Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 22:26
Be not thou [one] of them that strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts.
26. strike hands ] i.e. as a surety. See Pro 6:1 note.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Strike hands – i. e., Bind themselves as surety for what another owes (compare the margin reference).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. That strike hands] See on the parallel texts in the margin.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To wit, rashly, or unnecessarily.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26, 27. (Compare Pro 6:1;Pro 17:18).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Be not thou [one] of them that strike hands,…. Or “among them” m, of the number of them, that do as they do, give their hand or their bond for others; he surety for them, as it is explained in the following clause; see Pr 6:1;
[or] of them that are sureties for debts; contracted by others; that engage for the payment of them, in case the principal fails: and it is much if persons that keep indifferent company, angry and furious men, who are often in broils and quarrels, and spend their time and substance in strife and contention, are not drawn into engagements of this kind.
m “inter”, Pagninus, Tigurine version, Mercerus, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
A third distich follows:
26 Be not among those who strike hands,
Among those who become surety for loans.
27 If thou hast nothing to pay,
Why shall he take away thy bed from under thee?
To strike hands is equivalent to, to be responsible to any one for another, to stake one’s goods and honour for him, Pro 6:1; Pro 11:15; Pro 17:18 – in a word, , seq. acc., to pledge oneself for him (Gen 43:9), or for the loan received by him, , Deu 24:10 (from , with , of the person and accus. of the thing: to lend something to one on interest). The proverb warns against being one of such sureties (write with Cod. 1294, and old impressions such as the Venice, 1521), against acting as they do; for why wouldest thou come to this, that when thou cast not pay ( , to render a full equivalent reckoning, and, generally, to pay, Pro 6:31),
(Note: After Ben-Asher, the pointing is ; while, on the contrary, Ben-Naphtali prefers ; vid., my Genesis (1869), pp. 74 (under Gen 1:3) and 81. So, without any bearing on the sense, Ben-Asher points with Tarcha, Ben-Naphtali with Mercha.)
he (the creditor) take away thy bed from under thee? – for, as Pro 20:16 says, thus improvident suretyships are wont to be punished.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
We have here, as often before, a caution against suretiship, as a thing both imprudent and unjust. 1. We must not associate ourselves, nor contract an intimacy, with men of broken fortunes, and reputations, who need and will urge their friends to be bound for them, that they may cheat their neighbours to feed their lusts, and by keeping up a little longer may do the more damage at last to those that give them credit. Have nothing to do with such; be not thou among them. 2. We must not cheat people of their money, by striking hands ourselves, or becoming surety for others, when we have not to pay. If a man by the divine providence is disabled to pay his debts, he ought to be pitied and helped; but he that takes up money or goods himself, or is bound for another, when he knows that he has not wherewithal to pay, or that what he has is so settled that the creditors cannot come at it, does in effect pick his neighbour’s pocket, and though, in all cases, compassion is to be used, yet he may thank himself if the law have its course and his bed be taken from under him, which might be taken for a pledge to secure a debt, Exo 22:26; Exo 22:27. For, if a man appeared to be so poor that he had nothing else to give for security, he ought to be relieved, and it was honestly done to own it; but, for the recovery of a debt, it seems it might be taken by the summum jus—the strict operation of law. 3. We must not ruin our own estates and families. Every man ought to be just to himself and to his wife and children; those are not so who live above what they have, who by the mismanagement of their own affairs, or by encumbering themselves with debts of others, waste what they have and bring themselves to poverty. We may take joyfully the spoiling of our goods if it be for the testimony of a good conscience; but, if be for our own rashness and folly, we cannot but take it heavily.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Beware of Co-signing
Verses 26-27-See comment on Pro 6:1-5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro. 22:26-27
SURETYSHIP AND ITS DANGERS
I. A command to avoid a perilous habit. We cannot, in the light of the spirit of Bible teachingespecially that of the New Testamentregard this proverb as forbidding all suretyship. It cannot mean that one honest man when he has ample means at his command is never to become security for another man of honesty. We know that there are cases in which it is the greatest kindness that one friend can do another, and that it is often the means of giving a poor or unfortunate brother a fair start in life. We are commanded to bear one anothers burdens (Gal. 6:2), and to do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10), and this is sometimes the most effectual way of carrying out these precepts. But Solomon here warns men against the unwisdom of choosing for companions those men whose habit it is lightly to become a surety for anotherwho lend their name and credit without considering the responsibility they undertake or asking themselves whether they are doing any real good to the person they oblige. Although it may be a mans duty sometimes to become a surety for another it is perilous and wrong to make it a habit of life, and thereby encourage thriftlessness and perhaps dishonesty.
