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Texts -- Proverbs 5:1-21 (NET)

Context
Admonition to Avoid Seduction to Evil
5:1 My child , be attentive to my wisdom , pay close attention to my understanding , 5:2 in order to safeguard discretion , and that your lips may guard knowledge . 5:3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey , and her seductive words are smoother than olive oil , 5:4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood , sharp as a two-edged sword . 5:5 Her feet go down to death ; her steps lead straight to the grave . 5:6 Lest she should make level the path leading to life , her paths are unstable but she does not know it. 5:7 So now , children , listen to me; do not turn aside from the words I speak . 5:8 Keep yourself far from her, and do not go near the door of her house , 5:9 lest you give your vigor to others and your years to a cruel person, 5:10 lest strangers devour your strength , and your labor benefit another man’s house . 5:11 And at the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are wasted away . 5:12 And you will say , “How I hated discipline ! My heart spurned reproof ! 5:13 For I did not obey my teachers and I did not heed my instructors . 5:14 I almost came to complete ruin in the midst of the whole congregation !” 5:15 Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well . 5:16 Should your springs be dispersed outside , your streams of water in the wide plazas ? 5:17 Let them be for yourself alone , and not for strangers with you. 5:18 May your fountain be blessed , and may you rejoice in your young wife – 5:19 a loving doe , a graceful deer ; may her breasts satisfy you at all times , may you be captivated by her love always . 5:20 But why should you be captivated , my son , by an adulteress , and embrace the bosom of a different woman ? 5:21 For the ways of a person are in front of the Lord’s eyes , and the Lord weighs all that person’s paths .

Pericope

NET
  • Pro 5:1-23 -- Admonition to Avoid Seduction to Evil

Bible Dictionary

  • Young Men

    [nave] YOUNG MEN. Ex. 24:3-5; 1 Kin. 12:6-15 2 Chr. 10:8. Psa. 119:9; Psa. 148:12, 13; Prov. 1:1-33; Prov. 2:1-22; Prov. 3:1-35; Prov. 4:1-27; Prov. 5:1-23 Prov. 31:1-3. Prov. 6:1-35; Prov. 7:1-27; Prov. 10:1; Prov. 13:1; Prov. 15...

  • Adultery

    [nave] ADULTERY. Gen. 20:3; 2 Sam. 12:14; Job 24:15-17 v. 18.; Job 31:1, 9-12; Prov. 2:16, 18, 19 v. 17.; Prov. 5:3, 4 vs. 5-22.; Prov. 6:24-29, 32, 33; Prov. 7:5-23; Prov. 9:13-18; Prov. 22:14; Prov. 23:27, 28; Prov. 29:3; Prov. ...

  • Women

    [nave] WOMEN Creation of, Gen. 1:27; 2:21, 22. Named, Gen. 2:23. Fall of, and curse upon, Gen. 3:1-16; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14. Promise to, Gen. 3:15. Had separate apartments in dwellings, Gen. 24:67; 31:33; Esth. 2:9, 11. Ve...

  • Prostitute

    [nave] PROSTITUTE Shamelessness of, Prov. 2:16; 7:11-27; 9:13-18. Plots of, Prov. 7:10; 9:14-17; Isa. 23:15, 16; Hos. 2:13. To be shued, Prov. 5:3-20; 7:25-27. Hire of, not to be received at the temple, Deut. 23:18. Rahab, Josh...

  • Temptation

    [nave] TEMPTATION. Gen. 3:1-13; Gen. 20:6; Ex. 34:12 vs. 13-16.; Deut. 7:25; Deut. 8:11-14, 17, 18; Deut. 13:3; 1 Chr. 21:1; 2 Chr. 32:30, 31; Psa. 119:165; Prov. 1:10-17; Prov. 2:10-12, 16; Prov. 4:14, 15; Prov. 5:6-21; Prov. 6:2...

  • Lasciviousness

    [nave] LASCIVIOUSNESS. Ex. 32:6; Prov. 2:16-18; Prov. 5:3-5, 8-13; Prov. 7:6-27; Prov. 9:13-18; Prov. 20:16; Prov. 30:18-20; Joel 3:3; Mark 7:21-23; Rom. 1:22-29; Rom. 7:8; Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10, 13, 15-18; 1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Cor...

