Proverbs Chapter Study
A Warning Against Adultery and a Call to Faithfulness
Proverbs 5
Proverbs 5 gives a direct and urgent warning about the danger of sexual sin and the destruction that follows unfaithfulness. It contrasts the deceptive sweetness of temptation with the bitterness of its consequences, while also pointing to the blessing, joy, and satisfaction found in covenant faithfulness.
Proverbs 5 warns against the path of temptation and calls the wise to walk in purity, faithfulness, and the fear of the Lord.
What You’ll Learn in Proverbs 5
- Why sexual temptation is dangerous and deceptive
- How sin can appear sweet at first but end in bitterness
- Why wisdom calls us to avoid temptation before we get close to it
- The consequences of rejecting instruction and godly correction
- God’s design for faithfulness and joy within marriage
- Why the Lord sees and weighs every path we take
Chapter Navigation
Bible Translation Note
This chapter study uses the King James Version (KJV). All Scripture is quoted in full and each verse is included individually to support clear reading, careful study, and accurate understanding of the text.
Proverbs 5 (KJV)
Proverbs 5:1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
Proverbs 5:2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
Proverbs 5:3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
Proverbs 5:4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
Proverbs 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Proverbs 5:6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
Proverbs 5:7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Proverbs 5:8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
Proverbs 5:9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
Proverbs 5:10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
Proverbs 5:11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
Proverbs 5:12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
Proverbs 5:13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Proverbs 5:14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
Proverbs 5:15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Proverbs 5:16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Proverbs 5:17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
Proverbs 5:18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Proverbs 5:19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Proverbs 5:20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Proverbs 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Proverbs 5:23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Verse by Verse Study
Proverbs 5:1
Verse
My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
Study
This chapter begins with a fatherly call to listen carefully. Wisdom must be attended to with humility and seriousness. The command to bow the ear shows that understanding requires more than hearing words; it requires a teachable heart willing to receive correction before danger arrives.
Proverbs 5:2
Verse
That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
Study
The purpose of wisdom is not only to know what is right, but to live with discretion. Discretion helps a person make careful choices before emotions, desires, or temptations take over. When knowledge is kept on the lips, speech becomes guarded, truthful, and shaped by wisdom.
Proverbs 5:3
Verse
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
Study
Temptation often presents itself as sweet, flattering, and harmless. The strange woman represents forbidden desire and seductive sin. Her words seem pleasant at first, but the warning is that attractive words can hide destructive intentions. Wisdom teaches us not to judge temptation by how it sounds in the moment.
Proverbs 5:4
Verse
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
Study
Sin may begin with sweetness, but it ends in bitterness. Wormwood represents a bitter and painful outcome, while the twoedged sword points to deep harm. This verse teaches that temptation must be evaluated by where it leads, not by how it feels at the beginning.
Proverbs 5:5
Verse
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Study
The path of sexual sin leads downward. This is not merely a warning about damaged relationships, but about spiritual ruin and separation from God’s wisdom. The verse makes clear that unchecked temptation is not neutral. It carries a person toward destruction.
Proverbs 5:6
Verse
Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
Study
Temptation keeps shifting and moving so that a person loses clarity. Instead of leading someone to consider the path of life, it distracts and confuses. Sin often changes its arguments, excuses, and promises, making it difficult to see clearly once the heart has become entangled.
Proverbs 5:7
Verse
Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Study
The warning becomes urgent. The father calls the children to hear and not depart from instruction. Wisdom must be held firmly, especially when temptation is persuasive. This verse reminds believers that truth must remain close before the moment of testing comes.
Proverbs 5:8
Verse
Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
Study
Wisdom does not tell us to manage temptation from a close distance. It tells us to stay far away. The instruction is practical and direct: do not go near the place where sin has access. Boundaries are not weakness; they are wisdom in action.
Proverbs 5:9
Verse
Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
Study
Sin costs honor and time. A person may lose reputation, influence, dignity, and years of peace through foolish choices. This verse warns that what seems private and temporary can have long-lasting consequences.
Proverbs 5:10
Verse
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
Study
Immorality can bring financial loss and wasted labor. What should have strengthened one’s household may end up benefiting others. This verse shows that sin does not only affect the heart; it can affect resources, stability, family, and future.
Proverbs 5:11
Verse
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
Study
The end of sin is mourning. This verse pictures regret after the damage has been done. Whether the consequences are physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual, the warning is clear: choices made in desire can lead to grief later.
Proverbs 5:12
Verse
And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
Study
Regret often recognizes rejected wisdom too late. The person looks back and admits that instruction was hated and correction was despised. This verse shows the danger of pride. A heart that refuses correction today may mourn the consequences tomorrow.
Proverbs 5:13
Verse
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Study
The person admits that teachers and instructors were ignored. God often places voices of wisdom in our lives, but those voices must be obeyed. This verse warns against dismissing godly counsel, especially when it confronts desires we do not want to surrender.
Proverbs 5:14
Verse
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
Study
Private sin can become public shame. The person finds himself nearly ruined in the presence of the community. This verse warns that sin does not remain neatly hidden. It can affect reputation, relationships, worship, and one’s place among God’s people.
