Proverbs 6:26-35

26 For the price of a whore is scarcely a gobbet of bread; but (such) a woman taketh (away) the precious soul of a man.
27 Whether a man may hide fire in his bosom, that his clothes burn not; (Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his clothes not burn?)
28 either go on coals, and his feet be not burnt? (or go upon coals, and his feet not be burned?)
29 So he that entereth to the wife of his neighbour; (he) shall not be clean, when he hath touched her.
30 It is no great sin, when a man stealeth; for he stealeth to fill an hungry soul.
31 And he taken shall yield the seventhfold (And if he is caught, he shall give back sevenfold); and he shall give all the chattel of his house, and (so he) shall deliver himself.
32 But he that is an adulterer, shall lose his soul, for the poverty of heart, that is, (for the) wanting of reason.
33 He gathereth filth, and scandal to himself; and his shame shall not be done away.
34 For the fervent love and strong vengeance of the man shall not spare in the day of vengeance, (For the husband's fervent love, and desire for revenge, shall not spare him on the day of vengeance,)
35 neither shall (the husband) assent to the prayers of any; neither he shall take many gifts for ransom (nor shall he take any number of gifts for recompense).

Proverbs 6:26-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 6

In this chapter the wise man dissuades from rash suretyship; exposes the sin of idleness; describes a wicked man; makes mention of seven things hateful to God; exhorts to attend to parental instructions and precepts, and cautions against adultery. Suretyship is described, Pr 6:1; and represented as a snare and a net, in which men are taken, Pr 6:2; and advice is given what to do in such a case, for safety in it, and deliverance from it, Pr 6:3-5; The sin of slothfulness is exposed, by observing the industry of the ant, Pr 6:6-8; by expostulating with the sluggard for his continuance in sloth, and by mimicking him, Pr 6:9,10; and by the poverty it brings upon him, Pr 6:11. Then a naughty wicked man is described, by his mouth, eyes, feet, fingers, and heart, whose ruin is sudden and inevitable, Pr 6:11-15. The seven things hateful to God are particularly named, Pr 6:16-19. And next the exhortation in some preceding chapters is reassumed, to attend to the instructions of parents; which will be found ornamental, pleasant, and useful, Pr 6:20-23. Especially to preserve from the lewd woman cautioned against, Pr 6:24,25; whose company is dissuaded from; on account of the extreme poverty and distress she brings persons to, and even danger of life, Pr 6:26; from the unavoidable ruin such come into, Pr 6:27-29; from the sin of uncleanness being greater than that of theft, Pr 6:30,31; from the folly the adulterer betrays; from the destruction of his soul, and the disgrace he brings on himself, Pr 6:32,33; and from the rage and irreconcilable offence of the husband of the adulteress, Pr 6:34,35.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.