  • Chastity

    [nave] CHASTITY. Ex. 20:14; Job 31:1; Prov. 2:10, 11, 16-22; Prov. 5:15-21; Prov. 6:24, 25; Prov. 7:1-5; Prov. 31:3; Matt. 5:28; Matt. 19:12; Acts 15:20; Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:13-19; 1 Cor. 7:1, 2, 7-9, 25, 26, 36, 37; 1 Cor. 9:27;...

  • Remorse

    [nave] REMORSE. Psa. 31:10; Psa. 38:2-6; Psa. 51:1-4, 7-17; Prov. 1:25-27; Prov. 5:7-13; Prov. 28:1; Isa. 2:19 v. 21.; Isa. 6:5; Isa. 57:20, 21 Isa. 48:22. Lam. 1:20; Ezek. 7:16-18, 25, 26; Ezek. 33:10; Luke 13:28; Acts 2:37; Acts...

  • SONG OF SONGS

    [isbe] SONG OF SONGS - (shir hashirim; Septuagint Asma; Codices Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Ephraemi, Asma asmaton; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Canticum Canticorum): I. CANONICITY II. TEXT III. AUTHORSHIP AND DATE IV...

  • Wisdom

    [isbe] WISDOM - wiz'-dum: 1. Linguistic 2. History 3. Religious Basis 4. Ideals 5. Teaching of Christ 6. Remainder of the New Testament (1) James (2) Paul 7. Hypostasis LITERATURE 1. Linguistic: In the Revised Version (British and ...
    [nave] WISDOM Of Joseph, Gen. 41:16, 25-39; Acts 7:10. Of Moses, Acts 7:22. Of Bezaleel, Ex. 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1. Of Aholiab, Ex. 31:6; 35:34, 35; 36:1; of other skilled artisans, Ex. 36:2; of women, Ex. 35:26. Of Hiram, 1 K...

  • Husband

    [nave] HUSBAND. Gen. 2:23, 24 Matt. 19:5; Mark 10:7. Num. 5:11-31; Deut. 22:13-21; Deut. 24:5; Prov. 5:15-19; Eccl. 9:9; Mal. 2:14-16; 1 Cor. 7:3, 5; 1 Cor. 7:14, 16, 33; 1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18, 19; 1 Tim. 5:8; 1 Pet...

  • SEALED, FOUNTAIN

    [isbe] SEALED, FOUNTAIN - seld, These words, applied to the bride (Song 4:12), find their explanation under SEAL (which see). Anything that was to be authoritatively protected was sealed. Where water was one of the most precious th...

  • Wormwood

    [ebd] Heb. la'anah, the Artemisia absinthium of botanists. It is noted for its intense bitterness (Deut. 29:18; Prov. 5:4; Jer. 9:15; Amos 5:7). It is a type of bitterness, affliction, remorse, punitive suffering. In Amos 6:12 thi...
    [isbe] WORMWOOD - wurm'-wood (la'anah (Dt 29:18; Prov 5:4; Jer 9:15; 23:15; Lam 3:15,19; Am 5:7; 6:12, the King James Version hemlock); apsinthos (Rev 8:11)): What the Hebrew la`anah may have been is obscure; it is clear it was a b...
    [nave] WORMWOOD, a bitter plant, Deut. 29:18. Figurative Deut. 29:18; Prov. 5:4; Jer. 9:15; 23:15; Lam. 3:19. Symbolical, Rev. 8:11.

  • Children

    [nave] CHILDREN In answer to prayer: To Abraham, Gen. 15:2-5, with Gen. 21:1, 2; Isaac, Gen. 25:21; Leah, Gen. 30:17-22; Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24; Haah, 1 Sam. 1:9-20; Zacharias, Luke 1:13. Treatment of, at birth, Ezek. 16:4-6; Luke ...

