35821878 proverbs-5-commentary

TARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
I have gleaned from many sources to make this commentary very practical. If any I have quoted
do not wish their wisdom to be shared in this way, please let me know and I will delete it. My e-mail
address is glenn_p86@yahoo.com Sometimes I do not note the author of a quote, and if that
person can be identified, I will give credit.
I

D. Ray Pritchard, “There are two whole chapters in the book of Proverbs that are devoted to the
question of sexual purity. One is Proverbs Chapter 5 and the other is Chapter 7. Taken together,
those two chapters form the longest, most extensive teaching on sexual morality that is found in
all the pages of God’s Word, in the Old Testament or the

ew Testament. I find it very interesting
that the writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, decided to put down his words of wisdom. He felt it
important to spend so much time and so much space on the subject of sexual purity. He knew,
even back 3000 years ago, that it is hard to stay clean in a dirty world.”
This is one of the key chapters in the Bible for learning the truth about very bad sex, and very
good sex.
Warning Against Adultery
Jamison, “Pro_5:1-23. A warning against the seductive arts of wicked women, enforced by
considering the advantages of chastity, and the miserable end of the wicked. This connection of
wisdom and understanding is frequent (Pro_2:2; Pro_3:7); the first denotes the use of wise means
for wise ends; the other, the exercise of a proper discrimination in their discovery.”
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
listen well to my words of insight,
1. Here is a father who has a son ready to go into the world and live a godly life, but he knows the

dangers of the world, and especially the danger of sex appeal that can lead his son off the right
track and cause serious damage to his future. It is never good to go into a ditch, but even worse
when the ditch is a sinful place to be. Dad knows the temptations, for he has been there, and
maybe he has been burned, and he does not want to see his son crash as he did. Maybe he did not
crash by having sex outside of his marriage bond, but he knows the temptations to take that
course, and he wants to prevent his son from making this wrong move toward the experience of
adultery. It is the hardest goal to reach of getting youth to be serious about warnings, and so the
first thing you have to do is get their attention, and get them to listen, and so that is where the
wise father begins. Pay attention, listen well, for my words can guide you away from the pit of
hell.
1B. Preceptaustin has detailed commentary on this verse, and the message of the whole stress in
chapters 5 through 7 on sexual sins. “

ote that Solomon is speaking in his own voice as indicated
by the repetition of the pronoun "my" in Proverbs 5-7. If there were a seminar this Saturday in
your church and the advertised speaker was King Solomon of Israel and the subject was "Sex",
they would be hanging from the rafters! With the miracle of divine revelation and inspiration, we
in fact have that very opportunity to hear from the wisest man who lived (other than Jesus, cp
Solomon's request of God in 1Ki 3:9, 10, 11, 12) and who also made some of the biggest mistakes
in the area of sexual relations (1Ki 11:1, 2, 3, 4ff). We dare not miss what this "man of
experience" has to share with us in a frank, uncensored, yet tasteful, man to man discussion!”
“Look again at the verbs which Solomon employs. Solomon realizes that in this moral area,
young men (as well as "dirty old men" -- all of us in our old flesh nature) are prone to hear his
instructions and warnings and either dismiss them as prudish or as "joy" stealers or as not
relevant in a society with "liberated" moral values in the area sexual behavior (while thinking
they are free, they are in fact in being subjected to greater and greater enslavement to sexual sin).
Solomon as alluded to above, gave wise counsel to his son, but he did not seem to follow his own
advice as recorded in 1Kings 11, a sad chapter in the history of Israel.
It is noteworthy that in Proverbs 5-7, each of the warnings against sexual impropriety is prefaced
by an admonition to pay attention to the Word of God (Pr 5:1, 2; 7, 8, Pr 6:20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25;
Pr 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The Truth of God's Word heard and heeded keeps us from believing the lies of
the world, the flesh and the devil that the "grass is always greener" on the other side of the fence.
Remember "lust" begins with thoughts (and images that convey thoughts) and the best defense is
a good offense, taking in Truth to counter and expose the Lie.
Here's what Wiersbe says that upon...hearing the Seventh Commandment, many people in
contemporary society smile nonchalantly and ask, "What's wrong with premarital or
extramarital sex, or any other kind, for that matter?" After all, they argue, many people indulge
in these things and seem to get away with it. Furthermore, these activities are more acceptable
today than they were in Solomon's day; why make a big issue out of it? "Life is a game in which
the rules are constantly changing," says a contemporary writer; "nothing spoils a game more
than those who take it seriously."[ Quentin Crisp wrote this in Manners from Heaven, chapter 7].
So, the verdict's in: sex is fun, so don't take it too seriously... Sexual sin is one of the main themes
of numerous movies, TV programs, novels, and short stories; yet popularity is no test of right and
wrong. Many things that the law says are legal, the Bible says are evil, and there won't be a jury
sitting at the White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15-notes; Rev 21:27-note; Rev
22:15-note).”

2. Gill, “ My son, attend unto my wisdom,....

ot the wisdom of the world or of the flesh, worldly
wisdom and carnal policy; but spiritual and evangelical wisdom; such as one that is greater than
Solomon has in him, even Christ; "for in him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge",
Col_2:3; and which he teaches and communicates to others, even all proper instructions for
conduct in life: the Gospel, and each of the doctrines of it, which are "the wisdom of God in a
mystery", 1Co_2:7, these every child of God, and disciple of Christ, ought carefully and diligently
to attend unto; and bow thine ear to my understanding: listen attentively to those things which I
have, and give an understanding of, even things divine and spiritual; the understanding of which
is of the utmost moment and importance.”
2B. Preceptaustin adds on wisdom and understanding, “Wisdom (02451) (chokmah or hokmah)
as used in this context describes the ability to see something from God’s viewpoint. Wisdom is
“God’s character in the many practical affairs of life.” We can get information "on line" but
wisdom is from "on high" (through His Word)! God's wisdom is not theoretical knowledge but is
that which is worked out in a proper discernment between good and evil or right and wrong.
Fools may acquire encyclopedic information, but they cannot attain wisdom because they fail to
take God into account. Wisdom is not acquired by a mechanical formula but in the final analysis
through a right relationship with God (Pr 9:10, Jas 3:15, 16, 17, 18). In the present context, God's
wisdom helps guard the heart and mind of a man against the wiles of an adulteress.” “Vance
Havner adds that...If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees!
Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge.”
Understanding refers to insight or knowledge which is superior to the mere gathering of data.
Understanding is the capacity for discerning a right course of action when presented with various
sources of input and various options. Understanding implies a mental grasp of the nature and
significance of something, along with discernment and good judgment. In short, it is common
sense and not the mere accumulation and possession of knowledge ("head knowledge"). Think of
understanding as the ability to "put the pieces together" and make sense out of it all! The 1828
Webster's Dictionary says that understanding is...The faculty of the human mind by which it
apprehends the real state of things presented to it, or by which it receives or comprehends the
ideas which others express and intend to communicate. The understanding is called also the
intellectual faculty. It is the faculty by means of which we obtain a great part of our knowledge.”
3. Henry, “A solemn preface, to introduce the caution which follows, Pro_5:1, Pro_5:2. Solomon
here addresses himself to his son, that is, to all young men, as unto his children, whom he has an
affection for and some influence upon. In God's name, he demands attention; for he writes by
divine inspiration, and is a prophet, though he begins not with, Thus saith the Lord. “Attend, and
bow thy ear; not only hear what is said, and read what is written, but apply thy mind to it and
consider it diligently.” To gain attention he urges, 1. The excellency of his discourse: “It is my
wisdom, my understanding; if I undertake to teach thee wisdom I cannot prescribe any thing to be
more properly called so; moral philosophy is my philosophy, and that which is to be learned in
my school.” 2. The usefulness of it: “Attend to what I say,” (1.) “That thou mayest act wisely -
that thou mayest regard discretion.” Solomon's lectures are not designed to fill our heads with
notions, with matters of nice speculation, or doubtful disputation, but to guide us in the
government of ourselves, that we may act prudently, so as becomes us and so as will be for our
true interest.”

4. Let God Be True, “There is no place for fear in the father-son relationship. Father! Do not be
afraid to confront your son, tell him his errors, warn him of coming danger, and give him strong
advice to avoid trouble. You know far more than your son, no matter how arrogant and brash he
might be. Even if he disregards your instruction, you will have done what God expects. The
LORD will bless you; and your son will recall the advice later. Count on it! There is no place for
false humility in the father-son relationship. An effeminate concept of false humility is being sown
today. Hate it! Reject it! Your son is not your equal - he is a moron in comparison. Do not
apologize for, or soft sell, your superior wisdom. It is not humility to apologize or waffle about
your wisdom. It is arrogant pride to disregard God's order and neglect your son's training. Get a
hold of this distinction! Read Job 32!
Father! You are a man. You know your weakness for beautiful women. You know the pain of
odious women. You know the trouble of fornication and adultery. Tell your son. Tell him plainly.
Tell him graphically. Solomon did! Anything less is your arrogant folly!
Son! You are a boy. Your father is a man. Listen to him. He was a man before you were born. He
fathered you by a woman before you had being. He knows more about women than you will learn
in the next 20 years. Sit down! Stay still! And pay attention!”
2 that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
1. Gill, “That thou mayest regard discretion,.... Observe it; retain it in thine heart, as Aben Ezra
adds, and use it; think, speak, and act discreetly, and so avoid the bad woman afterward
described: the Vulgate Latin version is, "that thou mayest keep the thoughts"; and so Gersom
interprets the word; "good thoughts", according to the Septuagint version; the thoughts of the
heart are to be observed. A man of spiritual wisdom will take notice of them; evil thoughts, which
lead to uncleanness, are to be repressed and kept in; good ones to be cherished and improved;
wise and sagacious ones (such the word here used signifies) are to be attended to, as being of
great advantage in the various affairs and business of life; and spiritual and evangelical wisdom
helps to such thoughts, and directs to the observance and exercise of them;
and that thy lips may keep knowledge; may be able to speak of things worthy to be known, and
communicate the knowledge of them to others; by which means useful knowledge will be kept
and preserved, and be continued in successive ages; see Mal_2:7; even the knowledge of God and
of Christ, and of the Gospel and its doctrines; and which will be a means of preserving men, as
from false doctrine, error, and heresy, so from profaneness and immorality; and particularly
from the adulterous woman, next described.
2. Henry, ““That thou mayest act wisely - that thou mayest regard discretion.” Solomon's lectures
are not designed to fill our heads with notions, with matters of nice speculation, or doubtful
disputation, but to guide us in the government of ourselves, that we may act prudently, so as
becomes us and so as will be for our true interest. (2.) “That thou mayest speak wisely - that thy

