Proverbs 5:19

19 An hind most dearworthy; and an hart calf most acceptable. Her teats fill thee in all time; and delight thou continually in the love of her. (She is like a most dearworthy deer; and a most acceptable hart calf. Let her breasts fulfill, or satisfy, thee at all times; and delight thou continually in her love.)

Proverbs 5:19 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 5:19

[Let her be as] the loving hind and pleasant roe
That is, the wife of youth; let her always appear to thee as amiable and lovely as these creatures are; or let her be loved by thee as these are by princes and great men ^F23, who used to keep them tame, keep them clean, wash, comb them, and adorn them, and play with them; or rather, as these creatures are loving to their mates, let thy love be single, chaste, pure, and fervent, as theirs; see ( Song of Solomon 2:9 Song of Solomon 2:17 ) ( 8:14 ) . The pure church of Christ is very different from the apostate church of Rome; the one is compared to a loving and lovely creature, innocent and chaste; the other to a cruel and savage beast, ( Revelation 13:1 Revelation 13:2 Revelation 13:11 ) ; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;
even as it were to be inebriated therewith, and so as not to seek out elsewhere to strange women for satisfaction; see ( Song of Solomon 1:13 ) . The church's breasts are the ordinances of the Gospel, which are said to be like young roes, and afford great pleasure, satisfaction, and refreshment to true believers, ( Song of Solomon 4:5 ) ( 7:3 ) ; and be thou ravished always with her love;
greatly delighted with it, both in loving her and being loved by her; and let this always continue in old age as well as in youth; or now as well as formerly, and not for a short time, but for continuance: or, "err thou always in her love" {x}; if any error is committed by thee, let it be on the side of love, in loving her too much; better err in loving her than in loving a strange woman.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 "Cervus erat forma praestanti" Virgil. Aeneid l. 7.
F24 (hgvt) "errabis", Montanus, Raynus, Cocceius; "hallucinaberis", Vatablus; "errato", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Proverbs 5:19 In-Context

17 Have thou alone them; and aliens be not thy partners. (Have thou them alone; and let not strangers be thy partners.)

18 Thy vein be blessed (Let thy fountain be blessed); and be thou glad with the woman of thy young waxing age.

19 An hind most dearworthy; and an hart calf most acceptable. Her teats fill thee in all time; and delight thou continually in the love of her. (She is like a most dearworthy deer; and a most acceptable hart calf. Let her breasts fulfill, or satisfy, thee at all times; and delight thou continually in her love.)

20 My son, why art thou deceived of an alien woman; and art fostered in the bosom of another? (My son, why art thou deceived by a strange, or an unknown, woman; and why art thou comforted in the bosom of another?)

21 The Lord seeth the way(s) of a man; and he beholdeth all his steps.