Proverbs 5:1-14
What begins with seductive pleasure ends in destruction when wisdom is rejected and sexual immorality is embraced.
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.
7 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.
11 You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13 neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”
What begins with seductive pleasure ends in destruction when wisdom is rejected and sexual immorality is embraced.
To warn the learner against sexual immorality by exposing the deceptive appeal and destructive consequences of adultery.
This passage begins a focused section in Proverbs addressing sexual integrity and covenant faithfulness. Following the broader calls to wisdom and path selection in earlier chapters, the father now narrows the focus to a specific and recurring threat: the forbidden woman. The language shifts to vivid sensory imagery, highlighting how sin presents itself attractively before revealing its destructive outcome. The section is structured to move from warning, to description of deception, to consequences, and finally to regret. This unit sets the stage for extended teaching on sexual purity throughout Proverbs 5–7, where the danger is revisited and expanded. It reinforces that wisdom must operate in areas of desire, not only in decision-making or speech.
Proverbs 5:1-14 reflects the covenantal emphasis on sexual purity within Israel’s wisdom tradition. The passage assumes a social environment where temptation toward adultery or illicit relationships was a real and present danger. Sexual ethics were deeply tied to covenant faithfulness, family stability, and community integrity. The warning is framed not merely as social advice but as theological instruction rooted in God’s moral order.
Wisdom for Sexual Faithfulness: The Bitter End of Adultery and the Joy of Covenant Marriage
Wisdom teaches God's people to flee sexual folly, rejoice in covenant faithfulness, and remember that the LORD sees every path and sin finally enslaves those who refuse discipline.