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Proverbs 5:15-19
New English Translation
Proverbs 5:15-19
New English Translation
15 Drink water from your own cistern
and running water from your own well.[a]
16 Should your springs be dispersed[b] outside,
your streams of water in the wide plazas?[c]
17 Let them be for yourself[d] alone,
and not for strangers with you.[e]
18 May your fountain be blessed,[f]
and may you rejoice[g] in the wife you married in your youth[h]—
19 a loving doe,[i] a graceful deer;
may her breasts satisfy you at all times,
may you be captivated[j] by her love always.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:15 sn Paul Kruger develops this section as an allegory consisting of a series of metaphors. He suggests that what is at issue is private versus common property. The images of the cistern, well, or fountain are used of a wife (e.g., Song 4:15) because she, like water, satisfies desires. Streams of water in the street would then mean sexual contact with a lewd woman. According to 7:12 she never stays home but is in the streets and is the property of many (P. Kruger, “Promiscuity and Marriage Fidelity? A Note on Prov 5:15-18, ” JNSL 13 [1987]: 61-68).
- Proverbs 5:16 tn The verb means “to be scattered; to be dispersed”; here the imperfect takes a deliberative nuance in a rhetorical question.
- Proverbs 5:16 tc The verse is usually understood as a rhetorical question, expecting a “no” answer (e.g. NIV, NASB, ESV, NKJV). The LXX records a negative volitional statement “Let them not flow out.”
- Proverbs 5:17 tn The ל (lamed) preposition denotes possession: “for you” = “yours.” The term לְבַדֶּךָ (levadekha) is appositional, underscoring the possession as exclusive.
- Proverbs 5:17 sn The point is that what is private is not to be shared with strangers; it belongs in the home and in the marriage. The water from that cistern is not to be channeled to strangers or to the public.
- Proverbs 5:18 sn The positive instruction is now given: Find pleasure in a fulfilling marriage. The “fountain” is another in the series of implied comparisons with the sexual pleasure that must be fulfilled at home. That it should be blessed (the passive participle of בָּרַךְ, barakh) indicates that sexual delight is God-given; having it blessed would mean that it would be endowed with fruitfulness, that it would fulfill all that God intended it to do.
- Proverbs 5:18 tn The form is a Qal imperative with a vav (ו) of sequence; after the jussive of the first half this colon could be given an equivalent translation or logically subordinated.
- Proverbs 5:18 tn Or “your young wife”; Heb “in the wife of your youth” (so NIV, NLT, HCSB). The genitive may function as an attributive adjective: “young wife” or “youthful wife.” Or the genitive may be temporal in that it refers to the age in which a man married his wife: “the wife you married in your youth” (cf. NCV, CEV). The temporal genitive is supported by parallel passages with similar constructions in Prov 2:17 and Mal 2:14.
- Proverbs 5:19 tn The construct expression “a doe of loves” is an attributive genitive, describing the doe with the word “loves.” The plural noun may be an abstract plural of intensification (but this noun only occurs in the plural). The same construction follows with a “deer of grace”—a graceful deer.sn The imagery for intimate love in marriage is now employed to stress the beauty of sexual fulfillment as it was intended. The doe and deer, both implied comparisons, exhibit the grace and love of the wife.
- Proverbs 5:19 sn The verb שָׁגָה (shagah) means “to swerve; to meander; to reel” as in drunkenness; it signifies a staggering gait expressing the ecstatic joy of a captivated lover. It may also mean “to be always intoxicated with her love” (cf. NRSV).
Proverbs 5:15-19
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 5:15-19
Christian Standard Bible
Enjoy Marriage
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
water flowing from your own well.(A)
16 Should your springs flow in the streets,
streams in the public squares?(B)
17 They should be for you alone
and not for you to share with strangers.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.(C)
19 A loving deer, a graceful doe[a]—
let her breasts always satisfy you;(D)
be lost in her love forever.
Footnotes
- 5:19 Or graceful mountain goat
Proverbs 5:15-19
New International Version
Proverbs 5:15-19
New International Version
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.
18 May your fountain(A) be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.(B)
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer(C)—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
Proverbs 11:16
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:16
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:16 tn Heb “a woman of grace.” The genitive חֵן (khen, “grace”) functions as an attributive adjective. The contrast is between “a gracious woman” (אֵשֶׁת־חֵן, ʾeshet khen), a woman who is not only graceful but generous, and “powerful men,” a term usually having a bad sense, such as tyrants or ruthless men.
- Proverbs 11:16 tn Heb “those who are terrifying.” The term עָרִיץ (ʿarits) refers to a person who strikes terror into the hearts of his victims. The term refers to a ruthless person who uses violence to overcome his victims (BDB 792 s.v.). Cf. ASV, NASB, NLT “violent men”; NRSV “the aggressive.”