lips may keep knowledge, and thou mayest have it ready at thy tongue's end” (as we say), “for the
benefit of those with whom thou dost converse.” The priest's lips are said to keep knowledge
(Mal_2:7); but those that are ready and mighty in the scriptures may not only in their devotions,
but in their discourses, be spiritual priests.
3. Let God Be True, “Do you know enough to prudently save yourself from sexual trouble? Do
you know enough to teach sexual prudence to others? Solomon taught his children often about
sexual sins, their powerful temptations, and their terrible consequences (2:16-19; 5:1-23; 6:20-35;
7:1-27; 9:13-18; 22:14; 23:27-28; 30:19-20; 31:3; Eccl 7:26). Beware, reader!
Consider the context. Solomon asked his son to humbly hear his fatherly wisdom and
understanding (5:1), and he called on all his children to receive his instruction and not turn away
from it (5:7). What did he fear so much in their lives? The whorish woman! He knew about her
flattering speech (5:3), the incredibly painful consequences of touching her (5:4-5), and the subtle
nature of her character that deceives men (5:6).
Fornication and adultery are nearly forgotten sins. They are glamorized and promoted in
television programming, movies, books, and magazines. The stars of society - whether political,
performing, or athletic - live sexually sinful lives that are viewed by most as the good life! But the
Word of God condemns fornication and adultery, and it calls the children of God to sexual
holiness (I Cor 6:12-20; 7:1-5; I Thess 4:1-8; Heb 13:4).
Casual sex is only casual in the initial thoughts of the two sinners committing it. The trouble that
will certainly follow is not casual: it is painful, permanent, and pernicious. Take your pick - you
will reap one or more of these results: jealousy, syphilis, divorce, herpes, ruined reputation,
gonorrhea, insecurity, HIV, sexual dysfunction, vengeful father or husband, crabs, irate wife, lost
virginity, guilt, unwanted pregnancy, shame, and so on.
The proverb has a specific lesson with two parts. First, the wise instruction from God and
parents is to help save you from sexual pain. Second, the wise instruction from God and parents
is to help you save others from sexual pain. Have you learned enough to save yourself? Have you
learned enough to save others? Does wisdom guide your life and supply your speech when talking
to others? Your future and that of others depends on it.”
4. Preceptaustin, “Warren Wiersbe says God did not put the "marriage wall" around sex to rob
us of pleasure but to increase pleasure and protect it. In this chapter, Solomon explains the
disappointments that come when people violate God's loving laws of sexual purity.
Discretion (mezimmah) is used 8 times in Proverbs and 4 times is used with the meaning of
discretion or prudence (Pr 1:4, 2:11, 3:21, 5:2).

ote especially Pr 2:11 ("discretion will watch
over you") which pictures discretion as a guard who goes with us wherever we go to protect us
from danger.
That you may observe discretion - The word "that" identifies this as an introduction by Solomon
to the virtuous consequence of Pr 5:1. Solomon's point is that discretion, the ability to make
responsible decisions and judge critically what is correct and proper, is intimately related to
giving attention to Biblical wisdom and understanding.”

5. “That is to maintain thoughtfulness and not be swept away by irrational emotion. Keep your
thought life guarded so it is not put out of commission at a crucial time just when you need it
most when the pressure of temptation seeks to lure you astray. Do not let what is foolish and
unwise pass through your lips. Knowing how to keep your mouth shut when error is seeking to
get expressed is great wisdom. If we have control over what passes our lips we have a great
virtue-Psa. 17:3 and Mal. 2:7.” author unknown
6. Dr. Joe Temple, “Hidden in the actual text is another suggestion related to the lips keeping
knowledge. You read that and realize that you are reading it in connection with the context and
you might well say, ``What has this to do with sex? What has this to do with illicit sex?" If you
are very familiar with history, you know that some of the most vital state secrets have been
revealed in the bedroom of a prostitute, and the text will bear the translation that someone else
has suggested that I think is very good: ``Watch yourself lest you be indiscreet and betray some
vital information." You see, the matter of illicit sexual relationships is not related to the mere
subject of sex. There are many side issues, as we are going to see---many involvements that make
the exercise of illicit sex an unwise thing.”
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
1. Henry, “ The caution itself, and that is to abstain from fleshly lusts, from adultery, fornication,
and all uncleanness. Some apply this figuratively, and by the adulterous woman here understand
idolatry, or false doctrine, which tends to debauch men s minds and manners, or the sensual
appetite, to which it may as fitly as any thing be applied; but the primary scope of it is plainly to
warn us against seventh-commandment sins, which youth is so prone to, the temptations to which
are so violent, the examples of which are so many, and which, where admitted, are so destructive
to all the seeds of virtue in the soul that it is not strange that Solomon s cautions against it are so
very pressing and so often repeated. Solomon here, as a faithful watchman, gives fair warning to
all, as they regard their lives and comforts, to dread this sin, for it will certainly be their ruin.”
1B. Beware of compliments coming from women. They may be valid and innocent from women
who just admire your good qualities, but in your mind they can become invitations to lust. It is
wise also for Christian women to be very conservative in giving compliments to men, for it does
present the danger of arousing lust. This is crazy I know, but the fact is, Christian people who
admire each other too much often fall into lust that was never intended by either of them. Lust is
a touchy animal, and needs to be treated with kid gloves or it can bite you hard.
2. Clarke, “The lips of a strange woman - One that is not thy own, whether Jewess or heathen.
Drop as a honey-comb - She uses the most deceitful, flattering, and alluring speeches: as the
droppings of the honey out of the comb are the sweetest of all.

2B. The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery writes that...The Bible’s most graphic teachings against
adultery come in Proverbs 5:1-23 and Pr 6:20ff, Pr 1-7:27, where images of injury, entrapment
and death are used to underline the dangers and the sheer folly of adultery: “Can a man walk on
hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife” (Pr 6:28,
29

IV). “He followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose....
Her house is a highway to the grave” (Pr 7:22, 27

IV). Adultery in the wisdom literature comes
to picture hidden deeds, which are done in secret because the perpetrator senses they are wrong,
and which inevitably are found out: “The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘

o
eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed” (Job 24:15

IV).”
3. Gill, “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb,.... "Mulsa dicta", "honey
words", as is Plautus's (e) expression. The Septuagint and Arabic versions premise something
here which is not in the Hebrew text,
"do not give heed to a wicked woman;''
and the Vulgate Latin version,
"to the fallacy of a woman:''
but there is no need to connect the words by such a supplement; since, as they lie, they give a
reason why it was necessary to attend to wisdom and understanding, in order to act discreetly
and speak knowingly; since there is so much danger of being drawn aside by a wicked woman, a
lewd and adulterous one; the kisses of whose lips, her confabulations and songs, are as pleasing to
the carnal senses of men as honey is sweet to the taste; she promises them a great deal of pleasure
in her embraces, and in the enjoyment of her: so the poet (f) describes an agreeable voice to be
sweeter than the honeycomb; and her mouth is smoother than oil; her fair speeches, enticing
words, and flattering fawning language, and amorous expressions, easily find their way and slide
into the hearts of men, to prevail upon them to listen to her, and yield to her temptations. Gersom
interprets this strange woman of the imaginative faculty; and Jarchi of heresy: it is applicable
enough to the whore of Rome; who, by the blandishments of pomp and grandeur, and the
allurements of wealth and riches, draws many into her idolatrous practices; which are spiritual
adultery, signified by her golden cup, Rev_17:4.”
3B. Preceptaustin, “Observe carefully that this woman's number one "weapon" is not necessarily
her beauty but her speech (cp Ge 39:10, Pr 2:16, 22:14, Jdg 16:16, 17, 18, 19, 20-note)! The
message for men seeking to be godly (1Ti 4:7, 8 ,9, 10, 11, 12-notes) is that we have to use great
discretion when as a men we speak with women other than our wives, specifically when the topic
is "personal". Be careful! We have to guard against being counselors to other women (give that
job to your wife). We have to refuse to hear negative comments or complaints about their
husbands or their lack of happiness with their marriage. As 1Cor 6:18 says we should "flee"
these situations. They harbor the potential for the beginnings of a crack in the damn of fidelity
we cherish in our marital bond. There are now many women in business, and this is a setting in
which the man made wise by Proverbs 5-7 would indeed be wise to exert special precautions. And
obviously this applies to business trips that one must take with a woman business associate. Be
very careful and remember that God never allows us to be tempted beyond what we are able to

endure but with the temptation He is faithful to supply for us not "a" way of escape, but "the"
way, the specific way, one which we should be alert to perceive, lest we miss the divine provision
and begin a downward journey that can only end in a veritable sexual abyss! To reiterate, be
careful in your communication with the opposite sex young men, husbands, fathers, old men!
The lips...speech - Solomon first warns us not to listen to the charms of the sin of sexual
immorality, for the pleasures promised by the lust of the flesh in this area are very powerful and
very tempting. Even as honey was the sweetest substance known in Israel, so could be the sensual,
seductive words of a woman on the prowl! He says her persuasions are so good that they entice
him (see Pr 7:21). Although Solomon does not say specifically "Don't listen to her", the command
is clearly implied.
Adulteress (ESV = forbidden woman, Amp = Loose woman,

