail, (Isaiah 42:4) . Jarchi's note is, ``the wicked shall be broken, to whose heart idolatry is sweet;''

and he that hateth suretyship is sure ;
or those "that strike" ^F18 , that is, with the hand, used in suretyship; see (Proverbs 6:1) ; such an one is safe from coming into trouble by such means. The Targum is, ``and hates those that place their hope in God.''

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (ewry er) "frangendo frangetur", Michaelis; so Pagninus and others.
• F18: (Myeqwt) "complodentes", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius; "defigentes", Mercerus.