Proverbs 20:16

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for foreigners.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לְֽקַח־בִּ֭גְדוֹ כִּי־עָ֣רַב זָ֑ר וּבְעַ֖ד *נכרים **נָכְרִיָּ֣ה חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃

Transliteration

Take-bigdô for-ʿārab zār and-for *nākrîyâ ḥablēhû*

Grammar Details

*bigdô*: noun, masculine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his garment
*ʿārab*: verb, Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular - has pledged for
*zār*: adjective, masculine singular - stranger
**nākrîyâ**: adjective, feminine singular - foreign woman/stranger
*ḥablēhû*: verb, Qal imperative masculine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - take his pledge

Word Meanings

*bigdô*: his garment/clothing/cloak
*ʿārab*: has pledged for/guaranteed/put up security for
*zār*: stranger/foreigner/outsider
**nākrîyâ**: foreign woman/strange woman/adulteress
*ḥablēhû*: take his pledge/seize his collateral

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Prov 27:13 : 13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for a foreign woman.
Exod 22:26-27 : 26 If thou at all take thy neighbor's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down: 27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
Prov 2:16 : 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words;
Prov 5:3 : 3 For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil:
Prov 7:5 : 5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
Prov 7:10 : 10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
Prov 11:15 : 15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth suretyship is secure.
Prov 22:26-27 : 26 Be thou not one of them that strike hands, [Or] of them that are sureties for debts. 27 If thou hast not wherewith to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
Prov 23:27 : 27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; And a foreign woman is a narrow pit.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Prov 27:13
93%
13Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for a foreign woman.
Prov 11:15-16
2 verses
77%
15He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth suretyship is secure.
16A gracious woman obtaineth honor; And violent men obtain riches.
Job 22:6
76%
6For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
Exod 22:26
75%
26If thou at all take thy neighbor's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down:
Prov 6:1-2
2 verses
75%
1My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;
2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Deut 24:10-13
4 verses
75%
10When thou dost lend thy neighbor any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
11Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring forth the pledge without unto thee.
12And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge;
13thou shalt surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his garment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before Jehovah thy God.
Prov 5:20
75%
20For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?
Prov 2:16-17
2 verses
74%
16To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words;
17That forsaketh the friend of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God:
Deut 24:17
74%
17Thou shalt not wrest the justice [due] to the sojourner, [or] to the fatherless, nor take the widow's raiment to pledge;
Prov 22:26-27
2 verses
74%
26Be thou not one of them that strike hands, [Or] of them that are sureties for debts.
27If thou hast not wherewith to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
Prov 17:18
74%
18A man void of understanding striketh hands, And becometh surety in the presence of his neighbor.
Deut 24:6
74%
6No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh [a man's] life to pledge.
Job 17:3
74%
3Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself; Who is there that will strike hands with me?
Prov 20:15
73%
15There is gold, and abundance of rubies; But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Ezek 16:32
73%
32A wife that committeth adultery! that taketh strangers instead of her husband!
Prov 7:5
73%
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
Prov 20:17
72%
17Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Prov 6:24-27
4 verses
72%
24To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the foreigner's tongue.
25Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26For on account of a harlot [a man is brought] to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.
27Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?
Exod 22:14-16
3 verses
71%
14And if a man borrow aught of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.
15If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be a hired thing, it came for its hire.
16And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife.
Prov 20:25
71%
25It is a snare to a man rashly to say, [It is] holy, And after vows to make inquiry.
Prov 7:20-21
2 verses
71%
20He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
Prov 22:14
70%
14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein.
Gen 39:16
70%
16And she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
Prov 23:33
69%
33Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Deut 22:14
69%
14and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of virginity;
Gen 38:20
69%
20And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
Exod 22:7
69%
7If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, he shall pay double.
Prov 5:3
69%
3For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil:
Prov 5:9-10
2 verses
69%
9Lest thou give thine honor unto others, And thy years unto the cruel;
10Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, And thy labors [be] in the house of an alien,
Deut 25:11
69%
11When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets;
Exod 22:11
69%
11the oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, whether he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner thereof shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.
Deut 22:20
68%
20But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel;
Ezek 18:7
68%
7and hath not wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath taken nought by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
Prov 5:17
68%
17Let them be for thyself alone, And not for strangers with thee.
Job 36:18
68%
18For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.
Prov 23:27
68%
27For a harlot is a deep ditch; And a foreign woman is a narrow pit.