- Proverbs 11:16 tc The LXX adds: “She who hates virtue makes a throne for dishonor; the idle will be destitute of means.” This reading is followed by several English versions (e.g., NAB, NEB, NRSV, TEV). C. H. Toy concludes that MT provides remnants of the original, but that the LXX does not provide the full meaning (Proverbs [ICC], 229).sn The implication is that the ruthless men will obtain wealth without honor, and therefore this is not viewed as success by the writer.
Proverbs 11:16
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 11:16
Christian Standard Bible
16 A gracious woman gains honor,
but violent[a] people gain only riches.
Footnotes
- 11:16 Or ruthless
Proverbs 11:16
New International Version
Proverbs 11:16
New International Version
16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,(A)
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
Proverbs 11:22
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:22
New English Translation
Read full chapter
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:22 tn The proverb makes a comparison by means of a verbless clause; the words “like… is…” are added in English for the sake of style.
- Proverbs 11:22 tn Heb “turns away [from].”
- Proverbs 11:22 tn Heb “taste.” The term can refer to physical taste (Exod 16:31), intellectual discretion (1 Sam 25:33), or ethical judgment (Ps 119:66). Here it probably means that she has no moral sensibility, no propriety, no good taste.sn By means of the parallelism, one who rejects discretion is like a swine. If that person has beauty, its value is wasted on and overshadowed by their “piggishness.”
Proverbs 11:22
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 11:22
Christian Standard Bible
22 A beautiful woman who rejects good sense
is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.(A)
Proverbs 11:22
New International Version
Proverbs 11:22
New International Version
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
Proverbs 12:4
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:4
New English Translation
4 A noble wife[a] is the crown[b] of her husband,
but the wife[c] who acts shamefully is like rottenness in his bones.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:4 tn Heb “a wife of virtue”; NAB, NLT “a worthy wife.” This noble woman (אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל, ʾeshet khayil) is the subject of Prov 31. She is a “virtuous woman” (cf. KJV), a capable woman of noble character. She is contrasted with the woman who is disgraceful (מְבִישָׁה, mevishah; “one who causes shame”) or who lowers his standing in the community.
- Proverbs 12:4 sn The metaphor of the “crown” emphasizes that such a wife is a symbol of honor and glory.
- Proverbs 12:4 tn Heb “she”; the referent (the wife) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Proverbs 12:4 sn The simile means that the shameful acts of such a woman will eat away her husband’s strength and influence and destroy his happiness.
Proverbs 12:4
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 12:4
Christian Standard Bible
4 A wife of noble character[a] is her husband’s crown,(A)
but a wife who causes shame
is like rottenness in his bones.(B)
Footnotes
- 12:4 Or A wife of quality, or A wife of good character
Proverbs 12:4
New International Version
Proverbs 12:4
New International Version
Proverbs 14:1
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:1
New English Translation
14 Every wise woman[a] has built[b] her household,[c]
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:1 tc The verb בָּנְתָה (banetah) is singular, while the noun נָשִׁים (nashim) is plural. Because of the lack of agreement between the apparent subject and verb and because of the similar thought in Prov 9:1, the BHS editors suggest two possibilities: (1) to delete the word “women/wives” and read the line identically as Prov 9:1, or (2) to read תָּשִׂים בְּאֵיתָן (tasim beʾetan) in place of נָשִׁים בָּנְתָה (nashim banetah), meaning “Wisdom sets up her house with strength.” Without emending the consonants, the text may also be read as “wives’ wisdom has built her house,” or “she built her house with wives’ wisdom,” by reading the noun חָכְמוֹת (khokhmot) instead of the adjective חַכְמוֹת (khakhmot). The personification of Folly in the second half of the verse implies the personification of Wisdom at the beginning.tn Heb “wise ones of women.” The construct phrase חַכְמוֹת נָשִׁים (khakhmot nashim) features a wholistic genitive: “wise women.” The plural functions in a distributive sense: “every wise woman.” The contrast is between wise and foolish women (e.g., Prov 7:10-23; 31:10-31).
- Proverbs 14:1 tn The perfect tense verb in the first colon and the imperfect verb in the second colon accent the antithetic parallelism. The verse contrasts Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly by painting the picture of what Wisdom has done (and by implication still benefits from) in contrast to what Folly keeps doing (to her own detriment).
- Proverbs 14:1 tn Heb “house.” This term functions as a synecdoche of container (= house) for contents (= household, family).
Proverbs 14:1
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 14:1
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 14:1
New International Version
Proverbs 14:1
New International Version
14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
Proverbs 18:22
New English Translation
Proverbs 18:22
New English Translation
22 The one who has found[a] a good[b] wife has found what goodness is,[c]
and obtained a delightful gift[d] from the Lord.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:22 tn The verb מָצָא (matsaʾ, translated “has found”) is used twice in the first colon. As the perfect form of a dynamic root, the verb should be understood as past or perfective. The first verb sets the premise—the case where a man has found a good wife. The second verb makes an evaluative comment about the premise.
