Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 5 is the first of three-extended warnings against the STRANGE-WOMAN / ADULTERESS (chapters 5, 6:20–35, and 7). The chapter warns-against-the-adulteress (vv. 1–14), commends-marital-fidelity (vv. 15–20), and closes with the divine-justice perspective (vv. 21–23). Verse 15's 'drink water from your own cistern' is the classic marital-fidelity metaphor.
Notable Variants
5:15 'drink water from your own cistern' marital-fidelity axiom; 5:18 'rejoice in the wife of your youth'; 5:22 'his own iniquities ensnare the wicked man' self-entrapment theology.
Structural Notes
MT Prov 5 = LXX Prov 5. 23 verses.
My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,
'My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding' tracks MT.
so that you may preserve foresight and your lips may guard knowledge.
'That you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge' tracks MT.
For the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil,
'For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil' tracks MT. HONEY-LIPS of the adulteress — the sweet-deceptive-speech warning.
but her end tastes bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
'But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword' tracks MT. BITTER-AS-WORMWOOD. Revelation 8:11 (Wormwood as the eschatological-bitter-star) extends.
Her feet descend toward death; her steps take hold of Sheol.
'Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol' tracks MT. FEET-GO-DOWN-TO-DEATH — the adulteress's way as Sheol-descent.
She does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.
'She does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it' tracks MT.
So now, sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.
'And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth' tracks MT.
Keep your way far from her; do not go near the door of her house,
'Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house' tracks MT. KEEP-YOUR-WAY-FAR. Physical-distance discipline. 2 Timothy 2:22 ('flee youthful passions') extends.
or you will give your vigor to others and your years to the merciless,
'Lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless' tracks MT.
or strangers will feast on your strength and your toil will end up in a foreigner's house,
'Lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner' tracks MT.
and you will groan at the end, when your flesh and body are consumed,
'And at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed' tracks MT.
and you will say, 'How I hated discipline! How my heart despised correction!
'And you say: How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!' tracks MT. TOO-LATE-REGRET confession — hindsight-of-the-unfaithful.
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
'I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors' tracks MT.
I was on the verge of complete ruin in the midst of the gathered assembly.'
'I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation' tracks MT.
Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.
'Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well' tracks MT. DRINK-FROM-YOUR-OWN-CISTERN marital-fidelity imagery. The covenant-of-marriage sealed-at-the-own-well.
Should your springs overflow into the street, your streams of water into the public squares?
'Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?' tracks MT.
Let them be for you alone, and not for strangers alongside you.
'Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you' tracks MT.
Let your fountain be blessed, and take joy in the wife of your youth —
'Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth' tracks MT. WIFE-OF-YOUR-YOUTH — covenant-partner from youth. Malachi 2:14–15 (the wife of your youth / covenant-partner) parallels.
a graceful doe, a lovely deer. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; be intoxicated always by her love.
'A lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love' tracks MT. The frankness of the Hebrew preserved in the LXX; marital-delight as biblical-affirmation. Song of Songs expands this theology.
Why then, my son, would you be intoxicated by a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an outsider?
'Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?' tracks MT.
For a person's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and He weighs all their paths.
'For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths' tracks MT. DIVINE-OBSERVATION — nothing-hidden. Hebrews 4:13 ('no creature is hidden from his sight') extends.
The wicked person's own iniquities will trap him, and he will be held fast by the ropes of his sin.
'The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin' tracks MT. SELF-ENTRAPMENT theology.
He will die for lack of discipline, and in the magnitude of his folly he will go astray.
'He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray' tracks MT.