Surety

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 hisFather for his brother Benjamin. (Gen. 13. 37.) And Job and, Solomon both take notice of the same, under the article of suretyship. (See Job 17. 3. Prov. vi. l, 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. (Heb. 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 uponby 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 butin 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 4:v. 24, 25.)

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, Heb 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 Heb 7:16 the Apostle had said that “by the introduction of a better hope we draw near to God,” he, in Heb 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.

One who makes himself personally responsible for the safe appearing of another, Gen 43:9 44:32, or for the full payment of his debts, etc., Pro 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, Heb 7:22 . Hence his obedience unto death, Isa 53:5,12 .\par

Jesus Christ Being Surety

Isa_28:16; Heb_7:15-22.

Those That Are Surety For A Stranger

Pro_11:15.

Those That Hate Suretyship

Pro_11:15.

What Is Sure

Psa_19:7; Psa_93:1-5; Psa_111:2-7; Dan_2:31-45; 2Ti_2:19; 2Pe_1:19-21.

Who Is Sure

Pro_11:15; Isa_33:15-16.

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.” - In Gen 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 Gen 18:13 the Hebrew ’omnām is translated “of a surety.” In Gen 26:9 ’akh is similarly rendered, and has the force of our “indeed.” In Act 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. - This 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 (Gen 43:9). He pledged his life that the younger brother would return safely. He tells Joseph (Gen 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 Isa 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” (Heb 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. - The 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 (Pro 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 (Neh 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 (Neh 5:4 f). Pro 11:15; Pro 17:18 declare one “void of understanding” who thus goes security for another. Pro 20:16 seems to contain an exclamation of contemptuous rebuke for the man who goes security. Pro 22:26; Pro 27:13 contain like admonitions. See DEBT; PLEDGE; SECURITY; STRIKE.