Bible Dictionary
Suretyship
Suretyship is the practice of becoming responsible for another person’s debt or promised performance. Proverbs strongly warns against entering such obligations rashly or without wisdom.
Definition
Suretyship is the practice by which one person becomes responsible for another’s debt or for a service that another has promised to perform. If the principal party failed, the surety became liable.
Biblical Usage
The older practice appears when Judah pledged that Benjamin would return safely. Proverbs repeatedly warns against entering such obligations rashly or without understanding.
Historical Background
The law gave no specific rules for suretyship when commerce was absent, but by Solomon’s time commercial dealings had multiplied and the practice had become common. In earlier times, a person could also become surety for another’s promised service.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
In the entire absence of commerce the law laid down no rules on the subject of suretyship; but it is evident that in the time of Solomon commercial dealings had become so multiplied that suretyship in the commercial sense was common. (Proverbs 6:1; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26; 27:13) But in older times the notion of one man becoming a surety for a service to be discharged by another was in full force. See (Genesis 44:32) The surety of course became liable for his client’s debts in case of his failure.