KJV = immoral woman) (02114)
(zur) is a Hebrew verb which means to be a stranger (from literal meaning of to turn aside as for
lodging, but also can mean to go astray). Although some see this as indicative only of a prostitute
who hires out her body for sexual favors, others are more general and see it as including for
example another man's wife. The Septuagint translates it with two Greek words that describe
literally a "low grade, morally base and substandard, worthless woman"!”
4. Henry, “ That we do not listen to the charms of this sin. It is true the lips of a strange woman
drop as a honey-comb (Pro_5:3); the pleasures of fleshly lust are very tempting (like the wine that
gives its colour in the cup and moves itself aright); its mouth, the kisses of its mouth, the words of
its mouth, are smoother than oil, that the poisonous pill may go down glibly and there may be no
suspicion of harm in it. But consider, (1.) How fatal the consequences will be. What fruit will the
sinner have of his honey and oil when the end will be, [1.] The terrors of conscience:”
4B. “The father’s description of her is incredibly vivid. Her words are like the most concentrated
honey that drips, drips, drips from the comb enticing the famished to come and indulge and be
satisfied. And smooth olive oil is a slick metaphor for her lubricious, seductive and flattering
speech that promises the opposite of what she really delivers. Literally, “her lips drip with honey
and the inside of her mouth is ‘smoother than oil” But, make no mistake…she’s a rip off, her
enticements, a lie…deception of the most deadly kind; the consummate fatal attraction.” (Waltke,
Bruce. Proverbs 1-15, p. 308).
5. Let God Be True, “Honeycomb is one of God's sweetest creations. Pure, golden, sweet honey
oozes from its cells. It drips with delightful pleasure for the man wanting a delicious treat. Oil,
which smoothes the dryness and texture of any food, and is very pleasant in a dry climate, is also
a precious food. Together they represent a smooth, sweet delicacy, which Solomon used to
describe the deceitful danger of flattery from a strange woman.
What is a strange woman? Any woman you have not married is a strange woman to you! She is
off limits for you; she is foreign to your marriage; she is not your intimate companion; she
belongs to someone else; she is an alien to your embrace. You have no right to exchange sweet
words with her, for your ears and heart belong to another. Job said, "I made a covenant with
mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid" (Job 31:1). If he could not look, then neither
could he listen to her words.
Good fathers will warn their sons of the horrible temptation of loose women, as Solomon does in

this chapter. He points out the horrible consequences of sexual sin (5:3-14), the safety in a good
marital relationship (5:15-19), and the judgment of God on men who compromise in this area of
life (5:20-23). This is not a light matter at all. Many strong men have been wounded and slain by
her (7:26). Christian man, beware!
Solomon was a realistic father. He told the truth plainly. There is no wisdom in telling a son that
strange women are revolting. Paul admitted that sin has pleasure for a season (Heb 11:25). To tell
young men otherwise is a lie, and they will be unprepared for the horrible temptation that will
come their way some day. Wise fathers will admit the attractive temptation, but they will also
describe the horrible consequences.
God made men to desire and seduce women, in order to bring about marriage (30:19; Gen 34:1-
4; Ex 22:16; Deut 21:10-14; 24:5). It is the greatest chase of a man's life. The adoring response of
a woman, declaring her love and submission with intimate and tender words, is one of the most
powerful temptations a man will ever face. Her kind and passionate words of affection, respect,
and desire are like gasoline to a fire, and any man who denies this is either a liar or has an
unnatural sexual problem.
Strange women know these facts well. They use their power of speech to seduce victims. It was
this deceptive and delightful speech from other women that Solomon repeatedly warned against
(2:16; 6:24; 7:21; 22:14). David also described the danger of soft and smooth words hiding evil
motives (Ps 55:21). Men, get away from her!
Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph with words, but he defied her (Gen 39:7-12). Samson, on
the other hand, fell to Delilah's obvious and destructive lies, because they were clothed in
seductive flattery (Judges 16:15-17). Do not think poorly of Samson, until you have followed
Joseph's example two or three times!
The only safety is distance. "Remove thy way far from her" (5:8).

o man can easily resist the
flattery of a woman. It is too pleasant, delicious, and tantalizing. It is like honeycomb and oil,
sweet and smooth. It strokes the soul and stirs the fire of a man's sexual lusts. The willingness of a
woman for intimacy, expressed in alluring and bold language, is like throwing a match in a
powder keg. Get away from her!”
6. Timothy Peck, “This chapter notes that what the temptation promises is always better than
what it really delivers. Sexual temptation drips with honey. Honey is something sweet. Here
honey represents words of seductive flattery that appeal to the person’s ego. Words like, "You’re
special," or "You’re attractive," and "I want you" are words that drip with honey.”
“But in the end, what starts as sweet as honey tastes as bitter as gall. When all is said and done,
the sweetness is gone, and all that’s left is a bitter taste. Like a sharp sword slashes and cuts, in
the end this temptation tears us up inside.”
“This is true of all sexual temptation. You see, this chapter is not blaming women for sexual
temptation, but it’s using a case study to illustrate the power of sexual temptation. This case
study is representative for all kinds of sexual temptation. So it could just as easily be a man
tempting a woman, or the temptation of an internet chat room, or a magazine, or a romance
novel, or a movie, or whatever.So here we find the warning. THE TEMPTATIO

TO LIVE
OUTSIDE OF GOD’S BOU

DARIES FOR SEX ALWAYS LOOKS BETTER THA

IT
REALLY IS. What looks as sweet as honey is really as bitter as arsenic. What looks as smooth as
oil is really sharper than a sharpened sword. You see, sexual temptation creates an illusion, and
then tries to persuade us that this illusion is real. Whether it’s the plotline of a romance novel or a

seductive image that’s been airbrushed and altered, sexual temptation peddles an illusion. That’s
why sexual temptation appeals to the world of fantasy.Our problem comes when we buy the lie
that the illusion is real. My first introduction to sexuality came like it did for many guys I know. I
was introduced to sex through pornography. I still remember being 12 years old and buying a
stack of Playboy magazines at a swap meet for a dime a piece. I kept those magazines and others
until I was 18 years old. You might say Hugh Hefner was in charge of my sex education. And I
bought the illusion hook, line and sinker. Once you believe the illusion, you’ll constantly struggle
with reminding yourself that temptation promises something that isn’t real.
It promises something as sweet as honey, but really it’s as bitter as arsenic. I read recently about
a junior high school in Oregon that faced a unique problem in the girl’s bathroom. Each day,
when the girls put their lipstick on in the bathroom, they’d press their lips onto the mirror in the
bathroom, leaving dozens of little lip prints. Finally the principal decided something had to be
done, so he called the girls into the bathroom and met them there with the school custodian. He
explained that the lip prints were a major problem for the custodian, who had to clean the
mirrors every day. To demonstrate how difficult it was, he asked the custodian to clean one of the
mirrors. He took out a long handled brush, dipped it into the toilet, and scrubbed the mirror.
Since then there haven’t been any lip prints on the mirrors.”
7. An unknown author wrote, “Like a fool Solomon listened often and got stuck on smooth words
from women, but the beginning is never as sweet as the end is bitter. The problem with sex is not
just the strong energy of it, but the constant appeals to let it loose. One of the most important
lessons in life is that evil can often be beautiful. There is no person who cannot be made to feel a
strong attraction to what is evil because it can be made to appear so beautiful. Sex sins especially
appeal, for they are so deceptive because the surface is so beautiful, and we do not see the
awfulness beneath.
She is able to work upon every weakness as oil gets into every place of friction and makes all
appear smooth so she can turn what is the wheels of danger into the purr of smooth operating
machinery, and you are deceived into thinking all is safe when all is most ready to explode.
Man’s weakness is flattery, for he is vain and proud and loves to hear himself exalted. George
MacDonald wrote,
Alas, how easily things go wrong!
A sigh too deep, or a kiss too long.
There follows a mist and a weeping rain,
And life is never the same again.”
8. Dr. Joe Temple, “This represents figurative language, indicating in the Oriental imagery which
is employed in the book of Proverbs, that at first there is something attractive about illicit sex. At
first there is something attractive about sex that is carried on with a strange woman. But
everything that begins has to come to an end and the end is described in the words a bad taste.
Young people sometimes just don't realize it because illicit sex is made so popular and so
attractive, but sweet lips can leave a mighty bad taste in the individual's mouth, and I don't know
of a better way to describe it than in verse 4:”

