Proverbs 5:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,

NIV: lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel,

NASB: Otherwise you will give your vigor to others, And your years to the cruel one;

CSB: Otherwise, you will give up your vitality to others and your years to someone cruel;

NLT: If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.

KJV: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

NKJV: Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;

One result of committing adultery is to "give your honor to others." The person who succumbs to the temptation to commit adultery loses his reputation. It's interesting that even in the modern era of promiscuity and casual sex, violating a marriage is still a mark of shame. Adultery can bring social stigmas of weakness, or cruelty, or both. This brings a separation—sometimes very literally—from other people.

Beyond that, those caught in adultery risk spending the rest of their lives in the company of such people: seducers and their associates, all of whom are cruel. The world is only interested in using the seduced person as a target of their abuse. "Mercy," in that scheme, means nothing.

Certainly, the prodigal son learned this lesson the hard way. He squandered his money on reckless living (Luke 15:13). His sinful lifestyle left him penniless, homeless, and hungry. Finally, he found a job, but it was humiliating. He worked as a hired man in the fields feeding pigs. He was starving to the point that he was tempted to eat the slop given to the pigs (Luke 15:13–16). Thankfully, the prodigal son learned that it is never too late for forgiveness, so long as a person is still alive (Luke 15:20). The world is merciless, but God is merciful to forgive those who turn to Him in faith (Hebrews 4:16). That does not change, at all, the fact that succumbing to temptation ruined the prodigal's life, and drastically changed his prospects.

Proverbs 5:7–14 comes after Solomon has warned his son about the allurement of a seductress. Here, Solomon lists a number of catastrophes that result from committing adultery. This list precedes his advice to stay faithful to one's spouse and enjoy the blessings of marriage—this is advice suitable for people of either sex.

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.