Proverbs 17:18

17:18 The one who lacks wisdom ¹  strikes hands in pledge, ² 

and puts up financial security ³  for his neighbor. ⁴ 

Proverbs 24:21

24:21 Fear the Lord, my child, ⁵  as well as the king,

and do not associate ⁶  with rebels, ⁷ 

[17:18]  ¹ tn Heb “heart”; KJV, ASV “a man void of understanding”; NIV “a man lacking in judgment.”

[17:18]  ² tn The phrase “in pledge” is supplied for the sake of clarification.

[17:18]  ³ tn The line uses the participle עֹרֵב (’orev) with its cognate accusative עֲרֻבָּה (’arubah), “who pledges a pledge.”

[17:18]  ⁴ sn It is foolish to pledge security for someone’s loans (e.g., Prov 6:1-5).

[24:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “my son,” but there is no indication in the immediate context that this should be limited only to male children.

[24:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “do not get mixed up with”; cf. TEV “Have nothing to do with”; NIV “do not join with.” The verb עָרַב (’arav) is used elsewhere meaning “to exchange; to take on pledge.” In the Hitpael stem it means “to have fellowship; to share; to associate with.” Some English versions (e.g., KJV) interpret as “to meddle” in this context, because “to have fellowship” is certainly not what is meant.

[24:21]  ⁷ tn The form rendered “rebellious” is difficult; it appears to be the Qal active participle, plural, from שָׁנָה (shanah), “to change” – “those who change.” The RV might have thought of the idea of “change” when they rendered it “political agitators.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 24:21 have “fools,” the Latin has “detractors,” and the LXX reads, “do not disobey either of them,” referring to God and the king in the first line. Accordingly the ruin predicted in the next line would be the ruin that God and the king can inflict. If the idea of “changers” is retained, it would have to mean people who at one time feared God and the king but no longer do.