- Proverbs 18:22 tc Some Hebrew manuscripts, the LXX, the Syriac, the Targum, and some Latin witnesses include the adjective “good” (טוֺבָה; tovah). Its omission in the MT resulted from the common scribal mistake of homoeoteleuton, omitting a word when two successive words have a similar ending.tn The adjective “good” has a broad meaning and may mean “virtuous,” “kind,” “cheerful,” or “content.”sn The significance of the adjective is affirmed by realizing that this proverb should not contradict Prov 19:13; 21:9; 25:24; and 27:15. These verses do not paint the contentious wife as a benefit.
- Proverbs 18:22 tc Heb טוֹב (tov) “a good [thing]” or “[what is] good.” The LXX translates with a noun “grace/favor” which may imply the Hebrew noun טוֹב (tov), or the noun טוּב (tuv), a different reading of the same consonants. Both nouns mean “goodness,” “well-being;” “happiness.”sn The term טוֹב (tov, “good; enjoyable; favorable; virtuous”) might be an allusion to Gen 2:18, which affirms that it is not good for man to be alone. The word describes that which is pleasing to God, beneficial for life, and abundantly enjoyable.
- Proverbs 18:22 tn Heb “what is pleasing; what brings delight.” The noun רָצוֹן (ratson, “what is pleasing”). This is not the specific religious sense of finding acceptance before the Lord (a when bringing a sacrifice, e.g. Lev 1:3) but the general sense of delight. Yet this fortunate condition of having a virtuous, cheerful wife is described as providentially from God, cf. CEV “she is a gift from the Lord.”
- Proverbs 18:22 tc The LXX adds this embellishment to complete the thought: “Whoever puts away a good wife puts away good, and whoever keeps an adulteress is foolish and ungodly.”
Proverbs 18:22
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 18:22
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 18:22
New International Version
Proverbs 18:22
New International Version
Proverbs 21:9
New English Translation
Proverbs 21:9
New English Translation
9 It is better to live on a corner of the housetop[a]
than to share a house[b] with a quarrelsome wife.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:9 tn English versions which translate the Hebrew term as “roof” here sometimes produce amusing images for modern readers: TEV “Better to live on the roof”; CEV “It’s better to stay outside on the roof of your house.”sn The reference is probably to a small room that would be built on the flat housetop primarily for guests (e.g., 1 Kgs 17:19; 2 Kgs 4:10). It would be cramped and lonely—but peaceful in avoiding strife.
- Proverbs 21:9 tn The phrase “than a house of company” has received numerous interpretations. The word “company” or “companionship” would qualify “house” as a place to be shared. The BHS editors propose “spacious house,” which would call for a transposition of letters (cf. NAB “a roomy house”; NLT “a lovely home”). Such an emendation makes good sense, but has no external support.
- Proverbs 21:9 tn Heb “a wife of contentions”; KJV “a brawling woman”; TEV, CEV “a nagging wife.” The Greek version has no reference to a quarrelsome wife, but instead mentions justice in a common house.
Proverbs 21:9
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 21:9
Christian Standard Bible
9 Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.(A)
Proverbs 21:9
New International Version
Proverbs 21:9
New International Version
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(A)
Proverbs 21:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 21:19
New English Translation
19 It is better to live[a] in the wilderness[b]
than with a quarrelsome and easily provoked[c] woman.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:19 tn The Hebrew form שֶׁבֶת (shevet) is the infinitive construct of יָשַׁב (yashav), functioning as the subject of the sentence.
- Proverbs 21:19 sn A wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar) is too dry for permanent settlements since it receives less than twelve inches of rain annually. It may be able to support enough vegetation for bedouin to use on a temporary basis. In this context it represents a harsh environment, but a quiet place. Cf. 21:9 and 25:24.
- Proverbs 21:19 tn The Hebrew noun כַּעַס (kaʿas) means “vexation; anger.” The woman is not only characterized by a quarrelsome spirit, but also anger—she is easily vexed (cf. NAB “vexatious”; NASB “vexing”; ASV, NRSV “fretful”). The translation “easily-provoked” conveys this idea well.
Proverbs 21:19
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 21:19
Christian Standard Bible
19 Better to live in a wilderness
than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.(A)
Proverbs 21:19
New International Version
Proverbs 21:19
New International Version
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(A)
Proverbs 25:24
New English Translation
Proverbs 25:24
New English Translation
24 It is better to live on a corner of the housetop
than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:24 tn This proverb is identical with 21:9; see the notes there.
Proverbs 25:24
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 25:24
Christian Standard Bible
24 Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.(A)
Proverbs 25:24
New International Version
Proverbs 25:24
New International Version
24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(A)
New English Translation (NET)
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