Proverbs 22:26 (WEB)

Passage

Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:24 Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man, and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:

Proverbs 22:25 lest you learn his ways, and ensnare your soul.

Proverbs 22:26 Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.

Proverbs 22:27 If you don’t have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

Proverbs 22:28 Don’t move the ancient boundary stone, which your fathers have set up.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "strike", "hands", "collateral", and "debts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "strike" and "hands", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "lest you learn his ways and ensnare..." into verse 27's "If you don t have means to...", so "strike" and "hands" 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 "strike" and "hands" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.