Surety

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

This is a very important term to be perfectly understood, from being the very character of our Lord Jesus Christ, who became the Surety for his church and people. It was an antient custom among the Hebrews to admit of a surety or sponsor for each other. Thus, if a man became bound for another, he was called his surety. And it should seem to have been the method upon all these occasions, that when one became responsible for another, he struck hands with the creditor. We find Judah pledging himself as a surety to his Father for his brother Benjamin. ( Genesis 43:8) And Job and, Solomon both take notice of the same, under the article of suretyship. (See  Job 17:3;  Proverbs 6:1-2) But I should not have thought it necessary to have introduced the subject in this place, had it not been with a view to have brought the reader into a more intimate acquaintance with the nature of a surety as it concerns the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here the matter becomes so abundantly interesting, that it merits the closest regard of his people.

The Holy Ghost by his servant the apostle Paul, hath informed the church that Jesus "was made surety of a better testament," that is the testament or covenant of redemption by Christ's blood. ( Hebrews 7:22) By which we understand that in the antient settlement of eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ stood up at the call of his Father, the covenant Head and Surety of his people, to answer both for their debt and their duty. So that he stood in their law, room, and stead, in all he did and suffered, and it was covenanted and agreed upon by the Almighty Covenanters, that all Jesus did and suffered should be put to their account. This is the idea of a surety, and Christ was precisely this. So that when he had fulfilled all righteousness, and by his spotless sacrifice had done away all the penal effects of sin, his people were to all eternity and purposes, righteous in his righteousness, and free from all sin in his blood. Such is the idea of a surety considered with an eye to Christ. Blessed are they who are interested in it, and who no longer seek for justification but in him who is made the Surety of a better testament than the old covenant of a man's own works. All of this description find the blessedness of being accepted in the Suretyship of the Lord Jesus, and can join the prophet's declaration: "Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." ( Isaiah 45:24-25)

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

in common speech, is one who gives security for another; and hence it has become prevalent among theological writers to confound it with the terms substitute and representative, when applied to Christ. In fact, the word "surety" occurs only once in our translation of the Scriptures, namely,  Hebrews 7:22 : "By so much was Jesus made the surety of a better covenant." It is certainly true that the Son of God, in all that he has done or is still doing as Mediator, may be justly viewed as the surety of the new and everlasting covenant, and as affording the utmost security to believers that, as the Father hath given all things into his hands, they wilt be conducted with effect, and all the exceeding great and precious promises of that covenant assuredly be accomplished. But this does not appear to be the precise idea which the Apostle has in view in the above passage. This has been sufficiently evinced by many critics and commentators, particularly by Pierce, Macknight, and M'Lean, in their notes on the place. The substance of their remarks is, that the original term employed by the Apostle, and which occurs no where else in Scripture, is εγγυος , which is derived from εγγυς , near, and signifies one who draws near, or who brings others near; which sense of the word will not very well accord with that of a substitute or representative The Greek commentators very properly explain, the word by μεσιτης , a mediator. Now, as in this passage a comparison is stated between Jesus, as a high priest, and the Levitical high priests; and as the latter were considered by the Apostle to be the mediators of the Sinai covenant, because through their mediation the Israelites worshipped God with sacrifices; it is evident that the Apostle in this passage terms Jesus the High Priest or Mediator of the better covenant, because, through his mediation, or in virtue of the sacrifice which he offered of himself to God, believers receive all the blessings of the new covenant. And as in   Hebrews 7:16 the Apostle had said that "by the introduction of a better hope we draw near to God," he, in   Hebrews 7:22 , very properly calls Jesus εγγυος , "he by whom we draw nigh," thereby denoting the effect of his mediation. From the whole, therefore, it is plain that the word "surety" in this place is equivalent with that of mediator or high priest.

King James Dictionary

SU'RETY, n. Certainty indubitableness.

Know of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs--  Genesis 15

1. Security safety.

Yet for the more surety they looked round about.

2. Foundation of stability support.

We our state

Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds

On other surety none.

3. Evidence ratification confirmation.

She call'd the saints to surety.

That she would never put it from her finger,

Unless she gave it to yourself.

