Summary: We are reminded to keep the Commands and Teachings, words of wisdom, and words of God in our minds and hearts. Keep away from the loose, immoral, adulterous woman. Do net be attracted by her beauty, her sexiness, her captivating eyers, or her smooth loving talk. Adultery is a serious sin with destructive results. Adulterer will end with shame, disgrace, dishonour, and also physical harm. Adulteress' husband may be so furious so as to take vengeance (attack, hurt or kill) on the adulterer. Beware and be warned!
Beware of Adultery (NKJV).
Warning against Adultery (NIV).
20 20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
21 21 Bind them upon your heart always;
tie them about your neck.
22 22 When you walk, they[e]will lead you;
when you lie down, they[f] will watch over you;
and when you awake, they[g] will talk with you.
23 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 24 to preserve you from the evil woman,
from the smooth tongue of the adventuress. (RSV)
23 23 For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and correction and instruction
are the way to life,
24 24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. (NIV)
23 23 For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 24 To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress. (NKJV)
We must our father's and mother's commands and teachings. We must always remember them in our minds, and keep them in our hearts. We must always adhere to words of God, words of wisdom.
Words of wisdom and words of God are like the light that shines our pathways, so that we see where we are going. Words of wisdom, words of God will guide us in our daily lives, in all aspects of our lives.
The commands are likened to a lamp, whereas the teachings are like the light. Both are needed to allow to see where we are going, which way we are walking.
Correction and instruction, reproofs of discipline will help to align correctly to the correct pathway. These will lead to the "way of life", to a successful living, a happy living.
We need to keep away from the evil woman, from other man's wife. We must avoid the seductress with smooth, seductive talk. We need to avoid the loose, immoral, adulterous woman.
25 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
26 26 for a harlot may be hired for a loaf of bread,[h]
but an adulteress[i]stalks a man’s very life. (RSV)
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life. (NIV)
An adulterous woman is much more dangerous than a prostitute. A prostitute only demands money in exchange for sex. But having adultery with another man's wife poses danger to the self. The adulteress' husband may be angered and revenge on the man. Adulteress may threaten to expose their affair to the man's wife. Adultery may lead to months and years of illicit affair.
If the man decides to stop adultery with the adulteress, she may threaten to expose their affair, etc. Exposure of the extra-marital and adulterous affair could lead to divorce, separation and marital breakdown.
Exposure of the adulterous affair may also lead to disgrace and shame for the man, affecting his work, his business. The man will "lose face" because of the adulterous affair.
27 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28 28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
29 29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished. (NIV)
A man who has adultery with another man's wife will be punished severely. Committing adultery is playing with fire. Adultery may cost the man much money and wealth. Adultery may cause the man loss of reputation and dignity. Adultery may cause the man a broken marriage and a broken family. The adulterous affair may take a lot of the man's time, thus affecting his work or his business. All these are "playing with fire."
30 30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,
though it costs him all the wealth of his house. (NIV)
A hungry thief who steals food because he is hungry may still be sympathised. The hungry thief will be punished to a certain extent. But the adulterer has totally no reason nor excuse to have extra-marital sex with another man's wife.
32 32 He who commits adultery has no sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 33 Wounds and dishonor will he get,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away. (RSV)
32 32 But a man who commits adultery has no sense;
whoever does so destroys himself.
33 33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never be wiped away. (NIV)
The man who commits adultery has no common sense, no wisdom, no understanding, because adultery will lead to his own destruction in various aspects of his life. Adultery will bring him disgrace, shame, dishonour, and also possibly physical harm.
34 34 For jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
35 35 He will accept no compensation,
nor be appeased though you multiply gifts. (RSV)
34 34 For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 35 He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse a bribe, however great it is. (NIV)
34 34 For jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 35 He will accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts. (NKJV)
The man committing adultery with another man's wife may face vengeance from the adulteress' husband. When the adulteress' husband discover his wife's illicit affair with that man, he will be filled with jealousy and fury. The furious man may take vengeance (attack or kill) the adulterous man who slept with his wife.
The thief may pay back multiple times of the food that he stole as punishment or penalty. But the victimised man may be so furious that he wants to hurt or kill the adulterer to revenge. The victimised man may be so furious that he would not accept any monetary compensation.
In conclusion, adultery with another man's wife has deadly and destructive result. Beware and be warned!
Saturday, Jan 11, 2014.
Michael Yeap.
NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%206&version=NIV
RSV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%206&version=RSV
NKJV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%206&version=NKJV
Commentaries:
4) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.6.20-Prov.6.35
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