Proverbs 5:1 ¶ My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
Proverbs 5:2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
Solomon continues to urge his son to pay attention to the wisdom he is trying to impart to him. He considers it so important to learn discernment and how to make good use of what you know that he repeats it over and over again.
Use of the word “lips” makes a natural transition to the following verses.
Proverbs 5:3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
Proverbs 5:4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
Proverbs 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Proverbs 5:6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
The father warns his son about the flattering and seductive words used by strange (profane, adulterous) women. If you fall for her seduction, you will eventually experience her bitterness and anger. Consorting with her will lead to death and hell. She is not following the path of life as established by God. You have no idea where consorting with her will lead you.
Guzik: "Our day is like Solomon’s, or perhaps worse. Modern western culture is saturated with images of alluring women and their enticement to gain something sweet and pleasant from them.”
Wiersbe: “The book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of looking ahead to see where our action will lead us. The wise person checks on the destination before buying a ticket, but modern society thinks that people can violate God’s laws and escape the consequences. They’re sure that whatever has happened to others will never happen to them.”
Proverbs 5:7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Proverbs 5:8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
Proverbs 5:9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
Proverbs 5:10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
Proverbs 5:11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
Proverbs 5:12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
Proverbs 5:13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Proverbs 5:14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
The wording again makes me think Solomon is talking to several of his sons and emphasizing personal application when using the word “son.” He urges his sons to stay far away from this type of woman and not to even get near her house. If you don’t, you will end up wasting the best years of your life and losing your hard-earned money to her and those connected to her business. In the end, you will be left grieving over all you have lost as you suffer from the diseases that are a consequence of your sin. You will despise yourself for not heeding the instruction and correction of those that tried to teach you. Even worse, your disgrace will be public.
The Apostle Paul counseled young Timothy along the lines of verse 8.
2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Guzik: "One great price of sexual immorality is regret. When we see how empty the promises of sin are and how great the price for those sins is, deep sorrow and regret is a logical response. Many men and women, fallen into the snare of sexual immorality, have wondered: ‘How did I ever end up here? How could I be so foolish? How could I give up so much for what amounted to so little?’”
Proverbs 5:15 ¶ Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Proverbs 5:16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Proverbs 5:17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.
In context, it is obvious that Solomon is painting a word picture of fidelity in marriage. He has been urging his sons not to consort with adulterous women. He now urges each of them to enjoy the pleasures of intimacy with his own wife.
Wiersbe: “Solomon compares enjoying married love to drinking pure water from a fresh well, but committing sexual sin is like drinking polluted water from the gutter or sewer…. To commit sexual sin is to pour this beautiful river into the streets and the public squares. What waste!”
Proverbs 5:18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Proverbs 5:19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
I liked the CJB for these verses: “Let your fountain, the wife of your youth, be blessed; find joy in her—a lovely deer, a graceful fawn; let her breasts satisfy you at all times, always be infatuated with her love.”
Proverbs 5:20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Solomon is basically saying that there is no good reason for choosing to consort with an adulteress. He reminds his sons that the LORD sees everything we do; nothing is hid from Him. Not only does He see what we do; He ponders our actions; the Hebrew makes reference to mentally weighing what he sees. I think that refers to taking into account all the circumstances surrounding the choices we make.
Proverbs 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Proverbs 5:23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Solomon is basically saying that one who rebels against the LORD to follow wicked ways is sure to suffer the consequences of his sin. Wise instruction is important to life; to reject it leads to death.
EBC Abridged: “In other words, if the young man is not captivated by his wife but becomes captivated with a stranger in sinful acts, then his own iniquities will captivate him; and he will be led to ruin.”
Clarke: “Most people who follow unlawful pleasures, think they can give them up whenever they please; but sin repeated becomes customary; custom soon engenders habit; and habit in the end assumes the form of necessity; the man becomes bound with his own cords, and so is led captive by the devil at his will.”
Wiersbe: “One of the deceitful things about sin is that it promises freedom but only brings slavery….The cords of sin get stronger the more we sin, yet sin deceives us into thinking we’re free and can quit sinning whenever we please As the invisible chains of habit are forged, we discover to our horror that we don’t have the strength break them.”
Proverbs 6:1 ¶ My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
Proverbs 6:2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Proverbs 6:3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
Proverbs 6:4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Proverbs 6:5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Solomon continues to counsel his son(s) with wisdom. This chapter opens with counsel against serving as one who guarantees the financial obligations of a friend (the Hebrew includes family or friend) or acquaintance. He describes it as falling into a trap of your own making. He urges that if you have made this mistake, you should diligently exert every means possible—to the point of begging—to free yourself of that obligation. Implied—Such obligation could ultimately lead to great lost for you. This is especially true if the person is one without a good work ethic or sense of integrity.
Clarke understands verse 3 to be talking about urging your friend to get the debt paid off, therefore, removing your obligation.
Proverbs 6:6 ¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Proverbs 6:7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Proverbs 6:8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Proverbs 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Proverbs 6:10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Proverbs 6:11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
In this section of verses, Solomon points out that one can learn wisdom from observing an ant, one of the tiniest of God’s creations. If you watch her, you will see that without having to be told what to do, she is very industrious in gathering a store of food in the summer to provide for her needs. In reflection, one with this type of discipline and industriousness will not find himself in need of someone else to secure his financial transactions.
