John Gill Commentary Proverbs 6:1

"My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;" — Proverbs 6:1 (ASV)

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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