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Commentary on Proverbs 5 verses 15–23
Solomon, having shown the great evil that there is in adultery and fornication, and all such lewd and filthy courses, here prescribes remedies against them.
I. Enjoy with satisfaction the comforts of lawful marriage, which was ordained for the prevention of uncleanness, and therefore ought to be made use of in time, lest it should not prove effectual for the cure of that which it might have prevented. Let none complain that God has dealt unkindly with them in forbidding them those pleasures which they have a natural desire of, for he has graciously provided for the regular gratification of them. "Thou mayest not indeed eat of every tree of the garden, but choose thee out one, which thou pleasest, and of that thou mayest freely eat; nature will be content with that, but lust with nothing." God, in thus confining men to one, has been so far from putting any hardship upon them that he has really consulted their true interest; for, as Mr. Herbert observes, "If God had laid all common, certainly man would have been the encloser." - Church-porch. Solomon here enlarges much upon this, not only prescribing it as an antidote, but urging it as an argument against fornication, that the allowed pleasures of marriage (however wicked wits may ridicule them, who are factors for the unclean spirit) far transcend all the false forbidden pleasures of whoredom.
1.Let young men marry, marry and not burn. Have a cistern, a well of thy own (Pro 5:15), even the wife of thy youth, Pro 5:18. Wholly abstain, or wed. - Herbert. "The world is wide, and there are varieties of accomplishments, among which thou mayest please thyself."
2.Let him that is married take delight in his wife, and let him be very fond of her, not only because she is the wife that he himself has chosen and he ought to be pleased with his own choice, but because she is the wife that God in his providence appointed for him and he ought much more to be pleased with the divine appointment, pleased with her because she is his own. Let thy fountain be blessed (Pro 5:18); think thyself very happy in her, look upon her as a blessed wife, let her have thy blessing, pray daily for her, and then rejoice with her. Those comforts we are likely to have joy of that are sanctified to us by prayer and the blessing of God. It is not only allowed us, but commanded us, to be pleasant with our relations; and it particularly becomes yoke-fellows to rejoice together and in each other. Mutual delight is the bond of mutual fidelity. It is not only taken for granted that the bridegroom rejoices over his bride (Isa 62:5), but given for law. Ecc 9:9, Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life. Those take not their comforts where God has appointed who are jovial and merry with their companions abroad, but sour and morose with their families at home.
3.Let him be fond of his wife and love her dearly (Pro 5:19): Let her be as the loving hind and the pleasant roe, such as great men sometimes kept tame in their houses and played with. Desire no better diversion from severe study and business than the innocent and pleasant conversation of thy own wife; let her lie in thy bosom, as the poor man's ewe-lamb did in his (Sa2 12:3), and do thou repose thy head in hers, and let that satisfy thee at all times; and seek not for pleasure in any other. "Err thou always in her love. If thou wilt suffer thy love to run into an excess, and wilt be dotingly fond of any body, let it be only of thy own wife, where there is least danger of exceeding." This is drinking waters, to quench the thirst of thy appetite, out of thy own cistern, and running waters, which are clear, and sweet, and wholesome, out of thy own well, Pro 5:15. Co1 7:2, Co1 7:3.
4.Let him take delight in his children and look upon them with pleasure (Pro 5:16, Pro 5:17): "Look upon them as streams from thy own pure fountains" (the Jews are said to come forth out of the waters of Judah, Isa 48:1), "so that they are parts of thyself, as the streams are of the fountain. Keep to thy own wife, and thou shalt have," (1.) "A numerous offspring, like rivers of water, which run in abundance, and they shall be dispersed abroad, matched into other families, whereas those that commit whoredom shall not increase," Hos 4:10. (2.) "A peculiar offspring, which shall be only thy own, whereas the children of whoredom, that are fathered upon thee, are, probably, not so, but, for aught thou knowest, are the offspring of strangers, and yet thou must keep them." (3.) "A creditable offspring, which are an honour to thee, and which thou mayest send abroad, and appear with, in the streets, whereas a spurious brood is thy disgrace, and that which thou art ashamed to own." In this matter, virtue has all the pleasure and honour in it; justly therefore it is called wisdom.
5.Let him then scorn the offer of forbidden pleasures when he is always ravished with the love of a faithful virtuous wife; let him consider what an absurdity it will be for him to be ravished with a strange woman (Pro 5:20), to be in love with a filthy harlot, and embrace the bosom of a stranger, which, if he had any sense of honour or virtue, he would loathe the thoughts of. "Why wilt thou be so sottish, such an enemy to thyself, as to prefer puddle-water, and that poisoned too and stolen, before pure living waters out of thy own well?" Note, If the dictates of reason may be heard, the laws of virtue will be obeyed.
