Pledge

Pledge - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

See [498]LOAN.

Pledge - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PLEDGE, n. [L. plico.]

1. Something put in pawn; that which is deposited with another as security for the repayment of money borrowed, or for the performance of some agreement or obligation; a pawn. A borrows ten pounds of B, and deposits his watch as a pledge that the money shall be repaid; and by repayment of the money, A redeems the pledge.

2. Any thing given or considered as a security for the performance of an act. Thus a man gives a word or makes a promise to another, which is received as a pledge for fulfillment. The mutual affection of husband and wife is a pledge for the faithful performance of the marriage covenant. Mutual interest is the best pledge for the performance of treaties.

3. A surety; a hostage.

4. In law, a gage or security real or personal, given for the repayment of money. It is of two kinds; vadium vivum, a living pledge, as when a man borrows money and grants an estate to be held by the pledgee, till the rents and profits shall refund the money, in which case the land or pledge is said to be living; or it is vadium mortuum, a dead pledge, called a mortgage. [See Mortgage.]

5. In law, bail; surety given for the prosecution of a suit, or for the appearance of a defendant, or for restoring goods taken in distress and replevied. The distress itself is also called a pledge, and the glove formerly thrown down by a champion in trial by battel, was a pledge by which the champion stipulated to encounter his antagonist in that trial.

6. A warrant to secure a person from injury in drinking.

To put in pledge, to pawn.

To hold in pledge, to keep as security.

PLEDGE, v.t.

1. To deposit in pawn; to deposit or leave in possession of a person something which is to secure the repayment of money borrowed, or the performance of some act. [This word is applied chiefly to the depositing of goods or personal property. When real estate is given as security we usually apply the word mortgage.]

2. To give as a warrant or security; as, to pledge one's word or honor; to pledge one's veracity.

3. To secure by a pledge.

I accept her,

And here to pledge my vow I give my hand. [Unusual.]

4. To invite to drink by accepting the cup or health after another. Or to warrant or be surety for a person that he shall receive no harm while drinking, or from the draught; a practice which originated among our ancestors in their rude state, and which was intended to secure the person from being stabbed while drinking, or from being poisoned by the liquor. In the first case, a by-stander pledges the person drinking; in the latter, the person drinking pledges his guest by drinking first, and then handing the cup to his guest. The latter practice is frequent among the common people in America to this day; the owner of the liquor taking the cup says to his friend, I pledge you, and drinks, then hands the cup to his guest; a remarkable instance of the power of habit, as the reason of the custom has long since ceased.

plej (verbs chabhal (10 times), `arabh (2Ki 18:23 equals Isa 36:8); nouns chahal (Eze 18:12,16; 33:15), chabcholah (Eze 18:7), `arubbah), (1Sa 17:18), erabhon (Ge 38:17,18,20); also abhoT (De 24:10-13) and (the Revised Version (British and American) only) abhTiT (Hab 2:6)): All these words have about the same meaning.

(1) The "pledge" is, as in modern English, security given for future payment (Ge 38:17-24) or conduct (Hab 2:6, where the conquered nations have given guaranties of their subserviency to the Chaldeans; the King James Version's "thick clay" here rests on a misreading of the Hebrew). In 2Ki 18:23 (equals Isa 36:8) the "pledge" is a wager (so the Revised Version margin). Rabshakeh mockingly dares Hezekiah to stake a "pledge" that he can produce 2,000 men for the defense of Jerusalem, although the mighty Assyrian host has that number of horses alone. The general point of the obscure passage Pr 20:16 (equals 27:13) is that he who guarantees strangers needs a guaranty himself. 1Sa 17:18 is uncertain and the text may be corrupt. If not, the "pledge" is some (prearranged?) token of the welfare of David's brethren.

(2) Most of the occurrences of "pledge," however, deal with the debts of the very poor, who had no property that they could spare even temporarily. Consequently, the exaction of a pledge from such persons worked genuine hardship, and to take a pledge at all was a cruel act (Job 24:3), although of course the dishonesty of withholding a pledge (Eze 18:7; 33:15) was worse. Lowest in the scale was the creditor who took the garment the borrower was wearing (Am 2:8; Job 22:6; 24:9 margin), and special legislation controlled this practice. A garment (the outer "cloak" (see DRESS) not worn while doing manual labor) so taken must be restored at night (Ex 22:26; De 24:12,13), for it was the usual covering of the sleeper. (Apparently, though, the creditor regained custody of it in the daytime until the debt was paid.) A widow's clothing, however, was entirely exempt (De 24:17), as was the handmill used for bread-making (De 24:6). The lender had no right of entry into the borrower's house to obtain the pledge (De 24:10,11), but it is not said that he could not dictate what he would accept; indeed, the contrary is inconceivable.

(3) the American Standard Revised Version gives "pledge" for the King James Version and the English Revised Version "faith" in 1Ti 5:12.

See also EARNEST.

Burton Scott Easton

Definition

The term “pledge” refers to formally and solemnly promising to do something or give something.

• In the Old Testament the officials of Israel pledged to be loyal to King David.
• To “pledge” could be translate as to “formally commit to” or to “strongly promise.”
• The term “pledge” can also refer to an object given as a guarantee or promise that a debt will be paid.
• The object given as a pledge would be returned to its owner when the promise was fulfilled.
• Ways to translate “a pledge” could include “a solemn promise” or “a formal commitment” or “a guarantee” or “a formal assurance,” depending on the context.

(See also: promise, oath, vow)

Bible References

• 2 Corinthians 5:4-5
• Exodus 22:26
• Genesis 38:17-18
• Nehemiah 10:28-29

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0781, H2254, H2258, H5667, H5671, H6148, H6161, H6162