4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
1. Clarke, “Bitter as wormwood -Kelanah, like the detestable herb wormwood, or something
analogous to it: something as excessive in its bitterness, as honey is in its sweetness.”
1B. Preceptaustin, “But - Bitter and sharp present a striking contrast with honey and smooth...oil
(Pr 5:3)! Here's the point in the context of sexual temptations - the payoff of passing pleasure is
bitter and painful! Do not keep being deceived by the siren song of this present evil (and growing
daily more so) age that you can taste a bit of forbidden (stolen) honey and get away with it. This
is a lie straight from the father of lies (Jn 8:44), who seeks to cloak his "product" in the "skin" of
relative values (no absolutes or constraints re sexual behavior) so that the unwary, naive or
foolish bite into this "apple of deception" (cp Satan's schemes - Rev 12:9, 10, 2Co 11:3) and in the
end are devoured and destroyed (cp 1Pe 5:8, Job 1:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, Job 2:3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; King David - 2Sa 11:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15!)”
Wormwood is a plant from which a bitter-tasting juice is made and used as a medicine. In short,
what at first appears pleasant like honey ends up like a bitter tasting medicine. You can mark it
down that sexual temptation, like many other forms of enticement, is thoroughly deceptive in
nature for it is never in reality (and consequence) what it appears to be at the outset. As King
David and Samson found out, Sexual temptation, represented by the adulteress, promises one
thing yet delivers quite another. The painful consequences of the violation of God’s will are lost
in the excitement of the moment. However, the reality of judgment, and even death, is just around
the corner for those who give in to her seductive voice.”
2. Gill, “But her end is bitter as wormwood,.... Which is opposed to the honeycomb her lips are
said to drop; so that, as Juvenal says (g), "plus aloes quam mellis habet": the end which she
brings persons to, or the issue of complying with her, is bitterness; such as loss of credit,
substance, and health, remorse of conscience, and fear of death, corporeal and eternal; see
Ecc_7:26;
sharp as a twoedged sword; which cuts every way; as committing sin with an harlot hurts both
soul and body; and the reflection upon it is very cutting and distressing, and destroys all comfort
and happiness. This is the reverse of her soothing and softening speech, which is as oil. Such also
will be the sad case of the worshippers of the beast, or whore of Rome; who will gnaw their
tongues for pain, and be killed with the twoedged sword that proceedeth out of the mouth of
Christ, Rev_16:10.”
3. Henry, “It is bitter as wormwood, Pro_5:4. What was luscious in the mouth rises in the stomach
and turns sour there; it cuts, in the reflection, like a two-edged sword; take it which way you will,
it wounds. Solomon could speak by experience, Ecc_7:26.”
4. Let God Be True, “Seduction by a strange woman, a woman you have not known before and

have no right to be with, can be a great pleasure. But it is a very short pleasure, and then you
discover the horrible consequences of such sin. Her sweet words and kisses turn bitter like
wormwood, and her smooth flattery and lovemaking cut deep like a twoedged sword.
What is the end of a thing? Its reward, results, or consequences (Ps 37:37; 73:17)! What is
wormwood? An herb known for intense bitterness (Lam 3:15)! How bitter? The Greeks called it
"undrinkable," and it is a regular symbol of bitterness. How sharp is a two-edged sword? Twice
as sharp as one-edged sword! It will cut you either way, or both ways!
Consider how a strange woman turns out to be bitter and cutting. Consider it well, young man,
for her first impressions are deceitfully dangerous. They disguise the poison; they cover the blade.
She will take you to death and hell, but she will do it most painfully!
She will take all your time, for lusts are not satisfied with short liaisons or infrequent contact. The
guilt will devour your soul day and night. Fear of being caught and exposed will destroy your
confidence and conscience. The lie you must live to cover your sin will turn your life into a
perpetual drama of deception. How bitter! How cutting!
She deceived others to seduce you, it is only time until she deceives you for another! The betrayal
of true love and devotion will leave you vulnerably insecure. The prospect of revenge by her
husband or father will chase you even when you are alone in a secluded place. Your reputation
will be destroyed and reduced to that of a despised adulterer.”
5. It is the end that counts and not the beginning. Many things start with pleasure but end in
great pain. Such is the sorrow that results from drugs, alcohol and illegitimate sex. Youth never
stop to think that parents warn them not to spoil their fun, but because they have tried that kind
of path and found it faulty and not as fun in the long run as the path pointed out to them. They
would like to give their children a chance at the best. Solomon tried it all and is trying to tell his
son not to be a fool and go down that same road, but do it right and keep to one woman.
Wisdom is looking ahead to see the end results of our actions, and not focusing on the immediate
pleasure only. Prov. 23:29-32 “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has
complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over win,,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the
cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.”
Prov. 6:25,26 “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,
for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life”.
Prov. 6:27,28 “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man
walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?”Absolutely not! If you play with fire, you will
be burned. If you play with sin, you will be destroyed. It is never worth it in the end.
“In football if you step outside the boundaries you end the play. In most all sports there are
boundaries and there are penalties for stepping outside them, and so it is in marriage.”
6. Michael Catt, “In Chapter 5 he begins to paint a picture it will take him 3 chapters to
complete.
Prov. 5:2 - I will either have discretion or I'll walk in deception.
Prov. 5:3 - I will either listen to lies or I'll embrace truth.
Prov. 5:4 - I may find momentary pleasure in my affair, but I'll end up lonely, broken and cut to

the core.
Prov. 5:5 - there are consequences to sin that I can't control once I cave in to my cravings.
Prov. 5:6 - If I live for the moment, I'll lose control over the direction of my life.
Prov. 5:7-14 describes the grief the adulterer brings on himself.
Prov. 5:15-19 - God's alternative to immorality.
7. Bridges, “The extreme plausibility of the temptation is our call to attention. The deluded victim
only sees the present gratification ; only tastes, or expects to taste, the honeycomb ; only hears the
wily smoothness of the charmer s voice. But never is the beginning so sweet, as the end is bitter.
God shews the wormwood ; the twoedged sword ; her path of death ; every step taking hold of
hell , as if invading it with a high hand, grasping it as her home. One feature of the tempter s
wiliness is most remarkable. She winds herself in a thousand moveable ways, to meet the varying
humors and circumstances. She works upon every weakness ; seizes every unguarded moment
all this with one deeply hidden object lest thou should ponder the path of life. The checks of con
science must be diverted.

o time must be given for reflection. The intrusion of one serious
thought might break the spell, and open the way of escape.
Can we wonder then at the earnestness of parental anxiety, forcing back the children playing on
the brink of a precipice. Hear now O ye children? We mean no austere restraint upon
youthful pleasures. Only avoid the tempter s touch her word even her look. Remove thy way far
from her.

ot only go not into her but such is the contagion come not near the door. To thrust
ourselves into temptation, is to throw ourselves out of God s protection. The snare as one
approaches becomes more enticing. The voice of wisdom therefore is " Flee youthful lusts?”
8. Jerry Cline says, “Record the loses:
1. The best years of your life(vs. 9-11). The strength of your youth and all you earn will
go to please such women. Your health will be destroyed. Does this include sexually
transmitted diseases?? I think so!! There is s price to pay. You will end up impoverished
both physical and financially.
2. You will be filled with regret.(v.11-12). Guilt will consume you. To mourn is to
“roar like a lion, or as the sea..” It is to groan under great pain or sorrow. “if only” will
be your cry. The Gazette did a story of people who committed adultery and the one thing
that was striking to me was the regrets expressed. Each one spoke of the deep sadness of
the lustful liaison that did not produce the sexual nirvana they anticipated. It was the
thrill of the chase that consumed them. While the physical act was pleasurable, it did not
measure up to the committed, loving, sex they had at one time in their marriages. To a
person they all mourned as Solomon states here.
3. You will lose respect in the community.(v.14). We do not sin in a vacuum. We live
in a social context. Others are impacted by our lives and sin. The fallout in the lives of
others is devastating. One commentator writes, “The brooks and rivers of the land cannot
be pure if the springs are defiled. The social life of a nation can only be healthy while the
purity of the marriage relation is maintained.”

5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
1. Clarke, “Her feet go down to death - She first, like a serpent, infuses her poison, by which the
whole constitution of her paramour is infected, which soon or late brings on death.
Her steps take hold on hell - First, the death of the body; and then the damnation of the soul.
These are the tendencies of connections with such women.”
2. Gill, “Her feet go down to death,.... The ways in which she walks, and in which she leads
others, issue oftentimes in corporeal death; and always in eternal death, if grace prevent not; and
unless men are brought to a sense of sin, to repent of it and leave it. The Septuagint and Arabic
versions render it, "the feet of imprudence" or "folly", in opposition to wisdom; that is, the feet
of the foolish woman, such an one the harlot is; and such is the whore of Rome, notwithstanding
all her boasted knowledge and wisdom. And into perdition, or the lake which burns with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death, she goes herself, and hither she brings all that follow her
idolatrous practices, Rev_17:8;
her steps take hold on hell; make sure of it; hell is the certain portion of the harlot, and of all
those that follow her lewd courses, unless reclaimed by the grace of God; and this will be the case
of the worshippers of antichrist, or who give into the idolatries of the church of Rome, or commit
fornication with her, Rev_14:9. Or, "her steps support hell" (h); keep it up, and fill it with
inhabitants; millions are carried into it by her means: or, reach unto hell; she stops not till she
comes there, and her followers with her. The word may be rendered "the grave", and may
respect such whores who haunted burying places, and prostituted themselves among the graves;
and were called from hence "bustuariae moechae"
3. Henry, “If some that have been guilty of this sin have repented and been saved, yet the direct
tendency of the sin is to destruction of body and soul; the feet of it go down to death, nay, they
take hold on hell, to pull it to the sinner, as if the damnations slumbered too long, Pro_5:5. Those
that are entangled in this sin should be reminded that there is but a step between them and hell,
and that they are ready to drop into it. (2.) Consider how false the charms are. The adulteress
flatters and speaks fair, her words are honey and oil, but she will deceive those that hearken to
her: Her ways are movable, that thou canst not know them; she often changes her disguise, and
puts on a great variety of false colours, because, if she be rightly known, she is certainly hated.
Proteus-like, she puts on many shapes, that she may keep in with those whom she has a design
upon.”
4. Preceptaustin, “Feet go down to death...Sheol - Solomon's strong warning is that the morally
loose woman will lead her unwitting (foolish) male consort straight to the place of the dead! (See
dictionary discussion of Sheol which is a noun meaning the world of the dead, the realm under
the earth in which the dead reside. Vine calls Sheol "the netherworld or the underground cavern
to which all buried dead go")

