Proverbs 20:16

Solomon advised that a person who takes on the obligations of another person who is a stranger or a foreigner to him-is not very wise (cf. Proverbs 27:13). Such a stranger is a bad risk. If you lend to him, make sure you have some collateral, such as his garment or some other pledge, so he will repay you. The proverb encourages us to hold people to their obligations. Much more than simply giving a pledge for a prostitute must be in view. [Note: M. Dahood, "To Pawn One’s Cloak," Biblica 42 (1961):359-66, argued for this limited meaning.]