II. "See the eye of God always upon thee and let his fear rule in thy heart," Pro 5:21. Those that live in this sin promise themselves secresy (the eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Job 24:15); but to what purpose, when it cannot be hidden from God? For, 1. He sees it. The ways of man, all his motions, all his actions, are before the eyes of the Lord, all the workings of the heart and all the outgoings of the life, that which is done ever so secretly and disguised ever so artfully. God sees it in a true light, and knows it with all its causes, circumstances, and consequences. He does not cast an eye upon men's ways now and then, but they are always actually in his view and under his inspection; and darest thou sin against God in his sight, and do that wickedness under his eye which thou durst not do in the presence of a man like thyself? 2. He will call the sinner to an account for it; for he not only sees, but ponders all his goings, judges concerning them, as one that will shortly judge the sinner for them. Every action is weighed, and shall be brought into judgment (Ecc 12:14), which is a good reason why we should ponder the path of our feet (Pro 4:26), and so judge ourselves that we may not be judged.
III. "Foresee the certain ruin of those that go on still in their trespasses." Those that live in this sin promise themselves impunity, but they deceive themselves; their sin will find them out, Pro 5:22, Pro 5:23. The apostle gives the sense of these verses in a few words. Heb 13:4, Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 1. It is a sin which men with great difficulty shake off the power of. When the sinner is old and weak his lusts are strong and active, in calling to remembrance the days of his youth, Eze 23:19. Thus his own iniquities having seized the wicked himself by his own consent, and he having voluntarily surrendered himself a captive to them, he is held in the cords of his own sins, and such full possession they have gained of him that he cannot extricate himself, but in the greatness of his folly (and what greater folly could there be than to yield himself a servant to such cruel task-masters?) he shall go astray, and wander endlessly. Uncleanness is a sin from which, when once men have plunged themselves into it, they very hardly and very rarely recover themselves. 2. It is a sin which, if it be not forsaken, men cannot possibly escape the punishment of; it will unavoidably be their ruin. As their own iniquities do arrest them in the reproaches of conscience and present rebukes (Jer 7:19), so their own iniquities shall arrest them and bind them over to the judgments of God. There needs no prison, no chains; they shall be holden in the cords of their own sins, as the fallen angels, being incurably wicked, are thereby reserved in chains of darkness. The sinner, who, having been often reproved, hardens his neck, shall die at length without instruction. Having had general warnings sufficient given him already, he shall have no particular warnings, but he shall die without seeing his danger beforehand, shall die because he would not receive instruction, but in the greatness of his folly would go astray; and so shall his doom be, he shall never find the way home again. Those that are so foolish as to choose the way of sin are justly left of God to themselves to go in it till they come to that destruction which it leads to, which is a good reason why we should guard with watchfulness and resolution against the allurements of the sensual appetite.
“He will perish here with those who have no discipline; and he will be driven out of the abundance of his fatness.” One who becomes the prey of sin and lacks discipline will experience the same things. Indeed the one who consorts with murderers becomes a murderer. See what bitter kind of death he [Solomon] designates when he says that he [the wicked person] will die with such companions. It is indeed horrible to depart from life with a bad reputation. Depravity—what he [Solomon] calls “fatness”—multiplies so that the flesh is destroyed completely by the works of flesh, keeping one away from the very kind of life that could save him. He [the wicked person] perishes because of imprudence, not because of lustful desires: he had a legitimate means to satisfy his desire, that is, his wife. Therefore nobody is allowed to accuse nature, but only human intemperance which is not proper to nature.
He will die because he lacked discipline, etc. Because he had disputed much about adulterers or heretics, as is his custom, he shows in the close of his narrative what the end of such people is; that is, they tend towards eternal death, who have hated the discipline of life. He calls it the multitude of folly, when heretics consider themselves wiser than the holy Fathers, or when the wicked, doing the works of darkness, either think the Lord does not see these things or believe they can easily endure His wrath.
