Proverbs 27:13 Meaning: The Cost of Cosigning
Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for a foreign woman.
Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.
Take his garment that is become surety [for] another, and hold him in pledge for a strange woman.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Proverbs 27:13 command taking a garment from one who guarantees a stranger's loan? Learn the wisdom behind this hard-edged proverb.
Context
This proverb sits in a collection of Solomon's sayings that cover friendship, boasting, and wise living. The verse appears between a warning about a contentious wife and the famous line about iron sharpening iron. It repeats a caution already given in Proverbs 20:16, which tells us the lesson matters deeply. In the ancient world, a garment was often the only valuable a poor person owned, they slept in it. To take it as collateral was serious business. The proverb warns against cosigning loans for people you do not know or who are unreliable, because you could lose what keeps you warm at night.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb for stands surety is arab. It means to exchange, to give a pledge, to put your own name on the line for someone else's debt. When you do that, you trade your security for theirs. The garment (beged) was often the only blanket a person owned, it stood for basic survival. To forfeit it meant real loss. The word for foreign woman (nokriyah) can mean a literal foreigner, but it also carries the sense of someone morally alien, a person whose ways are not trustworthy. Together, these words paint a picture: putting your own necessities at risk for someone whose character you cannot count on is folly. The wise are not harsh; they are realistic. They do not leave themselves exposed for a stranger's folly.
How Christians Read This Verse
Most Christian commentators read this verse as straightforward financial counsel. Matthew Henry saw it as advice not to lend to those who are wasting their estates without good security. The Geneva Bible notes treat it as a warning against being surety for strangers. Keil and Delitzsch point out the ambiguity of the Hebrew word for foreign, which can be neuter (a strange matter) or feminine (a strange woman). Either way, the principle remains: do not take on risk for someone you cannot trust. Across traditions, from Catholic social teaching on prudence to Protestant teachings on stewardship, the call is consistent: guard the resources God has given you, and do not entangle yourself with reckless promises.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse as a command to be harsh or to exploit the poor by taking their coat. In fact, the context is about holding someone accountable for a foolish promise they made. The command protects the lender from being left without recourse. Exodus 22:26 shows God's care: if you take a garment as collateral, you must return it by sunset. So this is not about cruelty, it is about wisdom in lending. The real mistake is to think that cosigning for a stranger is a kindness worth risking your own family's needs.
Living This Out
This week, look at any financial promises you have made or are considering. Have you put your name on a loan for someone whose character you do not know well? The proverb invites you to protect your own household. It also asks you to be honest: if you are the one who asks others to cosign, consider whether you are asking them to carry a burden that is rightly yours. Wisdom may mean a hard conversation or a quiet no, but it protects what God has given you to steward.
Main takeaway: Guaranteeing a loan for someone you cannot trust puts your own necessities at risk; wisdom calls for careful boundaries with your money.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God wants us to be careful with our money. If a friend asks you to promise to pay for something they buy, think twice. That promise could cost you your own coat.
For ages 9, 12
This verse warns about cosigning, which means promising to pay someone else's loan if they can't. The Bible says that if you do that for a stranger or for someone who is untrustworthy, you might lose something important, like your coat. It is not mean to say no, it is wise. God gives us money to manage well, and part of that is protecting what He has entrusted to us.
Questions People Ask
What does 'take his garment' mean in Proverbs 27:13?
In the ancient world, a garment was a common form of collateral. Taking it meant the debtor would have to return it when they paid their debt. It was a way to secure a loan, but it also risked the person losing an essential item for warmth and covering.
Who is the 'wayward woman' in this verse?
The Hebrew word 'nokriyah' can mean a foreign woman or a promiscuous woman. The point is that she is untrustworthy. The proverb warns against becoming surety for someone like that, because you cannot rely on her to repay.
Is it always a sin to cosign a loan?
The Bible does not call it a sin, but it repeatedly warns that it is unwise. Proverbs 22:26-27 asks, 'If you have no means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?' Cosigning can lead to serious financial harm. It is better to give what you can afford as a gift than to promise what you cannot.
Why is this verse almost the same as Proverbs 20:16?
Proverbs often repeats important lessons. The repetition shows how serious this warning is. Both verses drive home the same point: do not guarantee a loan for someone you do not know well, or you may lose your own necessities.
Does this verse conflict with the command to be generous?
No. Generosity is giving from what you have, not promising what you do not have. The proverb protects you from a false kind of generosity that actually harms your ability to care for your own family. True generosity flows from wisdom and prudence, not from reckless promises.
For pastors & researchers
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