John Gill Commentary Proverbs 6

My son, if you are surety for your friend
To another; have engaged yourself by promise or bond, or both, to pay a debt for him, if he is not able, or if required; or have laid yourself under obligation to any, to see the debt of another paid; [if] you have stricken your hand with a stranger ;
or "to" him ^F2 ; whom you know not, and to whom you owe nothing; and have given him your hand upon it, as well as your word and bond, that what such 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" ^F3 And the sense is, either if you are become bound for a friend of yours, and especially if for a stranger you know little or nothing of, this is a piece of rashness and weakness; or, as Gersom, if you are a surety to your 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.

FOOTNOTES:

• F2: (rzl) "extraneo", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Baynus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Cocceius, Schultens.
• F3: "Pro alieno", Tigurine version; "pro alio peregrino", Michaelis.

You are snared with the words of your mouth Got into a snare out of which an escape is not easy; are no longer free, and your own man, but under obligation to pay the debt if required; by the verbal agreement made and confirmed by striking hands, and this before witnesses; you are taken with the words of your mouth ; as in a net, and held fast therein and thereby, and cannot get loose without paying the debt, if the debtor does not, or without the leave of the creditor.

Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself
Take the following advice, as the best that can be given in such circumstances, in order to be freed from such an obligation, or to be safe and easy under it.

when you are come into the hand of your friend ;
or, "because or seeing you are fallen into the hand of your friend," as the Targum; or "though you are," &c. as Aben Ezra; which may be understood either of the creditor to whom a man is bound, or of the debtor for whom he is bound, or of both; for a surety is in the hands or power of both: he is in the hands of the creditor, who may demand payment of the debt of him; and he is in the hands of the debtor, who, if a careless or crafty and deceitful man, may leave him to the payment of it. The Septuagint and Arabic versions are, "for you are come into the hands of evil men for your friend;" and the Syriac version, "seeing for your friend you are fallen into the hands of your enemy;" and therefore must make the best of it you can, and in the following way:

go, humble yourself ;
that is, to the creditor, prostrate yourself before him; lie down upon the ground to be trodden on, as the word ^F4 signifies; fall down on your knees, and entreat him to discharge you from the bond, or give longer time for payment, if up; for you are in his hands, and there is no carrying it with a high hand or a haughty spirit to him; humility, and not haughtiness, is most likely to be serviceable in such a case;

and make sure your friend ;
for whom you are become a surety, as the Syriac and Arabic versions add; solicit him, as the former of these versions render it; stimulate him, as the Septuagint; stir him up, urge him to pay off the debt quickly, and discharge the bond, or give you security and indemnity from it. Or, "magnify your friend" ^F5 ; that is, to the creditor; speak of him as a very able and responsible man, and as an honest and faithful one, that will pay in due time. Some render it "magnify", and speak well of the debtor to your friend, which may please and appease him: or, "multiply your friends" ^F6 ; get as many as you can to intercede for you, and get you discharged from the obligation by some means or another; to this purpose Jarchi.

FOOTNOTES:

• F4: (oprth) "praebe conculcandum te", Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis.
• F5: (Kyer bhr) "evehe proximum tuum", Tigurine version; "magnifica", so some in Vatablus.
• F6: "Multiplica amicos tuos", so some in Bayne.

Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids .
] Until the above things are done; which denotes of what consequence and importance they are; and that persons in such circumstances should not be careless, dilatory, and unconcerned; but should use great diligence, and leave no stone unturned, or method untried, to extricate themselves; see (Psalms 132:4) .

Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter]
As such a creature, which is very swift, when it is got into the hand of the hunter, will strive and struggle to get out; so should a man try all ways and means to get out of his suretyship engagements, especially when he finds himself liable to danger by it; this he should do "immediately" and "out of hand" ^F7 , as the phrase here used sometimes signifies with the Jewish writers; and as a bird from the hand of the fowler ;
another metaphor, signifying the same thing.

FOOTNOTES:

• F7: (dym) "statim", De Dieu; "subito", Noldius, p. 606. No. 1630. "ilico, repente", so some in Eliae Tishbi, p. 143.