4. Security against loss or damage security for payment.

There remains unpaid

A hundred thousand more, in surety of the which

One part of Aquitain is bound to us.

5. In law, one that is bound with and for another one who enters into a bond or recognizance to answer for another's appearance in court, or for his payment of a debt or for the performance of some act, and who, in case of the principal debtor's failure, is compellable to pay the debt or damages a bondsman a bail.

He that is surety for a stranger, shall smart for it.  Proverbs 11

Thy servant became surety for the lad to my father.  Genesis 44

6. In Scripture, Christ is called "the surety of a better testament."  Hebrews 7:22 . He undertook to make atonement for the sins of men, and thus prepare the way to deliver them from the punishment to which they had rendered themselves liable. 7. A hostage.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) Hence, a substitute; a hostage.

(2): ( v. t.) To act as surety for.

(3): ( n.) Evidence; confirmation; warrant.

(4): ( n.) One who is bound with and for another who is primarily liable, and who is called the principal; one who engages to answer for another's appearance in court, or for his payment of a debt, or for performance of some act; a bondsman; a bail.

(5): ( n.) Security against loss or damage; security for payment, or for the performance of some act.

(6): ( n.) That which makes sure; that which confirms; ground of confidence or security.

(7): ( n.) The state of being sure; certainty; security.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One who makes himself personally responsible for the safe appearing of another,  Genesis 43:9   44:32 , or for the full payment of his debts, etc.,  Proverbs 22:26 . Christ is the "surety of a better testament;" that is, in the glorious and complete covenant of grace he engages to meet all the claims of the divine law against his people, that they may be absolved, and enriched with all covenant blessing,  Hebrews 7:22 . Hence his obedience unto death,  Isaiah 53:5,12 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 43:9 Genesis 44:32 Psalm 119:121-122 Proverbs 11:15 Hebrews 7:22LoanPledge

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Hebrews 7:22 Proverbs 6:1-5 11:15 17:18 20:16

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

 Acts 12:11True

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(some form of עָרִב , Arb, To Barter, and especially To Deposit A Pledge, either in money, goods, or in part payment, as security for a bargain; Ἔγγυος ). "Suretyship" in the A. V. is usually the rendering for תּוֹקְעַי , Tokeim, literally in marg. "those that strike (hands)," from תָּקִע , To Strike (Gesenius, Thesaur. P. 1517). The phrase: תְּשׂוּמֶת יָד , Tesumeth Yad. (Sept. Παραθήκη ), "depositing in the hand," i.e. giving in pledge, may be understood to apply to the act of pledging, or virtual, though not personal, surety ship ( Leviticus 6:2 Hebrews 5:21]). In the entire absence of commerce, the law laid down no rules on the subject of surety ship; but it is evident that in the time of Solomon, mercantile dealings had become so multiplied that surety ship in t he commercial sense was common ( Proverbs 6:1;  Proverbs 12:15;  Proverbs 17:18;  Proverbs 20:16;  Proverbs 22:26;  Proverbs 27:13). But in older times the notion of one mall becoming a surety for a service to be discharged by another was in full force (see  Genesis 44:32), and it is probable that the same form of undertaking existed, viz. the giving the hand to (striking hands with), not, as Michaelis represents, the person who was to discharge the service in ‘ the commercial sense' the debtor-but the person to whom it was due, the creditor ( Job 17:3;  Proverbs 6:1; Michaelis , Laws Of Moses, § 151, 2, 322, ed. Smith). The surety, of course, became liable for his client's debts in case of his failure. In later Jewish times the system had become common, and caused much distress in many instances, yet the duty of surety ship in certain cases is recognized as valid (Ecclus. 8:13; 29 14, 145, 16,18, 19). (See Pledge).

