Proverbs 5:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

NIV: but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.

NASB: But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

CSB: in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword.

NLT: But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword.

KJV: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

NKJV: But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

Part of the warning about adultery in the passage is that the end results are never as positive as what is promised. Although the seductress—or any seducer, male or female—speaks honey-dripping, smooth words when she tempts, in the end what she offers is going to be both disappointing and painful. Whoever falls for the temptation to commit adultery will ultimately feel poisoned and experience the sharp pain of guilt.

Wormwood is a plant found in wastelands desert areas. Although it was used for some medicines, it was known for its extremely bitter taste. That property is meant as a direct counter to the seductress' honey-like promises. Using the metaphor of a bitter taste, wormwood often symbolizes calamity or judgment. Revelation 8:10–11 foretells a star named Wormwood that falls like a blazing torch onto a third of earth's rivers and springs of water, turning the water supply so poisonous that many people die.

Hebrews 4:12 describes God's Word as sharper than a two-edged sword. That same verse explains how the truth of Scripture separates all things into their proper understanding. This verse relies on a similar imagery: the deep, severing nature of adultery's consequences. The guilt which strikes the conscience of an adulterer is extremely painful. Other consequences, to one's health, family, and reputation, are also brutal. Certainly, the act of adultery is not worth the agony it causes.

Proverbs 5:1–6 pleads with the son to heed his father Solomon's wise counsel in order to be discreet and to speak knowledgeably. He depicts the seductress—a person seeking to come between a married couple—as speaking sweetly but her words are full of deadly poison. She is headed for ruin, and she does not realize it. Of note is that Solomon does not describe the seducer physically, since temptation isn't limited to physical attraction. As with other warnings in this book, the reader is advised not to put themselves at risk of sharing in that same destruction.

Solomon approaches the subject of adultery by describing a prototype seducer: a smooth talker who leads the victim down a dangerous road. Sin promises pleasure, but it is ultimately brief and destructive consequences are long lasting. The destructive consequences include a loss of strength, respect, money, and longevity. The person who disregards godly counsel about adultery experiences ruin and disgrace. Faithfulness in marriage brings a person exuberance and joy. No sin, including adultery, is hidden from God. Sin ensnares the adulterer and shows that he is foolish, undisciplined, and far from the Lord.

This chapter continues the wise sayings Solomon addresses to his children and / or students. Solomon warns about the temptation to succumb to adultery. He points out the calamities of yielding to sexual sin, and of violating one's marriage. This warning is similar the one given in Proverbs 1:8–10. After cautioning about the risks of adultery, he cites the joys and advantages of monogamous marriage.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.