Topics in Proverbs Table

Building Hedges against Adultery Devotional

5:1 My child, be attentive to my wisdom See note on 1:8; note on 1:8–9:18.

5:3 the lips of the strange woman Described as smoother than oil and sweet like honey, both of which were signs of luxury. The forbidden woman appears as an alluring and flattering temptress. See note on 2:16.

5:4 wormwood While the adulteress’ speech may be sweet and appealing, it becomes bitter and painful in the end.

a two-edged sword Used to wound by stabbing, a two-edged sword could also be concealed (Judg 3:16–22). Elsewhere, it represents a tool of God’s punishment (Psa 149:6–9).

5:5 Sheol See note on Prov 1:12.

5:6 She does not observe the path of life Unlike the wise, the adulteress does not carefully consider her path. See 4:26 and note.

her ways wander In 4:27, the father encouraged his son to carefully avoid swerving from the path of wisdom and righteousness.

5:7 O children, listen to me See 1:8; note on 1:8–9:18.

5:8 Keep your paths far from her The father encourages his sons to keep distance between themselves and the adulteress. Their way (2:8, 20; 4:11–14) should not even approach her.

5:10 strangers take their fill of your strength The words that describe the people who will take wealth in this verse are the same words used in 2:16 to describe the adulteress.

5:12 How I hated discipline In Proverbs, a fool or scoffer hates discipline (9:7–8; 15:5) while the wise love it (9:8–9; 12:1).

5:15 Drink water from your own cistern A euphemism for sexual relations. The son is encouraged to find sexual satisfaction with his wife. The man in the Song of Songs also uses water as a euphemism; he describes his beloved as a sealed spring or fountain (Song 4:12, 15).

5:17 not for strangers who are with you Considering the next verse, this phrase is probably an encouragement to the son to only share sexual pleasures with his wife. The Hebrew word used here, zar (“stranger”), probably is a reference to the woman of Prov 2:16 and 5:3, 20, who is described with the same word.

5:18 the wife of your youth That is, the woman whom the son married when he was young (2:17; compare Mal 2:14).

5:21 all his paths he examines See note on Prov 4:26.

5:22 the vanity of This refers to a cord used in a trap (Psa 140:5). The wicked are caught in their own traps. See note on Job 18:8.

5:23 He shall die for lack of discipline Lack of discipline is associated with folly. This lack of discipline allows the fool to fall into temptation.

The Fool in Proverbs

Wisdom and Related Terms