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SUMMARY
Proverbs 5:23 serves as a stark and sobering conclusion to the father's urgent warnings against sexual immorality, encapsulating the dire and inevitable consequences for those who reject divine wisdom and instruction. It declares that a life lived in persistent defiance of moral guidance and God's precepts inevitably leads to spiritual and existential ruin, characterized by a profound lack of direction and an ultimate, tragic demise rooted in uncorrected and pervasive foolishness.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Proverbs 5:23 forms the culminating statement of a chapter primarily dedicated to a father's urgent admonition to his son concerning the insidious dangers of the adulteress and the deceptive allure of illicit sexual pleasure. The chapter commences with an earnest appeal to heed wisdom's words and incline one's ear to understanding Proverbs 5:1-2, establishing the foundational call to embrace divine guidance. It then vividly describes the seductive nature of the "strange woman," detailing her smooth words and flattering lips, only to immediately expose the bitter and sharp consequences of her embrace, likening her end to "wormwood" and a "two-edged sword" Proverbs 5:3-4. The father warns against the devastating loss of one's honor, wealth, and health that accompanies such a path Proverbs 5:7-11, culminating in the poignant lament of the one who, in hindsight, despised instruction and hated reproof Proverbs 5:12-14. The chapter then pivots, advocating for fidelity within marriage as the true source of joy, satisfaction, and life-giving intimacy Proverbs 5:15-20. The final verses, including Proverbs 5:21-23, reiterate God's omnipresence and omniscient judgment, emphasizing that one's own iniquities will ensnare the wicked, leading them to "die without instruction" and "go astray" in their folly. This concluding verse thus acts as a powerful, summarizing pronouncement of the ultimate, tragic fate of those who choose the path of moral rebellion and rejection of wisdom.
Historical & Cultural Context: The book of Proverbs, deeply embedded within the ancient Near Eastern wisdom tradition, reflects a patriarchal society where a father's instruction to his son was a primary and revered mode of education and moral formation. Wisdom literature, found across cultures like Egypt and Mesopotamia, often employed didactic poetry to transmit practical ethics, social norms, and theological truths. In ancient Israel, moral purity, particularly sexual fidelity within the covenant of marriage, was not merely a personal choice but a foundational communal and covenantal obligation. Adultery was a grave offense, explicitly prohibited by the Ten Commandments Exodus 20:14 and punishable by death under the Mosaic Law Leviticus 20:10. The "strange woman" (often translated as "foreign woman" or "adulteress") represented not just a literal seductress but also, metaphorically, the embodiment of alluring, destructive paths that deviated from the covenant and the wisdom of God. The consequences described in Proverbs, while often metaphorical or spiritual, also carried tangible social, economic, and familial repercussions in a society where reputation, family lineage, and community standing were paramount. The emphasis on "instruction" (Hebrew: musar) highlights the critical importance of oral teaching, discipline, and moral correction in shaping a righteous life, a concept deeply embedded in Israelite pedagogy and covenantal living.
Key Themes: Proverbs 5:23 powerfully encapsulates several core themes prevalent throughout the book of Proverbs and broader biblical wisdom literature. Firstly, it underscores the Sovereignty of God and Divine Accountability, reminding the reader that one's actions are never hidden from God's omniscient sight, as explicitly stated in Proverbs 5:21. This divine oversight ensures that all choices have ultimate consequences. Secondly, the verse highlights the Consequences of Rejecting Wisdom and Instruction. The entire book of Proverbs posits a stark dichotomy between the path of wisdom, which leads to life, blessing, and flourishing Proverbs 3:13-18, and the path of folly, which inevitably leads to destruction, death, and ruin Proverbs 1:32. This verse explicitly states the fatal outcome of despising musar (instruction/discipline), demonstrating the direct link between moral choices and life outcomes. Thirdly, it emphasizes the Self-Destructive Nature of Folly. The phrase "greatness of his folly" is not merely an intellectual deficiency but a deep-seated moral perversion and stubbornness that actively causes one to "go astray," illustrating how sin, left unchecked and uncorrected, becomes an internal, self-propelling force leading to one's own demise. This concept aligns with the broader theme that "the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble" Proverbs 4:19, highlighting the blindness and self-inflicted harm inherent in a life of uncorrected foolishness.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Proverbs 5:23 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its solemn and urgent warning. Parallelism, a foundational characteristic of Hebrew poetry, is prominently displayed in the two clauses, where the idea of perishing "without instruction" is powerfully reinforced and elaborated by the consequence of going astray "in the greatness of his folly." This creates a strong sense of inevitable consequence and mutual reinforcement between cause and effect, emphasizing the direct link between rejecting wisdom and experiencing ruin. Metaphor is central to the verse, as "die" and "go astray" are not limited to literal physical death or geographical wandering but serve as profound metaphors for spiritual, moral, and existential ruin. The phrase "greatness of his folly" employs hyperbole to underscore the profound and overwhelming nature of the individual's foolishness, suggesting it is not a minor lapse but a pervasive, defining characteristic that consumes and directs their life. The verse also functions as a form of synecdoche, where "instruction" stands in for the entire body of divine wisdom, moral guidance, and disciplinary correction, and "folly" represents the comprehensive and stubborn rejection of that wisdom. Together, these devices create a stark, memorable, and impactful statement about the ultimate and tragic fate of those who disregard God's truth and choose a path of uncorrected foolishness.