4 And her latter end `is' bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword `with' mouths.
And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart `is' nets and snares, her hands `are' bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart `is' war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they `are' drawn `swords'.
And it cometh to pass afterwards that he loveth a woman in the valley of Sorek, and her name `is' Delilah, and the princes of the Philistines come up unto her, and say to her, `Entice him, and see wherein his great power `is', and wherein we are able for him -- and we have bound him to afflict him, and we -- we give to thee, each one, eleven hundred silverlings.' And Delilah saith unto Samson, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, wherein thy great power `is', and wherewith thou art bound, to afflict thee.'
And she saith unto him, `How dost thou say, I have loved thee, and thy heart is not with me? these three times thou hast played upon me, and hast not declared to me wherein thy great power `is'.' And it cometh to pass, because she distressed him with her words all the days, and doth urge him, and his soul is grieved to death, that he declareth to her all his heart, and saith to her, `A razor hath not gone up on my head, for a Nazarite to God I `am' from the womb of my mother; if I have been shaven, then hath my power turned aside from me, and I have been weak, and have been as any of the human race.' And Delilah seeth that he hath declared to her all his heart, and she sendeth and calleth for the princes of the Philistines, saying, `Come up this time, for he hath declared to me all his heart;' and the princes of the Philistines have come up unto her, and bring up the money in their hand. and she maketh him sleep on her knees, and calleth for a man, and shaveth the seven locks of his head, and beginneth to afflict him, and his power turneth aside from off him; and she saith, `Philistines `are' upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and saith, `I go out as time by time, and shake myself;' and he hath not known that Jehovah hath turned aside from off him. And the Philistines seize him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two brazen fetters; and he is grinding in the prison-house.
To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids. For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth. Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt? Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched? So `is' he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent. They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry, And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth. He who committeth adultery `with' a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it. A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away, For jealousy `is' the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance. He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!
He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a fool, Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it `is' for its life.
For a harlot `is' a deep ditch, And a strange woman `is' a strait pit. She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled; lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 5
Commentary on Proverbs 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
Pr 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.
1. This connection of wisdom and understanding is frequent (Pr 2:2; 3:7); the first denotes the use of wise means for wise ends; the other, the exercise of a proper discrimination in their discovery.
2. regard—or, "observe."
keep—preserve constantly.
3. (Compare Pr 2:16). Her enticing promises are deceitful.
4. her end—literally, "her future," in sense of reward, what follows (compare Ps 37:37; 73:17). Its nature is evinced by the use of figures, opposite those of Pr 5:3. The physical and moral suffering of the deluded profligate are notoriously terrible.
5. feet … , steps—that is, course of life ends in death.
6. her ways … know—Some prefer, "that she may not ponder the path of life," &c.; but perhaps a better sense is, "her ways are varied, so as to prevent your knowledge of her true character, and so of true happiness."
8, 9. Avoid the slightest temptation.
9. thine honour—in whatever consisting, strength (Pr 3:13) or wealth.
thy years—by cutting them off in dissipation.
unto the cruel—for such the sensual are apt to become.
10. wealth—literally, "strength," or the result of it.
labours—the fruit of thy painful exertions (Ps 127:2). There may be a reference to slavery, a commuted punishment for death due the adulterer (De 22:22).
11. at the last—the end, or reward (compare Pr 5:4).
mourn—roar in pain.
flesh and … body—the whole person under incurable disease.
12-14. The ruined sinner vainly laments his neglect of warning and his sad fate in being brought to public disgrace.
14. evil—for affliction, as in Ge 19:20; 49:15.
15-20. By figures, in which well, cistern, and fountain [Pr 5:15, 18] represent the wife, and rivers of waters [Pr 5:16] the children, men are exhorted to constancy and satisfaction in lawful conjugal enjoyments. In Pr 5:16, fountains (in the plural) rather denote the produce or waters of a spring, literally, "what is from a spring," and corresponds with "rivers of waters."
17. only thine own—harlots' children have no known father.
18. wife … youth—married in youth.
19. loving … roe—other figures for a wife from the well-known beauty of these animals.
breasts—(Compare So 1:13; Eze 23:3, 8).
ravished—literally, "intoxicated," that is, fully satisfied.
21. The reason, God's eye is on you,
22, 23. and He will cause sin to bring its punishment.
23. without instruction—literally, "in want of instruction," having refused it (compare Job 13:18; Heb 11:24).
go astray—literally, "be drunken." The word "ravished" (Pr 5:19) here denotes fulness of punishment.