Warren Wiersbe makes an excellent point that...”The book of Proverbs emphasizes the
importance of looking ahead to see where your actions will lead you (see Pr 5:11; 14:12, 13, 14;
16:25; 19:20; 20:21; 23:17, 18, 32; 24:14, 20; 25:8). The wise person checks on the destination
before buying a ticket (Pr 4:26), 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. Sad to say, their ignorance and insolence can never neutralize the tragic aftermath that
comes when people break the laws of God. "Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
that they would consider their latter end!" (Deut 32:29, cp

u 32:33)”
David Watson writes that...”The expression 'free love' is a contradiction in terms. If it's free, it's
not love; if it's love, it's not free. (Ed: The end of the deadly deception of "free love" is death! See
James 1:15, 16)”
5. Let God Be True, “Solomon had more experience with women than any hundred men. He had
700 wives and 300 concubines, and these were high class (I Kgs 11:3). God gave him exceeding
great wisdom and understanding to analyze their danger (I Kgs 4:29). He also knew of his
father's adultery with his mother (II Sam 11:1 - 12:25), his brother Amnon's incest with his sister
(II Sam 13:1-39); his brother Absalom's folly with his father's concubines (II Sam 16:21-22); and
his brother Adonijah's obsession with Abishag (II Kgs 2:12-25).
He saw death and hell - a miserable life of pain and trouble - caused by adultery many times. All
men die physically, but they can also die to joy and success in this life. Wicked men go to hell
after death, but there is another hell in this life - a torturous existence of guilt, misery, defeat, and
pain. Scripture commonly uses death and hell in this figurative way (23:14; Ps 18:5; 86:13; 116:3;
Jonah 2:2; Luke 15:24; I Tim 5:6; Jas 5:20).
The "other woman" has ripped many homes apart. Children were confused; long-term
marriages were violated; soul pain was multiplied. Men have lost their jobs, their focus, their
health, their wealth, their wives, their children, their reputations, their confidence, their peace,
and their souls by this heinous sin. Its results are truly described as death and hell. Ask any sober
man who has come back from its death (5:14; Ps 51:8).
Fathers! Teach your sons plainly, practically, and pointedly the dangers of whorish women and
fornication. This is no small temptation, especially in our ungodly generation with every former
limitation being taken out of the way for greedy lasciviousness. Keep your sons far from her!
Teach them to avoid her at all costs! There will be death and hell to pay! Her love is a lie! And her
reward is bitter and sharp pain (5:4; 6:28,33; 23:27).”
6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are
crooked, but she knows it not.
For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn't realize
it. (

LT - Tyndale House)
The high road of Life is not for her, shifty and slippery are her tracks. (Moffatt).
She loses sight of and walks not in the path of life; her ways wind about aimlessly, and you

cannot know them. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
1. An immoral life style blinds people to the reality of what they are doing. They do not see how
their way is crooked, and will end in disaster. They don't even realize that they are on a dead end
road. They are so involved in their sinfulness that they are slaves to it, and they cannot grasp that
is it utter folly, and that it is rebellion against the will of God. They do not feel like rebels, for it
seems like what they are doing is just what people do, and so this adulteress has no clue that she
is spitting in the face of God by her immoral life.
2. Barnes, “Or (with the Septuagint and Vulgate), Lest she should ponder (or “She ponders not”)
the way of life, her paths move to and fro (unsteady as an earthquake); she knows not. The words
describe with a terrible vividness the state of heart and soul which prostitution brings upon its
victims; the reckless blindness that will not think, tottering on the abyss, yet loud in its defiant
mirth, ignoring the dreadful future.”
3. Plumptre, “the words described with terrible vividness the state of heart and soul which
prostitution brings on its victims. She has no path leading to abundant life, but she wanders
aimlessly and does not know any better.”
4. Gill, “....the way of life, nor where her ways will end; or, "cares not" (l) what becomes of her.
And so, in like manner, the former part of the verse is understood and interpreted, "lest she
ponder the path of life" (m); or as others, "she does not ponder the path of life" (n); The ways of
the antichristian harlot are with all deceivableness of unrighteousness; and her chief care is to
keep persons in ignorance, and from pondering the path of life or true religion, and to retain
them in her idolatry, 2Th_2:9.”
5.Keil, “Far from taking the course of the way of life (which has life as its goal and reward) - for
פִּלֵּ ס , to open, to open a road (Psa_78:50), has here the meaning of the open road itself - much
rather do her steps willfully stagger (Jer_14:10) hither and thither, they go without order and
without aim, at one time hither, at another time thither, without her observing it; i.e., without her
being concerned at this, that she thereby runs into the danger of falling headlong into the
yawning abyss. The unconsciousness which the clause א תֵדַע _ esu expresses, has as its object not
the falling (Psa_35:8), of which there is here nothing directly said, but just this staggering,
vacillation, the danger of which she does not watch against.”
6. Preceptaustin, “Ponder (palac) means to weigh out, to make level, to calculate the weight of
something. Here palac is used figuratively of "weighing out" the value of pursuing righteousness
on the path of life. Such a lifestyle does not interest the adulteress. Her attitude is "Life is short.
Grab all the gusto you can while you can!" In not walking in God's prescribed path of life (life to
the full as God intended), she completely misses the real purpose of life, true pleasure
forevermore and fullness of joy found only in His presence (see Ps 16:11.
She does not know it - One of the greatest traps and tragedies of one who is deceived by their own
lust (James 1:14) is that they are not even aware of the deadly self deception (cp 2Ti 3:13, of sin =
Heb 3:13). The "other woman" may appear beautiful and desirable person, but her life is empty
and void of any spiritual vitality. She does not ponder the path of life or seriously consider the

consequences of her actions. Sadly, she does not love God and is destined for destruction though
she does not know it. The warning is that those who pursue her are likewise on the pathway of
judgment and death. Solomon is saying in essence, don't walk down her path and destroy your
health, your family, your finances, your eternal destiny (either in loss of rewards if you are
genuinely saved or loss of your soul in the lake of fire [Re 19:20, 20:10, 14, 15] [References or
here] which burns forever and ever if you are not genuinely saved!). As discussed more fully
below, sin in general and sexual sin in particular is is always a costly thing: you can lose your
reputation (Pr 5:9), your possessions (Pr 5:10), your health (Pr 5:11), and your very life (Pr 5:22,
23). The “cords of sins” bind slowly, but they bind surely, until one day the sinner discovers
escape is impossible.”
7

ow then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
1. Steve Zeisler, “Beginning in Prov.5:7 the father says, "My sons, the expectation is that you will
choose a good woman to marry, and that having begun a relationship with her, the day will come
when the opportunity for sexual sin will present itself. Let me tell you how you should react when
this circumstance occurs. Step 1: Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her
house." (Prov.5:8.) Don't go near the door, don't return the phone call, don't go on the trip. Don't
allow yourself to be put in a situation where saying no will be more difficult than it is now. Stay
away. That's word of advice number 1.”
1B. Preceptaustin, “Now then - Because of the background Solomon has just presented
regarding the deceptive snares and torrid temptations in the area of sexual immorality and its
certain harvest of fruit which is rotten to the core (Pr 5:3, 4, 5). Instead of listening to the
honey coated lips of the adulteress, the wise son will listen to Solomon's warnings.
2. Gill, “Since such is the character, this the wretched end, and these the ways of the adulterous
woman; those that are young in years, and liable to be ensnared by her, should hear what
Solomon, or Christ, here says, for their caution and instruction; and especially such who are, or
profess themselves to be, the children of God and of Christ; and therefore, as dear children,
should be followers of them, and not of an harlot...”
3. Henry, “(1.)This caution is introduced with a solemn preface: “Hear me now therefore, O you
children! whoever you are that read or hear these lines, take notice of what I say, and mix faith with it,
treasure it up, and depart not from the words of my mouth, as those will do that hearken to the words of
the strange woman. Do not only receive what I say, for the present merely, but cleave to it, and let it be
ready to thee, and of force with thee, when thou art most violently assaulted by the temptation.
(2.) The caution itself is very pressing: "Remove thy way far from her; if thy way should happen
to lie near her, and thou shouldst have a fair pretence of being led by business within the reach of
her charms, yet change thy way, and alter the course of it, rather than expose thyself to danger;
come not nigh the door of her house; go on the other side of the street, nay, go through some

other street, though it be about." This intimates,
[1.] That we ought to have a very great dread and detestation of the sin. We must fear it as we
would a place infected with the plague; we must loathe it as the odour of carrion, that we will not
come near. Then we are likely to preserve our purity when we conceive a rooted antipathy to all
fleshly lusts.
[2.] That we ought industriously to avoid every thing that may be an occasion of this sin or a step
towards it. Those that would be kept from harm must keep out of harm's way. Such tinder there
is in the corrupt nature that it is madness, upon any pretence whatsoever, to come near the
sparks. If we thrust ourselves into temptation, we mocked God when we prayed, Lead us not into
temptation.
[3.] That we ought to be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy, and not to be so confident of
the strength of our own resolutions as to venture upon the brink of sin, with a promise to
ourselves that hitherto we will come and no further.
[4.] That whatever has become a snare to us and an occasion of sin, though it be as a right eye
and a right hand, we must pluck it out, cut it off, and cast it from us, must part with that which is
dearest to us rather than hazard our own souls; this is our Savior's command, Matthew 5:28, 29,
30.”
8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of
her house,
1. Prevention is the key to defeating the power of sex to damage your life, and that of others. It is
not enough that you do not kiss her, or that you do not go into her bedroom. You need to stay
away from her altogether, and not even go into her neighborhood. If you just walk past her house
you will be tempted to go in. You need to avoid all temptation by staying so far away that you
cannot make any foolish choices. You cannot be with her if you never go near her. If you go near
her at all you are likely to fall. Look at how nearly impossible it is to not go to her if you are near
her according to the description of Jerry Cline below.
1B. Preceptaustin, “Keep your way far from her - This command (Hiphil imperative = not a
suggestion) could not be much clearer beloved! Stay away from the adulteress, as far away as you
can! Temptation (James 1:14) is by its nature so powerfully tempting that one must stay as far
removed from it as possible. Don't be deceived by thinking that you can knowingly walk into a
tempting situation and "handle it" (1Co 10:12) or can then ask God to deliver you. To do so is
presumptuous and is in fact testing the Lord. Do not test the Lord! Practically speaking the
practical application of this verse may call for some difficult decisions. For example, if you are
working in an office where you are continuously tempted, you may have to give prayerful
consideration to even changing jobs. I know a man who not only changed jobs but changed cities
because he realized it was going to cost him his family, his reputation and his life!

ow that is
wisdom put into practice!”