The earliest form of suretyship mentioned in Scripture is the pledging of person for person, as when Judah undertook with his father to be surety for Benjamin ( אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ , I Will Exchange For Him, put myself in place of him,  Genesis 43:9); and when circumstances emerged which seemed to call for the fulfillment of the obligation, he actually offered himself in the room of Benjamin. In this sense the psalmist asks God to be surety for him for good ( Psalms 119:122), as did also, in his great distress, Hezekiah ( Isaiah 38:14), though the sense here is a little weakened in the A.V. by the rendering "undertake for me." More commonly, however, the kind of suretyship spoken of had reference to pecuniary obligations or debts, and forms the subject of prudential advices and warnings in the book of Proverbs ( Proverbs 6:1;  Proverbs 11:15;  Proverbs 17:18;  Proverbs 20:16). In the first of these passages, the dangerous practice of entering into sureties is put in two forms-first, "if thou be surety for thy friend," then "if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger;" there being no further difference, between them than that the one has respect to the thing itself the other to the mode of going about it: the person agreeing to become surety gave his hand to his friend. Hence, also, in  Proverbs 17:18, a man "who strikes hands," that is, readily becomes a surety, is declared to be void of understanding. In the highest sense the term is applied to Christ, who, in his character as mediator, is represented as "the surety ( Ἔγγυος ) of a better covenant" ( Hebrews 7:22), having made himself responsible for all that in. this covenant was required to be accomplished for the salvation of those who were to share in its provisions. (See Mediation).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shōōr´ti  : This word is used in three different connections or groups:

(1) As a derivative of the word "sure" it means "of a certainty" or "surely." - I n  Genesis 15:13 the infinitive absolute of the verb is used to give emphasis to the idea of the verb and is rendered "of a surety." In   Genesis 18:13 the Hebrew 'omnām is translated "of a surety." In  Genesis 26:9 'akh is similarly rendered, and has the force of our "indeed." In  Acts 12:11 ἀληθῶς , alēthṓs , is translated in the King James Version "of a surety," but better in the Revised Version (British and American) "of a truth."

(2) In the sense of security or pledge for a person. - T his means that one person may become security for another, that such a one will do a certain thing at a time in the future. Judah was "surety" to his father Jacob that Benjamin would safely return from Egypt ( Genesis 43:9 ). He pledged his life that the younger brother would return safely. He tells Joseph ( Genesis 44:32 ) how he had become surety for Benjamin, and offers to become Joseph's slave for the sake of his brother. Job says ( Job 17:3 ), "Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself; who is there that will strike hands with me?" The striking of hands refers to the action or gesture by which the surety or pledge was publicly manifested and thus ratified. Job here beseeches God to become surety for him, to pledge him that some time in the future He will cause Job's innocence to be made known and be acknowledged by God Himself. In  Isaiah 38:14 Hezekiah says, "O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety." He wishes God to give him a pledge of some kind, to go security for him in such a way that he will surely be saved out of his sickness and distress. Jesus is called "the surety ( ἔγγυος , égguos ) of a better covenant" ( Hebrews 7:22 ). Jesus is the pledge or surety that through Him we may obtain the assurance and certainty that a more excellent covenant has been established by God, and are assured also of the truth of the promises connected with it.

(3) It is used to describe the practice of going security for another by striking hands with that person and becoming responsible for money or any object loaned. - T he Book of Proverbs unhesitatingly condemns the practice. No mention is made of it in the Mosaic Law, as if the custom were then practically unknown. The Book of Proverbs makes no distinction between a stranger and a neighbor; the person who does such a thing is likened unto an animal caught in a trap. He is exhorted to sleep no more until he has got out of the trap, or freed himself from this obligation ( Proverbs 6:1-5 ). The wisdom of such advice has been abundantly verified by experience. It does not necessarily preclude certain special cases, where the practice may be justified. The international relationships of the Jews in the period of the monarchy, together with the unsettled condition of the country ( Nehemiah 5:3 ) and people, needed such commercial strictness. Their trade was mostly in the hands of the Phoenicians and other foreigners, and the pressure of taxation for the payment of foreign tribute, etc., was heavy ( Nehemiah 5:4 f).   Proverbs 11:15;  Proverbs 17:18 declare one "void of understanding" who thus goes security for another.   Proverbs 20:16 seems to contain an exclamation of contemptuous rebuke for the man who goes security.   Proverbs 22:26;  Proverbs 27:13 contain like admonitions. See Debt; Pledge; Security; Strike .