Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend. Lose not a moment in seeking a remedy for the evil in which thou hast involved thyself. Though he be a friend into whose power thou hast fallen, still extricate thyself from it if possible; either by prevailing on the debtor to release thee from thy promise of being his surety, or by inducing the creditor or the judge to release thee. Proverbs 6:1 makes it likely that by "thy friend" is meant the debtor.
Go, humble thyself - literally, present thyself to be trodden under foot, like a slave before his master. Since by suretiship thou hast passed from under thine own power to be under another, thou must act as slaves do (Psalms 68:30).
And make sure thy friend, х rªhab (H7292)] - literally, 'strengthen thy friend;' comfort with good words the debtor, thy friend, that he may take the whole liability on himself. Or else, prevail on him to do so (cf. margin). 'Solicit thy friend' (Syriac version. Somewhat similarly the Septuagint and Chaldaic). "Humble thyself" on one hand, and on the other 'bear thyself strong toward thy friend' (Mercer, who takes "thy friend" to mean the creditor). The Hebrew may also be plural, 'strengthen,' or 'multiply thy friends' х ree`eykaa (H7453)] - namely, to act as intercessors.