Thy Strong Word — Proverbs 6:20-35: More Warnings Against Adultery

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The second half of Proverbs 6 returns to the seductive allure of the adulterous woman, portraying her as a grave threat to one’s well-being and social standing. Solomon argues that succumbing to such temptations leads to irrevocable harm and dishonor. He contrasts the consequences of theft—which can be remedied by restitution and may be driven by necessity—with the deeper, more damaging repercussions of adultery, which include public disgrace and personal ruin.

The Rev. Paul Cain, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sheridan, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Proverbs 6:20-35.

Step into the spiritually rich landscape of the Book of Proverbs, a text divinely inspired and attributed to Solomon, the sage king endowed by God with unsurpassed wisdom. This ancient scripture begins with heartfelt lessons from a father to a son, laying a foundation of moral and ethical guidance before unfolding into a collection of timeless proverbs. It uniquely personifies wisdom and folly as two paths that stand before humanity, offering a choice between a life filled with virtue, fear of the Lord, and understanding, and one marred by shortsighted pleasures and foolishness. Proverbs serves as a compass for those seeking to walk in righteousness, offering insights that resonate deeply with the human experience, guiding us toward a life of purpose and discernment according to God’s will.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Proverbs 6:20-35

Warnings Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they[a] will lead you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[b]
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.[c]
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
26 for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,[d]
but a married woman[e] hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
none who touches her will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

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Footnotes

Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew it; three times in this verse

Proverbs 6:24 Revocalization (compare Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbor

Proverbs 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman

Proverbs 6:26 Or (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) for a prostitute leaves a man with nothing but a loaf of bread

Proverbs 6:26 Hebrew a man’s wife

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org