Informative note from Clarke: “At the proper seasons they collect their food - not in the summer to lay up for the winter; for they sleep during the winter, and eat not; and therefore such hoards would be to them useless; but when the food necessary for them is most plentiful, then they collect it for their consumption in the proper seasons.”
“Sluggard” makes reference to one who is indolent, lazy and idle. The father urgently warns his sons about the dangers of laziness. One who takes no thought for the future and idles his time away will suddenly find himself in poverty.
Ironside: “Carelessness is not faith; it is a gross presumption to be a sluggard and then to expect divine provision in the hour of need.”
Proverbs 6:12 ¶ A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
Proverbs 6:13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
Proverbs 6:14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
Proverbs 6:15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
I think the NLT translation well states the message of the first three verses: “Here is a description of worthless and wicked people: They are constant liars, signaling their true intentions to their friends by making signs with their eyes and feet and fingers. Their perverted hearts plot evil. They stir up trouble constantly.”
In other words, wicked people cannot be trusted. Who are naughty and wicked people? Those that reject God and His word. Sadly, this trait is on great display by many politicians and most in the media in our country and throughout the world today. They will say anything—often claiming to be Christian—to accomplish their own evil purposes. God’s word is sure. Their judgment will one day come, surely and suddenly.
Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
In these verses, Solomon identifies seven things that the LORD hates, detests, considers disgusting. Note that he identifies these sins by listing them in association with the body from head to toe, probably as a memory aid.
A proud look - This refers to one who is proud and haughty, exalting himself. I think pride is the root sin. Eve’s sin was rooted in the thought that she could come to know as much as God; she thought she was being wiser than God by choosing to disobey Him.
A lying tongue - self-explanatory
Hands that she innocent blood - This is speaking of unjustified murder. It should be noted that the law justified the taking of a person’s life who had killed someone. The cities of refuge were established to provide protection for a person who had taken someone’s life by accident.
Numbers 35:9–12 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.”
A heart that devises wicked imaginations - This is referring to one that plots evil things against others.
Feet that are swift in running to mischief - This refers to one who is always ready to do what is wrong.
A false witness that speaks lies - This refers to lying with the intent to harm someone.
He that sows discord among the brethren - This refers to those that are always trying to turn family members or friends against one another—usually to some benefit to self.
EBC Abridged: "If he hates these things, then conversely he must love and desire (1) humility, (2) truthful speech, (3) preservation of life, (4) pure thoughts, (5) the eagerness to do good things, (6) honest witnesses, and (7) peaceful harmony.”
There are other verses that identify things that God hates, all of which go hand-in-hand with the things identified here.
Psalm 11:5 “The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
Jeremiah 44:3–4 “Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.”
Isaiah 61:8 “For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering;”
Zechariah 8:17 “And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.”
Proverbs 6:20 ¶ My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Proverbs 6:21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
Proverbs 6:22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
Solomon urges his son to live according to what his father and mother have commanded. Note that father and mother are unified in what they are teaching; they present a united front before the child. He urges him to make their commands a part of himself, to memorize them. If he will live by them, he will be led to make good choices each day that should allow him to sleep in safety and security.
These verses bring to mind the following verses in Deuteronomy, verses that I believe Solomon knew well.
Deuteronomy 6:4–7 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Proverbs 6:24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
Proverbs 6:25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
Proverbs 6:26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
Solomon describes the commandments from the parents (rooted in God’s commands) as a lamp that provides light. The wisdom embodied in these commands will illuminate the way you should take and the choices you should make. As is so often the case, this parallels the truth found in the psalms.
Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
The light of wisdom will keep you from yielding to the flattering tongue of the woman that would lure you into sexual sin. Again, he warns his son not to be seduced by her beauty or “come hither” looks. Following after a prostitute will bring a man to ruin.
Proverbs 6:27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Proverbs 6:28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
Proverbs 6:29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
Solomon goes on to reason that you can’t take hold of fire without getting burnt; you can’t walk on hot coals without burning your feet. Just as sure as that truth, one who chooses to commit adultery with a neighbor’s wife will be accounted guilty and will suffer the consequences.
Proverbs 6:30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
Proverbs 6:31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
Again, I like the NLT for these verses: “Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he will be fined seven times as much as he stole, even if it means selling everything in his house to pay it back.”
Guzik: “Though Solomon contrasted theft and adultery, there is an interesting link between them. Sexual immorality and adultery are like stealing. When we have sex with anyone other than our appointed partner in the covenant of marriage, we are stealing something from our spouse (present or future), from our illicit sexual partner, and from the present or future spouse of our illicit sexual partner.”
Proverbs 6:32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
Proverbs 6:33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
Proverbs 6:35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
In contrast, a man who commits adultery shows himself foolish; there is no justification for his sin. It will destroy him. He will suffer physical harm and permanent dishonor. Jealousy incites anger in a man, and he will show no mercy when he takes vengeance. He will not accept any type of bribe, no matter how large the amount. He is intent on revenge.