In this chapter the wise man dissuades from rash suretyship; exposes the sin of idleness; describes a wicked man; makes mention of seven things hateful to God; exhorts to attend to parental instructions and precepts, and cautions against adultery.
Suretyship is described, Pr 6:1; and represented as a snare and a net, in which men are taken, Pr 6:2; and advice is given what to do in such a case, for safety in it, and deliverance from it, Pr 6:3; The sin of slothfulness is exposed, by observing the industry of the ant, Pr 6:6; by expostulating with the sluggard for his continuance in sloth, and by mimicking him, Pr 6:9; and by the poverty it brings upon him, Pr 6:11.
Then a naughty wicked man is described, by his mouth, eyes, feet, fingers, and heart, whose ruin is sudden and inevitable, Pr 6:11. The seven things hateful to God are particularly named, Pr 6:16. And next the exhortation in some preceding chapters is reassumed, to attend to the instructions of parents; which will be found ornamental, pleasant, and useful, Pr 6:20.
Especially to preserve from the lewd woman cautioned against, Pr 6:24; whose company is dissuaded from; on account of the extreme poverty and distress she brings persons to, and even danger of life, Pr 6:26; from the unavoidable ruin such come into, Pr 6:27; from the sin of uncleanness being greater than that of theft, Pr 6:30; from the folly the adulterer betrays; from the destruction of his soul, and the disgrace he brings on himself, Pr 6:32; and from the rage and irreconcilable offence of the husband of the adulteress, Pr 6:34.
Ver. 1. My son, if thou be surety for thy friend,.... 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 ; 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, Pr 17:18; 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. rzl "extraneo", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Baynus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Cocceius, Schultens.