Proverbs 5 Footnotes

5:1-14 This is the first of three major sections in Proverbs that warn young men about the dangers of sexual immorality. Critics sometimes claim that these passages are demeaning to women and depict them negatively. However, the specific woman described in these passages is a prostitute or an immoral woman. While the passages are gender specific, the principles taught here are not. Sexual immorality and marital infidelity often lead to disaster and are to be judiciously avoided by both men and women. There are also men who tempt young women and try to lead them into sexual immorality, and the principles presented in these chapters must be equally applied by women. In this first section the young man is warned of the power and subtlety of the temptation (“lips . . . drip honey”; “words are smoother than oil,” v. 3) and the disaster that can result from this kind of involvement. He is instructed to stay far away from her house. Openness to instruction is a basic characteristic of the wise person, and failure to listen to instruction about proper behavior in this realm can lead to disgrace and disaster.

5:15-19 Critics sometimes argue that passages extolling the pleasures of sex are inappropriate and should not be in the Bible. The book of Proverbs, though, sees sex as a gift from God that is to be enjoyed in the context of the commitment of marriage. An intimate relationship with one’s spouse and the physical delight such a relationship can bring is commended by Proverbs and is seen as a powerful antidote to the temptations that can lead to unfaithfulness and immorality.