1
My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to the understanding that I teach,
2
that you may keep discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3
For the lips of an adulterous woman drip honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil;
4
but afterward she is bitter as wormwood,
and sharp as a double-edged sword.
5
Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead to the realm of the dead.
6
She does not take the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7
Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.
8
Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
9
lest you give your vigor to others,
and your years to one who is cruel;
10
lest strangers feast on your wealth,
and your hard-earned goods go into the house of another.
11
At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent,
12
and you will say,
“Ah, how I hated instruction,
and my heart despised reproof!
13
Why did I not listen to the voice of my teachers,
and not incline my ear to my instructors?
14
I was almost in utter ruin
in the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15
Drink water from your own cistern,
drinking from the spring of your own well.
16
Should your springs overflow abroad,
your streams of water in the streets?
17
Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18
May your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth:
19
a loving doe, a graceful deer;
let her breasts satisfy you at all times,
and be always captivated by her love.
20
My son, why should you be captivated by an adulterous woman,
and embrace the bosom of a foreign woman?
21
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
and he watches all his paths.
22
The wicked are caught in their own iniquities,
and they are held fast in the cords of their own sin.
23
He dies for lack of instruction,
and because of his great folly he goes astray.
💔💋⚠️ Summary of Proverbs 5 – Beware of the Foreign Woman and Guard Faithfulness
Proverbs 5 is a sharp warning from Solomon to his son to stay away from sexual temptation, especially from the “foreign woman” — a symbol of an unlawful relationship. Though it may seem sweet and alluring at first, the result is destruction, regret, and spiritual death. Instead, Solomon advises enjoying and remaining faithful to one’s own spouse and living with the awareness that human life’s path is watched by God.
📌 1. Listen to Wisdom, Not to Enticement (verses 1–6)
“The lips of an adulterous woman drip honey, but afterward she is bitter as wormwood.”
- The foreign woman appears sweet, but in the end:
– Bitter, sharp, and deadly
– Its path is unstable and leads away from life
🎯 Sexual temptation wraps destruction in temporary sweetness.
📌 2. Stay Away Completely (verses 7–14)
“Do not let your way turn aside from her…”
- The command is firm: Do not go near!
- Consequences if it is broken:
– Honor is lost
– Wealth is drained by strangers
– The body is worn out by sickness and stress
– Regret at the end of life: “Why did I hate discipline?”
🎯 Better to keep away from the start than to regret it at the end.
📌 3. Enjoy Your Own Wife (verses 15–20)
“Drink water from your own cistern…”
- Marriage illustration:
– Like a private well of water: clear, fresh, and for oneself - One’s own wife is described as:
– A lovely deer, a graceful doe
– A source of lawful and holy joy
🎯 Sexual intimacy in marriage is God’s blessing — do not trade clear water for poison.
📌 4. The Lord Watches All Ways (verses 21–23)
“For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD…”
- The Lord:
– Sees every step
– Punishes the wicked
– Lets the stubborn person be bound by his own sin
🎯 Do not be deceived by secrecy — nothing is hidden from the Lord.
📖 Main Teaching
- Sexual temptation often seems attractive but brings destruction
- Regret at the end does not erase the effects of sin
- Marriage and faithfulness are God’s beautiful will
- Wisdom helps us recognize and avoid temptation
- The Lord sees every choice we make, and accountability is real
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Let marriage be honored by all…”
→ The holiness of marriage is an enduring value — adultery destroys relationships and faith.
“Flee from sexual immorality…”
→ Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit — not for sexual sin.
“Husbands, love your wives…”
→ The love of husband and wife is a picture of Christ’s love for the church.
“Whatever a person sows, that will he also reap.”
→ Destruction or blessing begins with our moral decisions.
🎯 Proverbs 5 gives a serious warning: do not play with sexual sin. The Lord desires us to live in purity and faithfulness.
🕊️ “The lips of an immoral woman drip with honey…” – Proverbs 5:3
🕊️ “Do not let your way turn aside from her…” – Proverbs 5:8
🕊️ “Why have I hated instruction?” – Proverbs 5:12
🕊️ “Drink water from your own cistern…” – Proverbs 5:15
🕊️ “All a person’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD…” – Proverbs 5:21
