“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
Growing Dominion, Part 103
“A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend” (Prov. 17:18).
The book of Proverbs famously takes dim view of co-signing a note. But before we absolutize this, we should take note of the context. A man void of understanding strikes hand (in a bargain). A man void of understanding co-signs a note in the presence of his friend. This is a world of hale, hearty laughter, clapping one another on the back, and helping one another buy four-wheel drive pick-ups that nineteen-year-old boys ought not to have. The context here is one of impulse commitments, and when a group of friends do this kind of thing, a by-standing idiot is often swept into the mix. Don’t do that, Solomon tells us.
The same kind of trouble can occur when this kind of context is not immediately present, and so we should not conclude that outside this context co-signing a note is always wise. It is frequently foolish, regardless of the context. But when someone loans something they are willing to give, this is certainly a scriptural thing to do. I think of an older, established couple co-signing a note to get their (very responsible) kids into their first home. Here the context is different.