2. Jerry Cline, “Secondly, don't be captivated by outward beauty. Proverbs 6:25 suggests, 'Do not
desire her beauty in your heart, nor let her catch you with her eyelids.' Friends, this lady is hot!
When she comes into the neighborhood, the robins have to use hot pads to pull up their worms. If
you get into her car, you'll have burned your hand opening the door and you'll have to drive with
two fingers because the steering wheel is so hot. The seat belt buckle will feel like a branding iron
and if she kisses you, you'll have to eat hot chilies to cool your mouth off. If she walks into your
garden, the potatoes will be cooked underground, and all you'll have to do for lunch is to pull one
out and add butter, salt, and pepper. In her house, hot water comes out of both taps! We are
talking hot! But this kind of hot will burn you, like liquid asphalt. Outward beauty without
discretion, modesty, and morality is a firepit disguised as a green pasture. So don't be captivated
by her beauty.
Fourth, besides staying away from enticing opportunities, besides avoiding being captivated by
outward beauty alone, besides heeding the good instruction of wise parents, we need to avoid the
paths of the wrong kind of woman. 7:25 that we read earlier, says, 'Do not stray into her paths.'
'Paths' here in Hebrew is a image of wagon wheel ruts. If you've ever driven on a dirt road that
had ruts in it from the last rain, and if you've ever slipped into those ruts, you know how hard it
is to get out of them. In fact, it's almost impossible! You have no control and you are being led in
the path that the ruts take. Wisdom's counsel here is to stay away from the paths of this kind of
woman.”
3. Henry, “ The caution itself is very pressing: “Remove thy way far from her; if thy way should
happen to lie near her, and thou shouldst have a fair pretense of being led by business within the
reach of her charms, yet change thy way, and alter the course of it, rather than expose thyself to
danger; come not nigh the door of her house; go on the other side of the street, nay, go through
some other street, though it be about.” This intimates, [1.] That we ought to have a very great
dread and detestation of the sin. We must fear it as we would a place infected with the plague; we
must loathe it as the odor of carrion, that we will not come near. Then we are likely to preserve
our purity when we conceive a rooted antipathy to all fleshly lusts. [2.] That we ought
industriously to avoid every thing that may be an occasion of this sin or a step towards it. Those
that would be kept from harm must keep out of harm's way. Such tinder there is in the corrupt
nature that it is madness, upon any pretense whatsoever, to come near the sparks. If we thrust
ourselves into temptation, we mocked God when we prayed, Lead us not into temptation. [3.] That
we ought to be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy, and not to be so confident of the
strength of our own resolutions as to venture upon the brink of sin, with a promise to ourselves
that hitherto we will come and no further.”
3B. Gill, “ Remove thy way far from her,.... The way of the mind, walk, and conversation; keep at
the greatest distance from her; neither come where she is, nor look at her, nor converse with her;
shun her, as one would the pest or a loathsome carcass; go a good way about rather than come
near her, or be within sight of her, or so as to be in any danger of being ensnared by her;
and come not nigh the door of her house; not only not enter her chamber, but go not to her house;
no, not over the threshold of the door, nor near the door; but avoid her house, as one would a
house that has the plague in it. Men should not go in the way of temptation, trusting to their own

strength; they may be entangled and overcome before they are aware; is good to keep out of the
way of it. And as it becomes the children of Wisdom to wait at her gates, and at the posts of her
door, to gain knowledge and understanding of divine things; so they should not go within the
doors of false teachers, nor near them, nor admit them within theirs. It is a complaint against the
church at Thyatira, that she suffered the woman Jezebel, the Romish harlot, to teach and seduce
the servants of Christ, or connived at their attendance on her, Rev_2:20.”
4. Steven J. Cole gives his personal testimony in his sermon. “For years I fought a losing battle
against lust. It wouldn’t be profitable for me to go into detail describing my defeats. But so that
you know that I’ve been there, I will say that ever since my early teens, I have been a connoisseur
of fine women. Long before the movie, “10,” came out, I had a habit of automatically checking
out a woman’s anatomy and scoring her various features. For a number of years, there were very
few “Playmates of the Month” whom I had not scrutinized. I was a Christian, even a
“committed” Christian and seminary student during some of that time, involved in serving the
Lord. But I was defeated by lust. I still lose an occasional skirmish. But by God’s grace, for many
years now, I’ve been winning the war. I want to tell you how. Several things have helped me move
from defeat to consistent victory.” He goes on to tell of a godly pastor friend who let sex ruin his
marriage by leading him into adultery. It happens to many godly men, and that scared him, for if
it could happen to godly men he admired, and whom he felt were superior to himself, it could
happen to him. Face that reality, and it will help you gain control.

ever say, it could not happen
to me. Secondly, he realized how much damage his lust could cause in the life of his family, and
his church members. That scared him again, and he realized the cost is too high to mess around
with lust. It is too dangerous. It is like walking on the narrow edge of a cliff with loose sand all
over it. He was made by such images to back away and get control.
I’ve heard Christian speakers say that one way to guard against sexual sin is to be satisfied with
your wife. It’s true that being sexually satisfied with her helps me not to be lured by lust for
others. But I’m uncomfortable with the approach which puts the focus on my needs
rather than on my responsibility. My responsibility as a Christian husband is not to satisfy
myself, but to satisfy my wife. I’ve found that my sexual satisfaction is the result of seeking to
meet her needs on every level—spiritual, emotional, and physical. When I focus on that, she
responds and my sexual needs are met. A lot of men are sexually frustrated in their marriages
because they approach sex to meet their own needs. Jesus’ words about seeking your life and
losing it and losing your life to find it (Mark 8:35) apply to sex in marriage. If I approach my wife
to satisfy my needs, neither of us feels fulfilled. But if I work at pleasing her, then I’m deeply
satisfied. The best sexual times for me are when my wife is pleased.”
5. Preceptaustin has these lyrics from the song we used to sing as children, but made new for
adults by Casting Crowns. It is called Slow Fade, and it deals with the issue of prevention when
it comes to sinful behavior.
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray

Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see”
6. Wiersbe comments that...”Temptation always includes hopeful promises; otherwise, people
would never take the devil's bait. For a time, it seems like these promises have been fulfilled, and
sinners bask in the sunshine of pleasant experiences and false assurances. This is what family
counselor J. Allan Petersen calls, "the myth of the greener grass." [from The Myth of the
Greener Grass, by J. Allan Petersen (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1983), is one of the best books from
a biblical point of view on understanding and preventing extramarital affairs and healing
marriages that have been violated by them. As every pastor knows, more of this kind of sin goes
on in local churches than we dare openly admit.] People who commit sexual sins think their
problems are solved ("She understands me so much better than my wife does!") and that life will
get better and better. But disobedience to God's laws always brings sad consequences and sinners
eventually pay dearly for their brief moments of pleasure.”
7. Dr. Joe Temple, “The appeal is based upon verse 8, which certainly does away with any idea

that anybody might have that a little experimentation is not going to hurt anybody. Sometimes
men say, concerning their sons, when they notice them being rather active in their sex lives, ``Oh,
well, it won't hurt him to gain a little experience." God doesn't say that. God says in His Word,
``Don't go anywhere near the redlight district. Don't go anywhere near the house of prostitution.
Don't go anywhere near the place where you are going to be led into deeper sin."
Of course, I am as aware as any of you are today that we don't need to be concerned primarily
about special houses of prostitution with the freedom that our young people have today; back
seats of automobiles and numerous other places become, figuratively speaking, houses of
prostitution. God says, ``Avoid them. Run away from them. Don't even go near the scene of
temptation because you can't afford to pay the price." Anyone who has had any experience with
prostitution knows that flesh comes in a variety of prices. There are high priced prostitutes; there
are low priced prostitutes; there are some who give it away. When I am talking about the price, I
am not talking about the price that is laid on the bureau. I am not talking about the price that is
left on the table in the hotel room, but I am talking about the price that is paid by the individual
who dares to play fast and loose with sex. I have referred to it as the prostitute's price because
even though it is not the price that is paid in money, it is the price that any individual will pay
who plays fast and loose with sex.”
8. Preceptaustin, “Below are a number of Scriptural strategies for fighting the war against lust
and for sexual impurity.
1. Depend on God's power not your own for the Victory, learning to walk by the Spirit (1Sa 17:47
contrast with 1Sa 11:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Gal 5:16, 17-note, Eph 5:18-note, Php 2:12, 13-note, Ezek 36:27,
Zech 4:6, Ro 8:13-note, 2Cor 12:9-note, 2Co 12:10-note)
2. Recognize and affirm that sexuality is a good gift from God. (James 1:17, Ge 2:24, 25; Pr
5:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20-notes, 1Co 7:3, 4, 5, 1Ti 4:3)
3. Recognize that God gives us prohibitions not to deny us something good but that we might
experience His good and acceptable and perfect will for our lives. (Ex 20:14, 1Co 6:18, 1Co
7:2, 1Th 4:3-note)
4. Believe that God is for you in this battle and desires for us to be more than conquerors in
Christ Jesus (Deut 10:12, 13, Ps 84:11, Ro 8:31, 32-note)
5. Consider and meditate on the potential temporal and eternal loss for those who make lust
a lifestyle (Mt 5:27, 28, 29-note, Pr 5:4, 5, Pr 7:27-notes, Eccl 7:26, Jdg 16:18, 19, 20, 21-
notes)
6. Consider the truth that there is more joy in God's presence than in the presence of sin. (Ps
16:11, Ps 73:25, 26)
7. Recognize that lust weakens our soul and we must fight against it by abstaining (1Peter
2:11-note, cp Mark 4:19)
8. Cultivate a passion for God's Word and His glory (1Pe 2:2-note, 2Sa 12:9, 10, 14 - note
what David in his sin with Bathsheba despised!)

