Proverbs 5
The whole Book of Proverbs in the Leningrad Codex (1008 C.E.) from an old fascimile edition.
BookBook of Proverbs
CategoryKetuvim
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part21

Proverbs 5 is the fifth chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[1][2] The book is a compilation of several wisdom literature collections, with the heading in 1:1 may be intended to regard Solomon as the traditional author of the whole book, but the dates of the individual collections are difficult to determine, and the book probably obtained its final shape in the post-exilic period.[3] This chapter is a part of the first collection of the book,[4] focusing on "the dangers of the strange woman".[5]

Text

The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 23 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).[6]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).[7]

Analysis

This chapter belongs to a section regarded as the first collection in the book of Proverbs (comprising Proverbs 1–9), known as "Didactic discourses".[3] The Jerusalem Bible describes chapters 1–9 as a prologue of the chapters 10–22:16, the so-called "[actual] proverbs of Solomon", as "the body of the book".[8]

This chapter has the following structure:[9]

Avoid the seductress (5:1–14)

The passage continues the instruction against the "loose woman" (or "seductress") introduced in Proverbs 2:16–19 (cf. Proverbs 6:20–35; 7:1–27), starting with a typical appeal to the child to listen carefully to receive the necessary knowledge for avoiding entanglement with her (verses 1–2).[10] The seductress makes use of her natural sex appeal (cf. Proverbs 6:25, but mainly relying on her seductive speech (cf. Proverbs 7:14–20), which is compared with honey for sweetness (cf. Proverbs 16:24; Judges 14:8, 14; bride's kisses in Song 4:11) and oil for smoothness (verse 8; flattery in Proverbs 29:5; hypocrisy in Psalm 5:9).[10] A contrast is given in verses 3–4 between honey (sweet) and wormwood (bitter; Jeremiah 9:15; Amos 5:7) and between oil (smooth) and double-edged sword (sharp; Psalm 55:21). However, any promise of pleasure and enjoyment, would bring different reality ('in the end'; verse 4) as the seductress travels the path to Sheol (verse 5; cf. 2:18–19; 7:27) with 'the unsteady steps of a drunkard' ('wander'; cf. Isaiah 28:7) staggering from one lover to another not knowing that she brings harm to herself or to her victims (cf. Proverbs 7:21-7; 30:20).[10]

A second appeal for attentiveness (verse 7) is followed by succinct advice (cf. Proverbs 1:15; 4:15) and expositions of the consequences of liaison with her (verses 9–14): the loss of dignity and honor (verse 9), of hard-earned wealth (verse 10), and of vigor and health (verse 11); all of which is the antithesis of Wisdom's benediction (Proverbs 3:13-18).[10] Rejecting wise counsel or learning the lesson too late would produce a lamentation in verses 12–14 (cf. Proverbs 1:24–28).[10]

Verse 1

My son, attend to my wisdom,
and bow your ear to my understanding,[11]

Be faithful to your wife (5:15–23)

This passage more specifically address married men, mainly advising that the best way of avoiding the temptation of the seductress is that he remain faithful to his wife and derive sexual satisfaction from her, using the imagery of water, fountain, springs and streams to enjoy and not be wasted (cf. Song 4:12, 15).[5][13] A husband should always place an image of his wife as a 'graceful doe', a symbol of her beauty (verse 18; cf. Song 2:7). Verse 21 reminds the husband of the 'scrutinizing eyes of the Lord' (cf. Proverbs 15:3; Job 31:4; 34:21) and his guardianship of the moral order, and that the consequence of indiscipline and folly would be 'reaping what has been sown' (cf. Proverbs 1:19; 2:20–22), and like a man threading a noose around his own neck or a senseless bird ensnared in the net (cf. Proverbs 1:17-19).[14]

Verse 18

Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice with the wife of your youth.[15]

See also

  • Related Bible parts: Proverbs 1, Proverbs 2, Proverbs 7, Proverbs 9, Song of Songs 2, Song of Songs 4

    • References

    1. ^ Halley 1965, p. 270.
    2. ^ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
    3. ^ a b Aitken 2007, p. 406.
    4. ^ Aitken 2007, pp. 406, 409–410.
    5. ^ a b Coogan 2007, p. 910 Hebrew Bible.
    6. ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 36–37.
    7. ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
    8. ^ Jerusalem Bible (1966), Introduction to The Proverbs, p. 931
    9. ^ Note [a] on Proverbs 5:1 in NET Bible
    10. ^ a b c d e Aitken 2007, p. 409.
    11. ^ Proverbs 5:1 MEV
    12. ^ Note [c] on Proverbs 5:1 in NET Bible
    13. ^ Aitken 2007, pp. 409–410.
    14. ^ Aitken 2007, p. 410.
    15. ^ Proverbs 5:18 MEV
    16. ^ Note [a] on Proverbs 5:18 in NET Bible
    17. ^ Note [c] on Proverbs 5:18 in NET Bible

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