Proverbs 22:26-27

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight: 

Proverbs 22:26-27 (ESV)

26 Be not one of those who give pledges,

who put up security for debts.

27 If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should your bed be taken from under you?

In these two proverbs Solomon returns to another favorite theme he has mentioned previously in Proverbs.  In Proverbs 6:1 and Proverbs 17:18 we read the same injunction warning us to avoid suretiship.  

Proverbs 6:1 (ESV)

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,

have given your pledge for a stranger,

Proverbs 17:18 (ESV)

18 One who lacks sense gives a pledge

and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.

He tells us that we should not even be among those who practice such habits.    As before, he is not giving us a commandment to not sign for other's debts.   He is simply telling us that the practice is in the world of the foolish, not the world of the wise.   The risk is outlined in verse 27.   When there is nothing to pay we could be putting our estate at risk.   The example he gives is that of losing your bed.   In the ancient world the cloak we wear is often used as our bed.   When we gave a pledge we would often give our cloak as a deposit of our pledge.  Hence, when we couldn't pay, we would lose our cloak.   This is what happened to Judah when his daughter-in-law played the harlot and caught him failing to keep his promises (Genesis 38).    He did the same thing, later, in Genesis 44 when he had to give himself as a pledge to his brother Joseph in a promise concerning Benjamin being still alive.   God warns us that when we put ourself in line for someone else's debts we are acting foolish.    We put our lives and our property at risk when we do so.