9. Develop a mental grid that views everything in relation to God. (1Co 10:31, Col 3:17-note)
10. Recognize that God designed marriage to be a picture of His commitment to His
Bridegroom, the church. (Ephesians 5:21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32-notes)
11. Zealously guard your eyes, turning from anything that might give a provision to your lust
(Job 31:1, Ro 13:14-note, 2Ti 2:22-note, Ps 101:3, see context Ps 101:1,2, 4)
12. Think often that Christ suffered to redeem you for purity, for His possession and for His
purpose. (Titus 2:14-note, 1Pe 1:18-note; 1Pe 2:24-note, 1Co 5:15)
13. Beware of pride rising up making you think that past success guarantees future victory
over lust (1Cor 10:12, Gal 2:13 contrasted with Acts 11:24, 1Pe 2:11-note wages war is
present tense = continually until we die!)
14. Beware of feeling above accountability. (3 John 9 Diotrephes not submissive, James 4:6,
10, 1Pe 5:6-note, 2Chr 32:36, 33:12, 19, 23, Pr 18:12, 22:4, Is 57:15)
15. Seek a band of brothers where you wage war together encouraging one another daily in
regard to the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb 3:12-note, Heb 3:13-note, 2Ti 2:22-note) (See Related
Discussion: The Deceitfulness of Sin)
16. Memorize and meditate on many scriptures. (Ps 119:9, 11, 1:2, Josh 1:8-note, Job 23:12-
note , Jer 15:16, 1Jn 2:14, Php 4:8-note)
17. Take every pernicious, prurient thought captive to Christ and replace them with good
thoughts (1Cor 10:3, 4, 5, Php 4:8-note)
18. Beware of the trap that you deserve relief through gratifying your sinful flesh,
remembering that every test carries with it the potential of a temptation to sin (Acts 14:22,
Luke 9:58, 2Ti 2:3-note, 2Ti 4:16, 17-note)
19. Pray at all times in the Spirit for God's protection and deliverance. (Ep 6:18-note, Lk
22:40, 46, Mt 26:40, 41, 1Chr 4:10, Ps 19:13, 119:116, 117, 133, Pr 30:8, 9, Mt 6:13-note)
20. Think often that God has given you even now many good things so how could you
brazenly sin against Him! (Ge 39:7,8, 9)”
9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,

1. Henry, “The arguments which Solomon here uses to enforce this caution are taken from the
same topic with those before, the many mischiefs which attend this sin. [1.] It blasts the
reputation. “Thou wilt give thy honor unto others (Pro_5:9); thou wilt lose it thyself; thou wilt put
into the hand of each of thy neighbors a stone to throw at thee, for they will all, with good reason,
cry shame on thee, will despise thee, and trample on thee, as a foolish men.” Whoredom is a sin
that makes men contemptible and base, and no man of sense or virtue will care to keep company
with one that keeps company with harlots. [2.] It wastes the time, gives the years, the years of
youth, the flower of men's time, unto the cruel, “that base lust of thine, which with the utmost
cruelty wars against the soul, that base harlot which pretends an affection for thee, but really
hunts for the precious life.” Those years that should be given to the honour of a gracious God are
spent in the service of a cruel sin.”
2. Preceptaustin, “Vigor (01935) (hod) means splendor, majesty, dignity or vigor. These meanings
lead to different translations of the one who fails to heed the warning, one translation stating that
this person will lose honor, reputation and respect (certainly true in the evangelical community
when a pastor falls) or that one gives away his active strength of body and mind (which is also
certainly the experience of those who fall prey to an adulteress.)”
Who is the cruel one? Some think this refers to the adulteress, who though she pretends ardent
love and kindness to thee, yet in truth is one of the most cruel creatures in the world, wasting thy
estate and, body without the least pity, and then casting thee off with scorn. and contempt; and
when her interest requires it, taking away thy very life, of which there are innumerable examples,
and damning thy soul for ever. (Matthew Poole) Others think that in context it could also be the
husband of the adulteress woman. The German Common Language version translates
it...Otherwise you will be without honor and her cruel husband will kill you to get what you have
acquired over many years.”
3. Warren Wiersbe writes that the man who fails to heed Solomon's advice...”discovers that the
woman's husband is a cruel man who demands that he pay for what he's done, so the adulterer
ends up giving his strength to others and toiling away to pay his debt. Instead of luxury, the
sinner has misery; instead of riches, poverty; instead of success, ruin; and instead of a good
reputation, the name of an adulterer. He looks back and wishes he had listened to his parents and
his spiritual instructors, but his wishes can't change his wretched situation. Yes, God in His grace
will forgive his sins if he repents, but God in His government sees to it that he reaps what he
sows.”
4. Keil, “Ewald finds in Pro_5:14 a play on this punishment of adultery prescribed by law, and
reads from Pro_5:9. that the adulterer who is caught by the injured husband was reduced to the
state of a slave, and was usually deprived of his manhood. But that any one should find pleasure
in making the destroyer of his wife his slave is a far-fetched idea, and neither the law nor the
history of Israel contains any evidence for this punishment by slavery or the mutilation of the
adulterer, for which Ewald refers to Grimm's Deutsche Rechtsaltertümer. The figure which is here
sketched by the poet is very different. He who goes into the net of the wanton woman loses his
health and his goods. She stands not alone, but has her party with her, who wholly plunder the
simpleton who goes into her trap.

owhere is there any reference to the husband of the
adulteress. The poet does not at all think on a married woman. And the word chosen directs our
attention rather to a foreigner than to an Israelitish woman, although the author may look upon
harlotry as such as heathenish rather than Israelitish, and designate it accordingly. The party of

those who make prostitutes of themselves consists of their relations and their older favorites, the
companions of their gain, who being in league with her exhaust the life-strength and the
resources of the befooled youth (Fl.).”
5. Clarke, “Lest thou give thine honor - The character of a debauchee is universally detested: by
this, even those of noble blood lose their honor and respect. Thy years unto the cruel - Though all
the blandishments of love dwell on the tongue, and the excess of fondness appear in the whole
demeanor of the harlot and the prostitute; yet cruelty has its throne in their hearts; and they will
rob and murder (when it appears to answer their ends) those who give their strength, their
wealth, and their years to them. The unfaithful wife has often murdered her own husband for the
sake of her paramour, and has given him over to justice in order to save herself. Murders have
often taken place in brothels, as well as robberies; for the vice of prostitution is one of the parents
of cruelty.”
6. Dr. Joe Temple, “The first thing that we would bring to your attention concerning the price
that you pay is the loss of honor with the possibility of exposure to blackmail. The suggestion
concerning blackmail is involved in the word cruel, for the word cruel comes from the Hebrew
word that describes this kind of people---one simple little act of prostitution could rob you of
honor for the rest of your life and expose you to blackmail for your remaining days. That is the
reason that our government, when it employs people in special service, sends FBI men around to
investigate. I don't know how many times I have been interviewed by FBI men concerning
individuals who wanted to go into some kind of government service and many different questions
are asked. One question that they always ask concerning everybody and that is, ``What can you
tell me about their moral life? What can you tell me about any illicit sex relationships they might
have had?"
One day I asked one of these men why this seemed to be the question that was always asked, and
the answer was, ``This is the greatest source for blackmail that there is, and people are so afraid
of exposure in this particular area that they would even sell their country down the river for
protection. We can't have anybody that has the slightest taint of immorality upon them." Isn't
that a big price to pay for a few moments of fleshly pleasure when you know real love isn't really
that?”
7. Gill, “Lest thou give thine honor unto others,.... To strumpets, their children, attendants,
servants, and friends; that is, either wealth or riches, which make men honorable; or their three,
credit, and reputation, which are lost by keeping company with such persons; or the outward
comeliness of the body, and inward rigor of the mind, which are impaired by adulterous
practices. The Targum renders it, "thy strength"; and so the Syriac version, "thy strength of
body", which is enervated by such impurities; see Pro_31:3; compare with this the kings of the
earth that commit fornication with the whore of Rome, giving their power and strength to the
beast, Rev_17:2. Jarchi's note is,
"lest thine heart has respect to other gods, to give them the glory of thine honor and praise;'' and
so understands it not of corporeal but of spiritual adultery or idolatry: the Septuagint and Arabic
versions are, "thy life"; which agrees with what follows; and thy years unto the cruel; youthful
years, the flower of age, consumed by the cruel lust of uncleanness, which preys upon and wastes
both body and substance, and cuts them off in the prime of days; and deprives of years which
otherwise, according to the course of nature, and in all probability, might be arrived unto: so

