Proverbs 27:13 (ASV)

Passage

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for a foreign woman.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man seeth the evil, [and] hideth himself; [But] the simple pass on, [and] suffer for it.

Proverbs 27:13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for a foreign woman.

Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him.

Proverbs 27:15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "take", "garment", "surety", "stranger", "hold", "pledge", and "foreign". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "take" and "garment", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "A prudent man seeth the evil and..." into verse 14's "He that blesseth his friend with a...", so "take" and "garment" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "take" and "garment" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.