Proverbs 20:16
Wisdom warns against reckless financial guarantees that place one's livelihood at risk.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.
Wisdom warns against reckless financial guarantees that place one's livelihood at risk.
To warn against the financial and moral danger of guaranteeing the debts of irresponsible people, especially strangers.
Proverbs 20:16 follows verse 15, which elevated the value of knowledge and wise speech. Now that knowledge is applied in a specific area, financial dealings. The progression is consistent with wisdom literature. True knowledge must inform practical decisions. This verse continues the broader concern in Proverbs about surety and financial entanglements, emphasizing caution in relationships that involve risk.
In ancient Israel, acting as surety for another person’s debt was a common but risky practice. Without modern financial systems, personal guarantees could result in severe loss, including property or livelihood. Garments were often used as collateral, as they were valuable and essential items. This proverb reflects the practical realities of economic life and the need for caution.
The LORD Searches the Heart: Sobriety, Justice, Counsel, Speech, and Honest Measures
Wisdom lives before the LORD who searches the heart, practicing sobriety, restraint, diligence, honest measures, wise counsel, truthful speech, patient trust, and justice rather than impulsive folly or hidden deceit.