harlots, in Plautus (o), are said to sup the blood of men, and to deprive of goods, light, honor, and
friends (p). And the harlot herself may be here meant; who, when she has got what she can, has
no pity on the man she has ruined, and even will not stick to take away his life upon occasion; as
well as is the cause and means of the damnation of his soul: or the jealous husband of the
adulterous woman, who will not spare the adulterer when taken by him; or her brethren, her
relations and friends; or her other gallants and co-rivals, who, when they have opportunity, will
avenge themselves; or the civil magistrate, who executes judgment without mercy on such
delinquents, this being a sin punished with death. Jarchi interprets the "cruel" of the prince of
hell, the devil; and so the Midrash of the angel of death. The character well agrees with the
antichristian beast, the whore of Rome; who, by her sorceries and fornications, has destroyed
millions of souls.”
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich another man's house.
1. Jamison, “ the fruit of thy painful exertions (Psa_127:2). There may be a reference to slavery, a
commuted punishment for death due the adulterer (Deu_22:22).”
2. Henry, “It ruins the estate (Pro_5:10): “Strangers will be filled with thy wealth, which thou art
but entrusted with as a steward for thy family; and the fruit of thy labors, which should be
provision for thy own house, will be in the house of a stranger, that neither has right to it nor will
ever thank thee for it.” [4.] It is destructive to the health, and shortens men's days: Thy flesh and
thy body will be consumed by it...”
3. Barnes, “The whole gang of those into whose hands the slave of lust yields himself. The words
are significant as showing that the older punishment of death Deu_22:21; Eze_16:38; Joh_8:5
was not always inflicted, and that the detected adulterer was exposed rather to indefinite
extortion. Besides loss of purity and peace, the sin, in all its forms, brings poverty.”
4. Gill, “Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth,.... The adulteress, her husband, children,
friends, bawds, and such like persons she is concerned with; these share the wealth of the
adulterer, abound with it, and live profusely on it, until he is stripped quite bare and destitute: or,
"with thy strength"; See Gill on Pro_5:9. Jarchi interprets it of the prophets of Baal, that exact
money by their falsehoods; it may well enough be applied to the fornicating merchants of Rome,
who wax rich through the abundance of her delicacies and adulteries, Rev_18:3; persons,
strangers indeed to God and Christ, and all true religion;
and thy labors be in the house of a stranger; that is, wealth gotten by hard labour, with toil and
sweat, grief and trouble, as the word used (q) signifies; and yet, after all, not enjoyed by himself
and his lawful wife and children, but by the strange woman and her accomplices, and spent in
maintaining whores, bawds, and bastards; hence the fable of the Harpies eating and spoiling the
victuals of Phineus, who were no other than harlots that consumed his substance (r): and
sometimes they are carried into a strange country, and possessed by foreigners. These are the

wretched effects and miserable consequences of adultery, and therefore by all means to be
shunned and avoided.”
5. Preceptaustin, “Strength (03581)(koach) refers to strength, power, force, ability and conveys
the basic meaning of the ability to do something. For example, the strength of Samson (who fell
prey to the wiles of a strange woman) was in his long hair (Jdg 16:5). Koach in some contexts can
convey the special sense of one's property, in the sense that the results of one abilities and/or the
manifestation of one's strength often led to prosperity and riches. Other uses of koach in
Proverbs are Pr 14:4, 20:29.
In context strength could refer to either one's ability in sense of one's power or could also refer to
one's wealth. In a sense, both are adversely affected by sexual immorality.
Your hard-earned goods - Solomon's emphasizes the inestimable "cost" of sexual immorality.
Blackmail in these situations is not uncommon and can deplete you of your hard earned goods!
As has been well said the most expensive thing in the world is sin.”
11 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh
and body are spent.
1. Henry, “The lusts of uncleanness not only war against the soul, which the sinner neglects and is
in no care about, but they war against the body too, which he is so indulgent of and is in such care
to please and pamper, such deceitful, such foolish, such hurtful lusts are they. Those that give
themselves to work uncleanness with greediness waste their strength, throw themselves into
weakness, and often have their bodies filled with loathsome distempers, by which the number of
their months is cut off in the midst and they fall unpitied sacrifices to a cruel lust. [5.] It will fill
the mind with horror, if ever conscience be awakened. “Though thou art merry now, sporting
thyself in thy own deceivings, yet thou wilt certainly mourn at the last, Pro_5:11. Thou art all this
while making work for repentance, and laying up matter for vexation and torment in the
reflection, when the sin is set before thee in its own colours.” Sooner or later it will bring sorrow,
either when the soul is humbled and brought to repentance or when the flesh and body are
consumed, either by sickness, when conscience flies in the sinner's face, or by the grave; when the
body is rotting there, the soul is racking in the torments of hell, where the worm dies not, and
“Son, remember,” is the constant peal [plea?]. Solomon here brings in the convinced sinner
reproaching himself, and aggravating his own folly. He will then most bitterly lament it. First,
That because he hated to be reformed he therefore hated to be informed, and could not endure
either to be taught his duty (How have I hated not only the discipline of being instructed, but the
instruction itself, though all true and good!) or to be told of his faults.”
2. Thomas Watson - Adultery is destructive to the body. "Afterward you will groan in anguish
when disease consumes your body." Proverbs 5:11. Immorality turns the body into a hospital, it
brings foul diseases, and eats the beauty of the face. As the flame wastes the candle, so the fire of
lust consumes the body. The adulterer hastens his own death. "So she seduced him with her

pretty speech. With her flattery she enticed him. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the
slaughter or like a trapped stag, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a
bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life!" Proverbs 7:21-23....Do not come
into the company of a whorish woman; avoid her house, as a seaman does a rock. "Run from her!
Don't go near the door of her house!" Proverbs 5:8. He who would not have the plague, must not
come near infected houses; every whore-house has the plague in it.

ot to avoid the occasion of
sin, and yet pray, "Lead us not into temptation," is, as if one should put his finger into the candle,
and yet pray that it may not be burnt!”
3. Clarke, “When thy flesh and thy body are consumed - The word שאר shear, which we render
body, signifies properly the remains, residue, or remnant of a thing: and is applied here to denote
the breathing carcass, putrid with the concomitant disease of debauchery: a public reproach
which the justice of God entails on this species of iniquity. The mourning here spoken of is of the
most excessive kind: the word נהם naham is often applied to the growling of a lion, and the
hoarse incessant murmuring of the sea. In the line of my duty, I have been often called to attend
the death-bed of such persons, where groans and shrieks were incessant through the jaculating
pains in their bones and flesh. Whoever has witnessed a closing scene like this will at once
perceive with what force and propriety the wise man speaks. And How have I hated instruction,
and despised the voice of my teachers! is the unavailing cry in that terrific time. Reader,
whosoever thou art, lay these things to heart. Do not enter into their sin: once entered, thy return
is nearly hopeless.
4. Gill, “And thou mourn at the last,.... Or roar as a lion, as the word (s) signifies; see Pro_19:12;
expressing great distress of mind, horror of conscience, and vehement lamentations; and yet not
having and exercising true repentance, but declaring a worldly sorrow, which worketh death.
This mourning is too late, and not so much on account of the evil of sin as the evil that comes by
it; it is when the man could have no pleasure from it and in it; when he has not only lost his
substance by it, but his health also, the loss of both which must be very distressing: it is at the end
of life, in his last days; in his old age, as the Syriac version, when he can no longer pursue his
unclean practices;
when thy flesh and thy body are consumed; either in the time of old age and through it, as
Gersom; or rather by diseases which the sin of uncleanness brings upon persons, which affixes
the several parts of it; the brain, the blood, the liver, the back, and loins, and reins; and even all
the parts of it, expressed by flesh and body. This may express the great tribulation such shall be
cast into that commit adultery with the Romish Jezebel, Rev_2:22.
5. Henry, ““Though thou art merry now, sporting thyself in thy own deceivings, yet thou wilt
certainly mourn at the last, Pro_5:11. Thou art all this while making work for repentance, and
laying up matter for vexation and torment in the reflection, when the sin is set before thee in its
own colours.” Sooner or later it will bring sorrow, either when the soul is humbled and brought
to repentance or when the flesh and body are consumed, either by sickness, when conscience flies
in the sinner's face, or by the grave; when the body is rotting there, the soul is racking in the
torments of hell, where the worm dies not, and “Son, remember,” is the constant peal [plea?].
Solomon here brings in the convinced sinner reproaching himself, and aggravating his own folly.
He will then most bitterly lament it.”
6. Steve Zeisler, “Proverbs 5:11 talks about the wasting away of the body. It might be a reference

to sexually transmitted disease. You groan at the latter end when your flesh and body are
consumed. In the age of AIDS we are surrounded by examples of the fate described here. But
whether or not it is referring to a sexually transmitted disease, I think that the suggestion is that
everybody's body is going to age and grow weaker. Sexual potency diminishes over time, and
when you contemplate the capability of sex to bring about life and enhance relationships, do you
want to spend it on nothing and have nothing to show for it even in your old age?

o family, no
grandchildren, no joy? These fires don't last forever. Eventually they burn out.”
7. Preceptaustin, “Groan (naham) refers to the roar of a lion (Pr 28:15), but in this context it
describes a deep moan or mournful sound uttered out of pain, sorrow, anguish or grief, for not
having heeded the warnings against sexual immorality and now for having to pay the price of the
various losses.

ext time you are tempted to gaze at a finely formed female with an attitude of
lust, take that tempting thought captive (2Cor 10:3, 4, 5 -see notes) and (enabled by divinely
powerful weapons, including sufficient grace [Titus 2:11, 12 - note] and the Spirit of holiness, cp
Ro 8:13-note, Gal 5:16, 18, 25 - notes) replace that incendiary idea immediately with the thought
that it will ultimately lead to deep groaning in light of the heavy cost.
At your final end - At the end of your life. As you look back over the wasted years and ruined
lives strewn across the landscape wrought by sexual immorality, you can only groan.” Mary
Whitehouse was correct when she concluded that...What a man or woman does with his or her
sexual energy will decide not only the quality of their own lives, but the kind of world in which
they live. As Harold P. Wells said...Sex involves the entire life and personality, and to misuse sex is
to abuse oneself as well as one's partner.”
12 You will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart
spurned correction!
1. Keil, “The poet now tells those whom he warns to hear how the voluptuary, looking back on his
life-course, passes sentence against himself. The question 12a (here more an exclamation than a
question) is the combination of two: How has it become possible for me? How could it ever come
to it ...”
1B. Dr. Ray Pritchard, “Sometimes we talk about breaking the Ten Commandments. Brothers,
nobody has ever broken the Ten Commandments. You are broken on the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments are like the huge boulders at the base of the cliff. If you decide to jump
off the cliff and you hit the boulders, you will not break the boulder, the boulder will break you.
When you dare to disobey what God has said, you will pay the price.
Here is the problem in verse 12. “You will say, ‘How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned
correction! I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors.’ ” Brothers, the reason we
get in trouble in this area is because we will not listen. I have to speak loudly about this, because I
have to shout over ABC,

35821878 proverbs-5-commentary

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