The Meaning of Proverbs 6:3 Explained

Proverbs 6:3

KJV: 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.

YLT: Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,

Darby: Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.

ASV: Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor: Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Proverbs 6:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 6:1-19 - Avoid Suretyship And Sloth
A young man, being entreated by his friend to go bond for him, consents, in an easy-going way to become his surety. He promises to be responsible for the other's debt. From that moment he resembles a roe caught by a hunter or a bird snared by a fowler. If any shall have enmeshed himself in an obligation of this kind he is exhorted to spare no pains, to stand on no false pride, but to go with all urgency to the man for whom he has pledged his credit, and get released at all cost. If we can afford to be surety, we can afford to lend the money ourselves. If we cannot do the former, it is weak and foolish to do the latter.
The ants swarm in the woods and fields, and rebuke our laziness and thriftlessness. They work day and might, storing their galleries with food, building mounds which relatively to the size of the builders are three or four times larger than the Pyramids. In sickness they nurse one another; in the winter they feed on their supplies. Learn from the ceaseless industry of Nature, and do something worthy before sundown! [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 6

1  against indebtedness
6  idleness
12  and mischievousness
16  seven things detestable to God
20  the blessings of obedience
25  the mischief of unfaithfulness

What do the individual words in Proverbs 6:3 mean?

Do this so my son and deliver yourself for you have come into the hand of your friend go and humble yourself and Plead with your friend
עֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפ֪וֹא ׀ בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־ רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ

זֹ֥את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
אֵפ֪וֹא ׀  so 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אֵפֹוא  
Sense: then, now, so.
בְּנִ֡י  my  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל  and  deliver  yourself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
בָ֤אתָ  you  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְכַף־  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
רֵעֶ֑ךָ  of  your  friend 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
לֵ֥ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס  and  humble  yourself 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָפַשׂ  
Sense: (Hithpael).
וּרְהַ֥ב  and  Plead  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָהַב  
Sense: to behave proudly, act stormily or boisterously or arrogantly.
רֵעֶֽיךָ  your  friend 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.