Proverbs 5:15
Verse
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Study
The imagery turns toward faithfulness in marriage. A cistern and well represent what belongs rightly within one’s own covenant relationship. God’s design is not merely to forbid sin, but to direct desire toward what is faithful, pure, and blessed.
Proverbs 5:16
Verse
Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Study
This verse warns against intimacy being scattered outside its proper place. What belongs within covenant faithfulness should not be poured into the streets. Wisdom teaches that desire must be governed by holiness and protected by commitment.
Proverbs 5:17
Verse
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
Study
Faithfulness requires exclusivity. Marriage is not meant to be shared with strangers. This verse calls for loyalty, purity, and the protection of what belongs within the covenant relationship alone.
Proverbs 5:18
Verse
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Study
God’s design includes joy within faithful marriage. The command is not only to avoid sin, but to rejoice in the spouse God has given. Faithfulness is not cold duty; it is meant to be blessed, joyful, and cherished.
Proverbs 5:19
Verse
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Study
This verse affirms that marital love and physical intimacy are good when kept within God’s design. The language is affectionate and joyful. Scripture does not treat marriage as merely legal, but as a covenant relationship where love, delight, and satisfaction are honored.
Proverbs 5:20
Verse
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Study
The question exposes the foolishness of adultery. Why trade covenant blessing for destructive desire? Wisdom asks us to think clearly before sin distorts our thinking. The verse calls the heart back to faithfulness and away from counterfeit satisfaction.
Proverbs 5:21
Verse
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Study
Nothing is hidden from the Lord. Every path, decision, desire, and action is before His eyes. This truth should produce reverence, accountability, and comfort. God sees clearly, and He weighs the direction of every life.
Proverbs 5:22
Verse
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Study
Sin becomes a trap. The wicked person is caught by his own iniquities and bound by the cords of his own choices. This verse shows that sin is not freedom. It promises liberty but produces bondage.
Proverbs 5:23
Verse
He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Study
The chapter ends with a sober warning. Refusing instruction leads to death and wandering. Folly does not keep a person in place; it leads them farther and farther away. Wisdom calls us to receive correction now so we do not lose our way later.
Chapter Synopsis
Proverbs 5 warns against the deception and destruction of sexual immorality. It shows that temptation may appear sweet and smooth at first, but its end is bitter, sharp, and destructive. The chapter urges the wise to stay far away from temptation, listen to instruction, and avoid the regret that comes from rejecting correction. It also presents the beauty of covenant faithfulness, calling a husband to rejoice in his wife and find satisfaction within marriage. The chapter ends by reminding us that the Lord sees every path we take and that sin ultimately traps those who refuse wisdom.
Prayer
Father, give me wisdom to recognize temptation before it takes hold of my heart. Teach me to value purity, faithfulness, and obedience more than temporary pleasure. Help me listen to correction, receive instruction, and walk far from anything that would lead me away from You. Guard my thoughts, my desires, my relationships, and my steps.
Lord, remind me that all my ways are before Your eyes. Lead me in integrity, strengthen me in self-control, and help me rejoice in what is right, faithful, and pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Personal Application
Heart Posture
- Choose humility before correction is needed.
- Ask God to expose hidden desires that could lead you away from wisdom.
- Treat purity as a heart issue, not only an outward behavior.
Daily Behavior
- Set clear boundaries around temptation before it becomes strong.
- Avoid places, conversations, and habits that weaken your resolve.
- Honor your commitments in private as well as in public.
Spiritual Discipline
- Pray daily for wisdom, purity, and self-control.
- Memorize Proverbs 5:21 as a reminder that God sees every path.
- Seek accountability from a trusted believer who will speak truth clearly.
Weekly Actions
- Monday — Identify one temptation or weak area and write down a specific boundary.
- Tuesday — Remove one source of compromise from your phone, schedule, media, or environment.
- Wednesday — Read Proverbs 5 again and underline every consequence mentioned in the chapter.
- Thursday — Memorize Proverbs 5:21 and pray through it slowly.
- Friday — Have one honest accountability conversation with a trusted believer.
- Saturday — Do a heart check and ask where you may be drifting instead of walking wisely.
- Sunday — Thank God for His instruction and recommit to walking in purity and faithfulness.
Chapter Summary
Proverbs 5 is a serious warning about the danger of sexual sin and the need to walk in wisdom before temptation takes hold. The chapter begins with a call to listen carefully to instruction so that discretion and knowledge will guard the heart. It then describes the deceptive nature of temptation, showing that what appears sweet and smooth at first ends in bitterness, pain, and destruction. The warning is practical: do not go near the door of temptation. Wisdom does not merely resist sin at the last moment; it creates distance before the heart becomes entangled.
The chapter also shows the painful consequences of rejecting instruction. A person who refuses correction may lose honor, time, resources, health, peace, and reputation. The regret described in this chapter is the sorrow of someone who realizes too late that wisdom had been available but ignored. Against this warning, Proverbs 5 presents the blessing of faithfulness. Marriage is described as a place of joy, satisfaction, and covenant delight, where love is protected and kept pure.
Proverbs 5 closes with a reminder that the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD. God sees every step, every decision, and every hidden path. Sin eventually traps those who continue in it, but wisdom calls us to receive instruction, guard our desires, walk in purity, and live faithfully before God.
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