PRO 22

Proverbs 22:27

WEB

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

BSB

If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?

KJV

If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

Matthew Henry

Verses 26–27

Proverbs 22:26–27

We have here, as often before, a caution against suretiship, as a thing both imprudent and unjust. 1. We must not associate ourselves, nor contract an intimacy, with men of broken fortunes, and reputations, who need and will urge their friends to be bound for them, that they may cheat their neighbours to feed their lusts, and by keeping up a little longer may do the more damage at last to those that give them credit. Have nothing to do with such; be not thou among them. 2. We must not cheat people of their money, by striking hands ourselves, or becoming surety for others, when we have not to pay. If a man by the divine providence is disabled to pay his debts, he ought to be pitied and helped; but he that takes up money or goods himself, or is bound for another, when he knows that he has not wherewithal to pay, or that what he has is so settled that the creditors cannot come at it, does in effect pick his neighbour's pocket, and though, in all cases, compassion is to be used, yet he may thank himself if the law have its course and his bed be taken from under him, which might be taken for a pledge to secure a debt, Exo 22:26, Exo 22:27. For, if a man appeared to be so poor that he had nothing else to give for security, he ought to be relieved, and it was honestly done to own it; but, for the recovery of a debt, it seems it might be taken by the summum jus - the strict operation of law. 3. We must not ruin our own estates and families. Every man ought to be just to himself and to his wife and children; those are not so who live above what they have, who by the mismanagement of their own affairs, or by encumbering themselves with debts of others, waste what they have and bring themselves to poverty. We may take joyfully the spoiling of our goods if it be for the testimony of a good conscience; but, if be for our own rashness and folly, we cannot but take it heavily.

Cross-references: Exod 22:26 · Exod 22:27

Hebrew interlinear

לְךָ֥lekhaprep + suffix · pronominal · 2nd · masc · sing

H518

אִםʼim/eem/

prt — lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

Derivation: a primitive particle;

used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not

KJV: (and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.

אִם

conj — if

אִם conj.

1. hypoth. part. if

2. Interrog. part.

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

H369

אַיִןʼayin/ah'-yin/

np — nonentity

Derivation: as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist;

a nonentity; generally used as a negative particle

KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

אַ֫יִן

subst — nothing

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

1. to nothing, as nothing

2. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

3. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

4. in circumst. clauses

5. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to

6. with prefixes

H7999

שָׁלַםshâlam/shaw-lam'/

v — be safe, be, make, completed, be friendly, reciprocate

Derivation: a primitive root;

to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in various applications)

KJV: make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, × surely.

שָׁלֵם

vb — be complete

[שָׁלֵם] 103 vb. be complete, sound

Qal

1. be complete, finished, ended

2. be sound, uninjured

Pi.

1. complete, finish, temple

2. make safe

3. make whole or good, restore

4. make good, i.e. pay, vows

5. requite, recompense, reward

Pu.

1. be performed, of vow

2. be repaid, requited

Hiph.

1. complete, perform

2. make an end of

שָׁלַם

vb. denom — be in covenant of peace

[שָׁלַם] vb. denom. be in covenant of peace

Qal be at peace

Pu. Pt. one in covt. of peace

Hiph.

1. make peace with

2. cause to be at peace

Hoph. live at peace with

H4100

מָהmâh/maw/

i — what?, how?, why?, when?, what!, how!, what, whatever, that which

Derivation: or מַה; or מָ; or מַ; also מֶה; a primitive particle;

properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses

KJV: how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

מָה

pron.interrog — what?

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָpron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

1. interrog. what?

2. Used adverbially

3. Indef. pron.

4. With preps.

H3947

לָקַחlâqach/law-kakh'/

v — take

Derivation: a primitive root;

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

KJV: accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

לָקַח

vb — take

לָקַח 965 vb. take

Qal

1. take, take in hand

2. take and carry along with oneself

3.

a. take from, or out of

b. take, carry away

c. take away from, so as to deprive of

d. esp. take away life

4. take to or for a person

5. take up, upon = put upon

6. = fetch

7. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

8. take = capture, seize

9. take = carry off

10. in phr. take vengeance

Niph.

1. be captured, of ark

2. be taken away, removed

3. be taken, brought unto

Pu.

1. be taken from, out of

2. = be stolen from

3. be taken captive

4. be taken away, removed

Hoph.

1. be taken, brought unto

2. be taken out of

3. be taken away from

Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

H4904

מִשְׁכָּבmishkâb/mish-kawb'/

n-m — bed, bier, sleep, intercourse

Derivation: from 7901;

a bed (figuratively, a bier); abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal intercourse

KJV: bed(-chamber), couch, lieth (lying) with.

מִשְׁכָּב

n.m — place of lying

מִשְׁכָּב 46 n.m. place of lying, couch; act of lying

H8478

תַּחַתtachath/takh'-ath/

n-m — bottom, below, in lieu of

Derivation: from the same as 8430;

the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.

KJV: as, beneath, × flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, × unto, × when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.

תַּחַת

n.[m.] — the under part

תַּחַת n.[m.] the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of

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