Focused Passage

Proverbs 5:1-14

Wisdom for Sexual Faithfulness: The Bitter End of Adultery and the Joy of Covenant Marriage

The chapter moves from attentive wisdom, to exposure of sexual seduction, to urgent avoidance, to positive marital delight, to the LORD's omniscient examination and sin's enslaving consequences.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,

2that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.

3Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,

4in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.

5Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.

6She does not consider the path of life; she does not know that her ways are unstable.

7So now, my sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.

8Keep your path far from her; do not go near the door of her house,

9lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;

10lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich the house of a foreigner.

11At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent,

12and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!

13I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.

14I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

My sonבְּ֭נִיH1121Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularpay attentionהַקְשִׁ֑יבָהH7181Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singularto my wisdomלְחָכְמָתִ֣יH2451Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularinclineהַט־H5186Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singularyour earאָזְנֶֽךָ׃H241Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularto my insightלִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗יH8394Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 2

Original words

that you may maintainלִשְׁמֹ֥רH8104Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructdiscretionמְזִמּ֑וֹתH4209Noun - feminine pluraland your lipsשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָH8193Noun - feminine dual construct | second person masculine singularmay preserveיִנְצֹֽרוּ׃H5341Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralknowledgeוְ֝דַ֗עַתH1847Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

Thoughכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctionthe lipsשִׂפְתֵ֣יH8193Noun - feminine dual constructof the forbidden womanזָרָ֑הH2114Adjective - feminine singulardripתִּ֭טֹּפְנָהH5197Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine pluralhoneyנֹ֣פֶתH5317Noun - masculine singularand her speechחִכָּֽהּ׃H2441Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular[is] smootherוְחָלָ֖קH2509Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularthan oilמִשֶּׁ֣מֶןH8081Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or the adulteress
  • Or her palate
Verse 4

Original words

in the endוְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּH319Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singularshe is bitterמָרָ֣הH4751Adjective - feminine singularas wormwoodכַֽלַּעֲנָ֑הH3939Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singularsharpחַ֝דָּ֗הH2299Adjective - feminine singularas a double-edgedפִּיּֽוֹת׃H6310Noun - masculine pluralswordכְּחֶ֣רֶבH2719Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct
Verse 5

Original words

Her feetרַ֭גְלֶיהָH7272Noun - feminine dual construct | third person feminine singulargo downיֹרְד֣וֹתH3381Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine pluralto deathמָ֑וֶתH4194Noun - masculine singularher stepsצְעָדֶ֥יהָH6806Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularlead straight toיִתְמֹֽכוּ׃H8551Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralSheolשְׁ֝א֗וֹלH7585Noun - common singular

BSB notes

  • Or lay hold of Sheol
Verse 6

Original words

She does notפֶּן־H6435Conjunctionconsiderתְּפַלֵּ֑סH6424Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singularthe pathאֹ֣רַחH734Noun - common singular constructof lifeחַ֭יִּיםH2416Noun - masculine pluralshe does notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleknow thatתֵדָֽע׃פH3045Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularher waysמַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָH4570Noun - feminine plural construct | third person feminine singularare unstableנָע֥וּH5128Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Verse 7

Original words

So nowוְעַתָּ֣הH6258Conjunctive waw | Adverbmy sonsבָ֭נִיםH1121Noun - masculine plurallistenשִׁמְעוּ־H8085Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralto meלִ֑יPreposition | first person common singularand do notוְאַל־H408Conjunctive waw | Adverbturn asideתָּ֝ס֗וּרוּH5493Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralfrom the wordsמֵאִמְרֵי־H561Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural constructof my mouthפִֽי׃H6310Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 8

Original words

Keep your pathדַרְכֶּ֑ךָH1870Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singularfarהַרְחֵ֣קH7368Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singularfrom herמֵעָלֶ֣יהָH5921Preposition-m | third person feminine singulardo notוְאַל־H408Conjunctive waw | Adverbgo nearתִּ֝קְרַ֗בH7126Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular. . .אֶל־H413Prepositionthe doorפֶּ֥תַחH6607Noun - masculine singular constructof her houseבֵּיתָֽהּ׃H1004Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

lestפֶּן־H6435Conjunctionyou concedeתִּתֵּ֣ןH5414Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularyour vigorהוֹדֶ֑ךָH1935Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularto othersלַאֲחֵרִ֣יםH312Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine pluraland your yearsוּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָH8141Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singularto one who is cruelלְאַכְזָרִֽי׃H394Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

lestפֶּֽן־H6435Conjunctionstrangersזָרִ֣יםH2114Adjective - masculine pluralfeastיִשְׂבְּע֣וּH7646Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralon your wealthכֹּחֶ֑ךָH3581Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularand your laborsוַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָH6089Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular[enrich] the houseבְּבֵ֣יתH1004Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof a foreignerנָכְרִֽי׃H5237Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 11

Original words

At the end of your lifeבְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָH319Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularyou will groanוְנָהַמְתָּ֥H5098Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularwhen your fleshבְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗H1320Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularand your bodyוּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃H7607Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularare spentבִּכְל֥וֹתH3615Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 12

Original words

and you will sayוְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗H559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularHowאֵ֭יךְH349InterjectionI hatedשָׂנֵ֣אתִיH8130Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singulardisciplineמוּסָ֑רH4148Noun - masculine singularand my heartלִבִּֽי׃H3820Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singulardespisedנָאַ֥ץH5006Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularreproofוְ֝תוֹכַ֗חַתH8433Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 13

Original words

I did notוְֽלֹא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlelistenשָׁ֭מַעְתִּיH8085Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularto the voiceבְּק֣וֹלH6963Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof my teachersמוֹרָ֑יH4175Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular[or]לֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleinclineהִטִּ֥יתִיH5186Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singularmy earאָזְנִֽי׃H241Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularto my mentorsוְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗יH3925Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Verse 14

Original words

I amהָיִ֣יתִיH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularon the brinkכִּ֭מְעַטH4592Preposition-k | Adjective - masculine singularof utterבְכָל־H3605Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructruinרָ֑עH7451Adjective - masculine singularin the midstבְּת֖וֹךְH8432Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof the whole assemblyקָהָ֣לH6951Noun - masculine singular. . .וְעֵדָֽה׃H5712Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.