  • Cistern

    [ebd] the rendering of a Hebrew word bor, which means a receptacle for water conveyed to it; distinguished from beer, which denotes a place where water rises on the spot (Jer. 2:13; Prov. 5:15; Isa. 36:16), a fountain. Cisterns ar...
    [nave] CISTERN. Isa. 36:16. Broken, Jer. 2:13. Figurative 2 Kin. 18:31; Prov. 5:15; Eccl. 12:6. See: Wells.

  • FOUNTAIN

    [isbe] FOUNTAIN - foun'-tin, foun'-tan: In a country where no rain falls for half of the year, springs sume an importance unknown in more favored lands. In both eastern and western Palestine and even in Lebanon there are many villa...

  • Deer

    [isbe] DEER - der ('ayyal, feminine 'ayyalah, and 'ayyeleth (compare Arabic, 'ayyal and 'iyal, "deer" and 'ayil, "ram," and Latin caper and capra, "goat," caprea, capreolus, "wild goat," "chamois," or "roe deer"); yachmur (compare ...
    [nave] DEER, called also, Fallow Deer, Hart, Hind, Roebuck. Designated among the clean animals, to be eaten, Deut. 12:15; 14:5. Provided for Solomon's household, 1 Kin. 4:23. Fleetness of, 2 Sam. 2:18; 1 Chr. 12:8; Prov. 6:5; Song...

  • Self-condemnation

    [nave] SELF-CONDEMNATION. 2 Sam. 24:17; 1 Kin. 8:31, 32; Job 9:20; Prov. 5:12, 13; Matt. 23:31; Matt. 25:24 [Luke 19:21, 22.] Matt. 25:25-27; Mark 12:1-12 Matt. 21:33-41. John 8:9; Acts 22:24; Rom. 2:1 See: Self-crimination; Remor...

  • RIVER

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2 Sam. 22:16), translated "brook," "river," "stream," but not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13). (2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a "t...
    [isbe] RIVER - riv'-er: (1) The usual word is nahar (Aramaic nehar (Ezr 4:10, etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (Gen 2:10-14), often of the Euphrates (Gen 15:18, etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (2 Ki 5:12), the river of Gozan (2 Ki 17...

  • HIND

    [ebd] Heb. 'ayalah (2 Sam. 22:34; Ps. 18:33, etc.) and 'ayeleth (Ps. 22, title), the female of the hart or stag. It is referred to as an emblem of activity (Gen. 49:21), gentleness (Prov. 5:19), feminine modesty (Cant. 2:7; 3:5), ...
    [smith] the female of the common stag or Cervus elaphus . It is frequently noticed in the poetical parts of Scripture as emblematic of activity, (Genesis 49:21; Psalms 18:33) gentleness, (Proverbs 5:19) feminine modesty, (Solomon 2:7...
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Arts

