5. Down to death Intercourse with her leads to certain destruction. Hell שׁאול , ( sheol,) the under world, according to the conceptions of the ancients. The place of departed spirits. Compare Proverbs 1:12; Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 7:22. read more
6. Her ways are movable She continually varies her allurements. Thou canst not Or dost not. Know them It is impossible to conceive all the tricks and arts of her infernal trade. Beware of them. The verse is obscure, owing to the fact that in the Hebrew verb the form of the third person singular feminine and the second person singular masculine are the same, and it is difficult in this case to determine whether to translate she or thou. Zockler renders, “The path of life she never... read more
7. Hear me Compare Proverbs 7:24. read more
8. Come not nigh the door of her house Lest thou fall under her enchantments. These creatures know how to excite impure and irregular passions. read more
9. Thine honour הודךְ , thy vigour, bloom, strength; the glory of thy manhood. “Lest thou sacrifice the flower of thine age and thy precious time to one that doth not love thee a jot, but could see thee perish without pity.” Patrick. Though all the blandishments of love dwell on the tongue, and excessive fondness appear in the whole demeanour of harlots, they will rob and murder those who give their strength and wealth to them. read more
10. Lest strangers Those of another family, perhaps of another country, satiate their lusts at thy expense, and furnish their house and table with the fruits of thy labour. Some suppose the allusion is to the prosecution of the adulterer, and the sale of him as a bondman. read more
11. Thy flesh and thy body The original words seem to imply a wasted body the remnant or remains of thee what is left after a life of licentious habits, putrid with the diseases which follow debauchery. read more
12, 13. How have I The repentance and lamentation here exhibited are of the bitterest kind. “In the line of my duty,” says Dr. A. Clarke, “I have often been called to the deathbeds of such persons, whose groans and shrieks were incessant through the jaculating pains in their bones and flesh.” Let youth beware; once entered on this foul course, recovery is almost hopeless. read more
14. In all evil The common interpretation is, The gratification of my lusts by degrees led me into nearly all kinds of wickedness; not merely in secret, but openly; in the assembly of God’s people even, in the presence of the magistrates and judges. Such persons, however sacred the place, have eyes full of adultery, which cannot cease from sin. Compare Numbers 25:7; Numbers 35:12. But very respectable critics interpret differently, namely, that the adulterer was exposed to punishment for... read more
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Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 5:4
4. Bitter as wormwood As the accursed or poisonous herb or root. The ancients regarded this herb, whatever it was, as poisonous. There are sundry passages referring to it as noxious. See Deuteronomy 29:18; Hebrews 12:15; Revelation 8:10-11. “Wormwood,” says Zockler, “is a plant about two feet high, belonging to the genus artemesia, ( artemesia absinthium,) which produces a very firm stock with many branches, grayish leaves, and small, almost round, pendent blossoms. It has a bitter and... read more