Proverbs 17:18 (DBY)

Passage

A senseless man striketh hands, becoming surety for his neighbour.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:16 To what purpose is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing [he] hath no sense?

Proverbs 17:17 The friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:18 A senseless man striketh hands, becoming surety for his neighbour.

Proverbs 17:19 He loveth transgression that loveth a quarrel; he that maketh high his gate seeketh destruction.

Proverbs 17:20 He that hath a perverse heart findeth no good; and he that shifteth about with his tongue falleth into evil.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "senseless", "striketh", "hands", "becoming", "surety", and "neighbour". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "senseless" and "striketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "The friend loveth at all times and..." into verse 19's "He loveth transgression that loveth a quarrel...", so "senseless" and "striketh" 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 "senseless" and "striketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.