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Proverbs 5:23 articulates a fundamental theological principle: the profound and often fatal consequences of persistently rejecting divine wisdom and instruction. It underscores that God's moral order is not optional; defiance of it leads to a self-inflicted spiritual and existential death. This "death without instruction" is not merely a lack of knowledge but a state of being cut off from the very source of life and truth, a condition where one's own uncorrected folly becomes the guiding, destructive force. The verse highlights God's justice in allowing those who persistently choose foolishness to reap its inevitable bitter harvest, emphasizing that true life, flourishing, and purpose are found only in alignment with His precepts and in submission to His wise discipline. This theme resonates throughout Scripture, affirming that wisdom is not merely intellectual but a path of life, and folly is a path of destruction and spiritual barrenness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Proverbs 5:23 serves as a timeless and urgent call to embrace and submit wholeheartedly to divine instruction. It warns against the insidious nature of uncorrected folly, which, left unchecked, inevitably leads to a life devoid of true purpose, spiritual direction, and ultimately, vital connection with God. The "death without instruction" is a sobering reminder that our choices, particularly in matters of moral purity and integrity, have profound, eternal consequences. To avoid this tragic end, we are compelled to actively seek, receive, and diligently apply God's wisdom in every area of our lives. This means cultivating a teachable spirit, being open to correction and reproof, and allowing the transformative power of God's Word to shape our thoughts, desires, and actions. It challenges us to recognize that true freedom and abundant life are found not in self-will or unrestrained desires, but in the disciplined pursuit of righteousness and the humble submission to divine truth. This verse compels us to ask ourselves if we are truly listening to the wisdom God provides, or if we are allowing our own uncorrected foolishness to lead us astray.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "die without instruction" mean physical death?
Answer: While the verse can certainly encompass physical demise as a potential consequence of destructive choices (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, violence resulting from illicit affairs, or general self-neglect), the primary meaning of "die without instruction" in the broader context of Proverbs and wisdom literature is typically spiritual and existential. It refers to a life devoid of spiritual vitality, moral direction, and ultimately, eternal hope. It signifies a life that has failed to grasp true meaning and purpose, leading to profound regret and ruin, as seen in the lament of the uninstructed in Proverbs 5:12-14. It's a death of potential, purpose, and connection to God, the very source of all life. It speaks to a life that, though perhaps physically alive, is spiritually dead and walking a path that leads to ultimate destruction.
What is the difference between "instruction" and "folly" in this verse?
Answer: "Instruction" (Hebrew: musar) refers to divine discipline, moral correction, and wise guidance intended to shape one's character and conduct. It is the path of learning, growth, and submission to God's truth that leads to life and flourishing. It implies a willingness to be taught and corrected. "Folly" (Hebrew: ʼivveleth), on the other hand, is not merely a lack of intelligence but a deep-seated moral obtuseness, a stubborn refusal to heed wisdom, and a perverse inclination towards destructive choices. It is the antithesis of instruction, representing a self-willed and rebellious mindset. The verse highlights that rejecting musar inevitably leads to the dominance of ʼivveleth, causing one to "go astray" from the path of righteousness and ultimately leading to ruin. The stark contrast emphasizes the two divergent paths available to humanity: one leading to life through disciplined wisdom, the other to death through uncorrected foolishness, a central theme echoed throughout the book of Proverbs.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Proverbs 5:23 starkly warns of the dire consequences of rejecting wisdom and instruction, its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution are found exclusively in Jesus Christ. Humanity, in its fallen state, is inherently prone to "folly" and naturally "goes astray" from God's righteous path, living "without instruction" in the truest and most damning sense, blinded by sin and destined for spiritual death Romans 3:10-12. Jesus, however, is presented in Scripture as the very incarnation of divine Wisdom 1 Corinthians 1:24, the Logos through whom all things were made and in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colossians 2:3. He is the ultimate "instruction" and "discipline" from God, sent to guide humanity back to the path of life and truth. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Christ took upon Himself the "death without instruction" that humanity deserved, bearing the full weight of our folly, rebellion, and sin 2 Corinthians 5:21. By His glorious resurrection, He offers new life to all who believe, delivering them from the dominion of folly and the path of destruction. Those who embrace Him receive not only forgiveness but also the indwelling Holy Spirit, who serves as their ultimate instructor and guide, leading them into all truth and enabling them to walk in wisdom, no longer "going astray" but faithfully following the Good Shepherd John 16:13. Thus, Christ is the perfect answer to humanity's pervasive folly, the living instruction for eternal life, and the only escape from the spiritual death so vividly described in Proverbs.