KJV
Click to Change
Return to Top
Solomon returns to a familiar warning in Proverbs 20:16: Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; and for foreigners, hold him in pledge (v. 16). Proverbs has already warned against pledging surety for someone unfamiliar (Proverbs 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18, and 22:26-27).
The verse turns the instruction toward the lender. If a man is foolish enough to become surety for a stranger, the wise lender takes real collateral. The garment was the outermost piece of clothing, often used as a man's blanket at night.
To hold him in pledge is to make sure his commitment is concrete rather than theoretical. The verse acknowledges the reality of human folly and instructs the wise lender to protect himself from being swept up in someone else's reckless guarantee.
Used with permission from TheBibleSays.com.
You can access the original article here:Proverbs 20:16 Meaning
|
Line-By-Line Order:
 Verse-ReferenceReference-VerseSeparate LineVerse OnlyReference Only |
Reference Delimiters:
None — Jhn 1:1 KJV Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]Curly — {Jhn 1:1 KJV}Parens — (Jhn 1:1 KJV) |
|
Paragraph Order:
Verse-ReferenceReference-VerseReference-Only |
Number Delimiters:*
No NumberNo Delimiter — 15Square — [15]Curly — {15}Parens — (15) |
|
Other Options:
 Abbreviate Books Use SBL Abbrev.En dash not Hyphen |
Quotes Around VersesRemove Square BracketsSort Canonically |
* 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order'
The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding.
Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
©2026 Blue Letter Bible | Privacy Policy
Note: MLA no longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs.
Loading
Loading
| Interlinear |
| Bibles |
| Cross-Refs |
| Commentaries |
| Dictionaries |
| Miscellaneous |
