Focused Passage

Proverbs 5:15-23

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

15 Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.

16 Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?

17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.

18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:

19 A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

20 Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.

22 The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.

23 He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

Drink שְׁתֵה־ H8354 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular water מַ֥יִם H4325 Noun - masculine plural from your own cistern מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ H953 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and running water וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים H5140 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural from מִתּ֥וֹךְ H8432 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct your own well בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃ H875 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

Why should your springs מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ H4599 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular flow יָפ֣וּצוּ H6327 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural in the streets ח֑וּצָה H2351 Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular your streams פַּלְגֵי־ H6388 Noun - masculine plural construct of water מָֽיִם׃ H4325 Noun - masculine plural in the public squares בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת H7339 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

Let them be יִֽהְיוּ־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural yours לְךָ֥ Preposition | second person masculine singular alone לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ H905 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular never וְאֵ֖ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb to be shared אִתָּֽךְ׃ H854 Preposition | second person masculine singular with strangers לְזָרִ֣ים H2114 Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 18

Original words

May your fountain מְקוֹרְךָ֥ H4726 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular be יְהִֽי־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular blessed בָר֑וּךְ H1288 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular and may you rejoice וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח H8055 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular in the wife מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת H802 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of your youth נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃ H5271 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

A loving אֲהָבִ֗ים H158 Noun - masculine plural doe אַיֶּ֥לֶת H355 Noun - feminine singular construct a graceful חֵ֥ן H2580 Noun - masculine singular fawn וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־ H3280 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct may her breasts דַּ֭דֶּיהָ H1717 Noun - masculine dual construct | third person feminine singular satisfy you יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ H7301 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | second person masculine singular always בְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct . . . עֵ֑ת H6256 Noun - common singular may you be captivated תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה H7686 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular by her love בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ H160 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular forever תָמִֽיד׃ H8548 Adverb

BSB notes

  • Or be led astray; also in verse 20
Verse 20

Original words

Why וְלָ֤מָּה H4100 Conjunctive waw | Interrogative be captivated תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה H7686 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular my son בְנִ֣י H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular by an adulteress בְזָרָ֑ה H2114 Preposition-b | Adjective - feminine singular or embrace וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק H2263 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular the bosom חֵ֣ק H2436 Noun - masculine singular construct of a stranger נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ H5237 Adjective - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Or a foreign woman or another man’s wife
Verse 21

Original words

For כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction a man’s אִ֑ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular ways דַּרְכֵי־ H1870 Noun - common plural construct are before נֹ֨כַח׀ H5227 Preposition the eyes עֵינֵ֣י H5869 Noun - cdc of the LORD יְ֭הוָה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and [the LORD] examines מְפַלֵּֽס׃ H6424 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular all וְֽכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct his paths מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו H4570 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or ponders or makes level
Verse 22

Original words

The iniquities עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗יו H5771 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular of a wicked man הָרָשָׁ֑ע H7563 Article | Adjective - masculine singular entrap him יִלְכְּדֻנ֥וֹ H3920 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular, Paragogic nun - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the cords יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃ H8551 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular of his sin חַ֝טָּאת֗וֹ H2403 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular entangle him וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י H2256 Conjunctive waw, Preposition | Noun - masculine plural construct
Verse 23

Original words

He ה֗וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular dies יָ֭מוּת H4191 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for lack בְּאֵ֣ין H369 Preposition-b | Adverb of discipline מוּסָ֑ר H4148 Noun - masculine singular led astray יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃פ H7686 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular by his own great וּבְרֹ֖ב H7230 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct folly אִוַּלְתּ֣וֹ H200 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine 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.