Questions

  • If I were looking for the primary biblical texts, I think I would be looking at Proverbs 31, Titus 2:5, and Ephesians 5:22-33. Let's start with the toughest one - Titus 2:5. NIV Titus 2:5 to be self-controlled and pure, to...
  • The Bible teaches us that God Himself designed sex and sexual intimacy including intercourse for man's blessing and enjoyment in addition to procreation. But the Bible is equally firm in teaching that this is to be confined t...
  • I've heard and read the same statement a number of times, but have never troubled myself to look up each passage. I'm not surprised that looking up "heaven" and "hell" in a concordance would give you contradictory results. T...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The title of this book in the Hebrew Bible is "The Proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, King in Israel"(cf. 1:1). The Greek Septuagint called this book "Proverbs of Solomon."The Latin Vulgate named it "The Book of Proverbs....
  • Proverbs claims to be a compendium of the wise sayings of several different individuals.4Solomon originated some of them (10:1-22:16 and chs. 25-29 definitely, and probably chs. 1-9 as well).5Unnamed wise men (sages) wrote ot...
  • The Book of Proverbs contains no history. It is purely didactic. It is a book of explicit instruction. Like the other Old Testament wisdom books, Job and Ecclesiastes, it does not contain references to Israel's laws, rituals,...
  • I. Discourses on wisdom chs. 1-9A. Introduction to the book 1:1-71. The title of the book 1:12. The purpose of the book 1:2-63. The thesis of the book 1:7B. Instruction for young people 1:8-7:271. Warning against consorting w...
  • Verse one introduces both the book as a whole and chapters 1-9 in particular. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of at least five separate groups of proverbs. There are those that Solomon spoke and or wrote (possibly chs. 1...
  • The Hebrew word translated "proverb"(masal) essentially means a comparison. However through usage it came to mean any profound pronouncement including maxims, observations, sermons (e.g., ch. 5), even wisecracks (cf. Ezek. 18...
  • The two ways (paths) introduced in 1:7 stretch out before the reader (cf. Matt. 7:13-14). In this section Solomon spoke to his son guiding him into God's way. "My son"was and is a customary way of addressing a disciple."It de...
  • Chapters 5-7 all deal with the consequences of sexual sins: eventual disappointment (ch. 5), gradual destruction (ch. 6), and ultimate death (ch. 7).67Chapter 5 first reveals the ugliness under the surface of the attractive s...
  • The lips of the youth (v. 2) contrast with those of the seductress (v. 3). Knowing what is right and being able to articulate that with one's lips is really a protection against the power of the seductress's speech (vv. 1-6)....
  • The price of unfaithfulness is so high that it is unreasonable. Therefore one is wise to avoid tempting himself or herself by continuing to admire the "merchandise."Most marital infidelity occurs because the parties involved ...
  • Verses 15-23 point out a better way, namely, fidelity. Strict faithfulness will not result in unhappiness or failure to experience what is best in life, as the world likes to try to make us think. Rather it guards us from the...
  • The parallel between wisdom's invitation and the one Jesus Christ extended to everyone to come to His feast shows the similarity between wisdom and responding positively to God's Word (Matt. 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24). The "seve...
  • Chapters 1-9, as we have seen, contain discourses that Solomon evidently wrote urging his sons to choose the way of wisdom for their lives.92At 10:1 we begin the part of the book that sets forth what the wise way is in a vari...
  • A third major section of the Book of Proverbs begins with 22:17. This is clear from several indicators. The proverbs lengthen out again from the typical one verse couplet that characterizes 10:1-26:16 (cf. chs. 1-9). The phra...
  • As in chapters 1-9, the writer began this section of the book with an exhortation to hear and give heed to the words of wisdom that follow (22:17-21)."This extended introduction reminds us that the wise sayings were not curio...
  • We return now to the proverbs of Solomon (cf. 1:1-22:16). Chapters 25-26 contain proverbs that are mainly comparisons. The key words in these chapters are "like . . . so."Chapter 27 is a mixture of comparative and antithetica...
  • 25:1 A group of scholars who served during King Hezekiah's reign (715-686 B.C.) added more of Solomon's 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32) to the former collection (1:1-22:16). These men lived about 250 years after Solomon. Solomo...
  • This poem recalls the earlier discourses in chapters 1-9. In this one, Solomon gave some basic and practical advice designed to assure success in the context of Israel's most common occupation, animal husbandry.The essentials...
  • Chapters 30 and 31 form a distinct section in Proverbs because neither Solomon (1:1-22:16; chs. 25-29) nor the unnamed sages (22:17-24:34) wrote them. Two other wise men whose names the text records did. Some expositors specu...
  • The quality of wisdom that Proverbs presents is much more than the ability to apply knowledge to various situations in life effectively. It also involves submission to the way of God that is the order of life God has revealed...
  • Aitken, Kenneth T. Proverbs. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1986.Alden, Robert L. Proverbs: A Commentary on an Ancient Book of Timeless Advice. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984.Archer, Gleason L., Jr. Encyclopedia of Bi...
  • Even though the righteous sometimes do not receive a reward in this life and the wicked prosper, it is still better to live righteously."Proper evaluation of a man's character helps to explain the apparent inequalities in div...
  • As the book begins, the young woman and young man have already met and "fallen in love."In verses 2-4a the girl voices her desire for her boyfriend's physical affection."It is significant to this work that the girl speaks fir...
  • 3:1 Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32; Isa. 10:5)."The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins wit...
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