Pro 6:1-5 | NETfull | STEP | My child, if you have made a pledge for your neighbor, and have become a guarantor for a stranger,

Proverbs 6:1-5

1 My child, ^{▼▼ Heb “my son” (likewise in vv. 3, 20).} if you have made a pledge ^{▼▼ It was fairly common for people to put up some kind of financial security for someone else, that is, to underwrite another’s debts. But the pledge in view here was foolish because the debtor was a neighbor who was not well known (זָר, zar), perhaps a misfit in the community. The one who pledged security for this one was simply gullible.} for your neighbor,
and ^{▼▼ The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.} have become a guarantor ^{▼▼ Heb “struck your hands”; NIV “have struck hands in pledge”; NASB “have given a pledge.” The guarantee of a pledge was signaled by a handshake (e.g., 11:15; 17:18; 22:26).} for a stranger, ^{▼▼ Heb “stranger.” The term זוּר (zur, “stranger”) probably refers to a neighbor who was not well-known. Alternatively, it could describe a person who is living outside the norms of convention, a moral misfit in the community. In any case, this “stranger” is a high risk in any financial arrangement.}
2 if ^{▼▼ The term “if” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.} you have been ensnared ^{▼▼ The verb יָקַשׁ (yaqash) means “to lay a bait; to lure; to lay snares.” In the Niphal it means “to be caught by bait; to be ensnared” – here in a business entanglement.} by the words you have uttered, ^{▼▼ Heb “by the words of your mouth.” The same expression occurs at the end of the following line (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). Many English versions vary the wording slightly, presumably for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).}
and have been caught by the words you have spoken,
3 then, my child, do this in order to deliver yourself, ^{▼▼ The syntactical construction of imperative followed by an imperative + vav consecutive denotes purpose: “in order to be delivered.” The verb means “to deliver oneself, be delivered” in the Niphal. The image is one of being snatched or plucked quickly out of some danger or trouble, in the sense of a rescue, as in a “brand snatched [Hophal stem] from the fire” (Zech 3:2).}
because you have fallen into your neighbor’s power: ^{▼▼ Heb “have come into the hand of your neighbor” (so NASB; cf. KJV, ASV). The idiom using the “hand” means that the individual has come under the control or the power of someone else. This particular word for hand is used to play ironically on its first occurrence in v. 1.}
go, humble yourself, ^{▼▼ In the Hitpael the verb רָפַס (rafas) means “to stamp oneself down” or “to humble oneself” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV). BDB 952 s.v. Hithp suggests “become a suppliant.” G. R. Driver related it to the Akkadian cognate rapasu, “trample,” and interpreted as trampling oneself, swallowing pride, being unremitting in effort (“Some Hebrew Verbs, Nouns, and Pronouns,” JTS 30 [1929]: 374).}
and appeal firmly ^{▼▼ Heb “be bold.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) means “to act stormily; to act boisterously; to act arrogantly.” The idea here is a strong one: storm against (beset, importune) your neighbor. The meaning is that he should be bold and not take no for an answer. Cf. NIV “press your plea”; TEV “beg him to release you.”} to your neighbor.
4 Permit no sleep to your eyes ^{▼▼ Heb “do not give sleep to your eyes.” The point is to go to the neighbor and seek release from the agreement immediately (cf. NLT “Don’t rest until you do”).}
or slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from a snare, ^{▼▼ Heb “from the hand.” Most translations supply “of the hunter.” The word “hand” can signify power, control; so the meaning is that of a gazelle freeing itself from a snare or a trap that a hunter set.}
and like a bird from the trap ^{▼▼ Heb “hand” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV). Some mss and versions have it as “trap,” which may very well represent an interpretation too.} of the fowler.