5:3This “immoral woman” is a prostitute. Proverbs includes many warnings against illicit sex for several reasons. First, a prostitute’s charm is used as an example of any temptation to do wrong or to leave the pursuit of wisdom. Second, sexual immorality of any kind was and still is extremely dangerous because it destroys family life, erodes a person's ability to love, degrades human beings and turns them into objects, can Jead to disease, and can result in unwanted children. Third, sexual immoratity is against God’s law. §:3-8 Any person should be on guard against those who use flattery and smooth talk (lips that “are as sweet as honey”) that would lead him or her into sin. The best advice is to take a detour and even avoid conversation with such people.
Life Application Study BibleProverbsChapter 5
Proverbs 5
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1009, 1010
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
1listen carefully to my wise counsel.
2Then you will show discernment,and your lips will express what you've learned.
3For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4But in the end she is as bitter as poison,as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
5Her feet go down to death;her steps lead straight to the grave.*
6For she cares nothing about the path to life.She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
7So now, my sons, listen to me.Never stray from what J am about to say:
8Stay away from her!Don’t go near the door of her house!
9Tf you do, you will lose your honorand will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
10Strangers will consume your wealth,and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
11In the end you will groan in anguishwhen disease consumes your body.
12You will say, “How I hated discipline!If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
13Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?Why didn't I pay attention to my instructors?
14Thave come to the brink of utter ruin,and now I must face public disgrace.”
15Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife.*
16Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,having sex with just anyone?*
17You should reserve it for yourselves.Never share it with strangers.
18Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.Let her breasts satisfy you always.May you always be captivated by her love.
20Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
21For the LORD sees clearly what a man does,examining every path he takes.
22An evil man is held captive by his own sins;they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23He will die for lack of self-control;he will be lost because of his great foolishness.
Lessons for Daily Life
61 My child,* if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger— 2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said— 3 follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride;
Textual footnotes
- 5:5 Hebrew to Sheol.
Life Application Notes 5 notes
5:11-13At the end of your life, it will be too late to ask for advice, When desire is fully activated, people don’t want advice-—they want satisfaction. The best time to fearn the dangers and foolishness of going after forbidden sex (or anything else that is harmful) is long before the temptation comes. Resistance is easier if the decision has already been made. Don’t wait to see what happens. Prepare for temptation by deciding now how you will act when you face it.
5:15“Drink water from your own well” is a picture of faithful- Ness in marriage. It means to enjoy the spouse God has given you. In desert lands, water is precious, and a well is a family’s most important possession. In Old Testament times, it was considered a crime to steal water from someone else's well, just as it was a crime to have intercourse with another person’s spouse. In both cases, the offender endangers the health and security of family.
5:15-21In contrast to much of what we read, see, and hear today, this passage urges couples to look to each other for lifelong satisfaction and companionship. Many temptations entice husbands and wives to leave when marriage becomes dull in order to find excitement and pleasures elsewhere. But God designed marriage and sanctified it, and only within this covenant relationship can we find real love and fulfillment. Don’t {et God’s best for you be wasted on the illusion of greener pastures somewhere else. Instead, rejoice with your spouse as you give yourselves to God and to each other. §:18-20 God never intended marriage to become boring, lifeless, and dull. Sex is a gift God gives to married people for their mutual enjoyment. Real happiness comes when we decide to find pleasure in the spouse God has given us and to commit ourselves to meeting his or her needs. The real danger is in doubting that God knows and cares for us. We then may resent his timing and carelessly pursue sexual pleasure without his blessing.
5:19See Song of Songs, chapter 4, for parallels to this frank expression of the joys of sexual pleasure in marriage.
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Study feature · page 1010
5:16 Hebrew I
Why
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