Bible Commentaries

For the lips ^a of a strange woman drop [as] an honeycomb, and her mouth [is] smoother than ^b oil:

(a) That is, a harlot who gives herself to someone other than her husband.

(b) By oil and honey he means flattering and crafty enticements.

Her ^c feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

(c) All her doings lead to destruction.

Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are ^d moveable, [that] thou canst not know [them].

(d) She has always new means to allure to wickedness.

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

(e) That is, your strength and goods to her who will have no pity on you as is read of Samson and the prodigal son.

Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy ^f labours [be] in the house of a stranger;

(f) The goods gotten by your travel.

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and ^g assembly.

(g) Although I was faithfully instructed in the truth, yet I almost fell to utter shame and destruction nonetheless, by good bringing up in the assembly of the godly.

Drink waters out of ^h thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

(h) He teaches us sobriety exhorting us to live of our own labours and to be beneficial to the godly who want.

Let them be only ⁱ thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

(i) Distribute them not to the wicked and infidels, but reserve them for yourself, your family and them who are of the household of faith.

Let thy ^k fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy ^l youth.

(k) Your children who will come from you in great abundance showing that God blesses marriage and curses whoredom.

(l) Who you married in your youth.

For the ways of man [are] before the ^m eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

(m) He declares that unless a man joins to his wife both in heart and in outward conversation, he will not escape the judgments of God.

He shall ⁿ die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

(n) Because he will not give ear to God's word and be admonished.