II. A warning as to the probable consequences of such a habit. Solomon regards it as certain that a man who habitually becomes a surety for debt will come to ruin. This is obvious if we reflect that for one honest man who asks such a favour there are twenty who have little or no moral sense in such a matter; that although a good and true man is often found in circumstances of such need, the great majority who are so found are rogues.
For an illustration and comments on this subject see on Chap. Pro. 6:1, page 76, and page 216. Also Homiletics on Chap. Pro. 20:16, page 589.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
We are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves; but to do for him what might expose us to having our very bed sold from under us, is to love him better than ourselves, which is a step beyond the Divine injunction. Wardlaw.
Seeing by taking suretyship upon him, he put himself under the creditor, and made himself to be, as it were, the bed on which the trust of others did rest, and seeing by not paying he hath taken away the creditor from the bed of his rest, it is but like for like if the creditor take away his bed from under him. And yet the wise man asking the question seemeth to me to imply in some sort that he should not do it. For though the other doth justly deserve it, yet in so much need let mercy spare.Jermin.
For Homiletics on Pro. 22:28 see on chap. Pro. 23:10, page 666.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(26) Be not thou one of them that strike hands.Another warning against suretiship. (See above, on Pro. 6:1.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26, 27. If thou hast nothing The subject of suretyship has been treated before. (See Pro 6:1; Pro 11:15.) The case here presented seems to be that of a man becoming security for another who has little or nothing for himself. Such a man practices a fraud upon the creditor party.
Take bed Among the Hebrews, notwithstanding the old law seemed to be otherwise, (Exo 22:27,) even the bed, which was often only a coverlet, or a piece of coarse cloth, and not indispensable, could be taken for debt. But it is probable that this rigour was seldom practised. In this case the creditor, being imposed upon, is represented as possibly taking even the bed. Why should a man be so careless of his own and his family’s welfare as thus to expose himself? The question implies that it is sinful folly. Compare Pro 20:16; Pro 6:1-4; Pro 11:15; Pro 17:18.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
v. 26. Be not thou one of them that strike hands,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 22:26 Be not thou [one] of them that strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts.
Ver. 26. Be not thou of them. ] See Trapp on “ Pro 6:1 “ See Trapp on “ Pro 6:2 “ See Trapp on “ Pro 6:3 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 22:26-27
Pro 22:26-27
“Be thou not one of them that strike hands, Or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast not wherewith to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?”
A number of the proverbs of Solomon in the previous section dealt with this same problem, and there is nothing new added here. It just says, “Don’t do it”!
Pro 22:26. Being co-signer for anothers debts is warned against several times in Proverbs (Pro 6:1-2; Pro 11:15; Pro 17:18; Pro 20:16).
Pro 22:27, How do you know at the time of obligating yourself whether you will be able at the time of need to put up the necessary money? You may have to get along without things that are necessary to your own life (like a bed).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Pro 6:1-5, Pro 11:15, Pro 17:18, Pro 27:13
Reciprocal: Job 17:3 – strike Psa 112:5 – he will Psa 119:122 – surety Pro 20:16 – Take his
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 22:26-27. Be not of them that are sureties for debts Namely, rashly or unnecessarily. Why should he take away thy bed, &c. Why wilt thou put thyself into the hands of such a man, who will exact the debt from thee without compassion? For though God did not allow the practice of taking and keeping a poor persons bed, or necessary clothing, (see Exo 22:26-27,) yet covetous creditors would frequently do it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:26 Be not thou [one] of them that {p} strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts.
(p) Who rashly put themselves in danger for others, as in Pro 6:2.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Solomon previously warned of the folly of making promises to cover the debts of others (Pro 6:1-5; Pro 11:15; Pro 17:18; Pro 20:16). This is a good way to lose what one has.