English Standard Version
Proverbs 5:9
9lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,
Proverbs 5:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
- New International Version (NIV)lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;
- New Living Translation (NLT)If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
Context of Proverbs 5:9
7And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, 10lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, 11and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
Read all of Proverbs 5Proverbs 5:9 word by word
פֶּן־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים הוֹדֶ֑ךָ וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 5:9
- Proverbs 6:29So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.
- Genesis 38:23And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her."
- Judges 16:19She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.
- Nehemiah 13:26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.
- Hosea 4:13They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery.
Commentaries on Proverbs 5:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Lest thou give thine honor - The character of a debauchee is universally detested: by this, even those of noble blood lose their honor and respect. Thy years unto the cruel - Though all the blandishments of love dwell on the tongue, and the excess of fondness appear in the whole demeanor of the harlot and the prostitute; yet cruelty has its throne in their hearts; and they will rob and murder (when it appears to answer their ends) those who give their…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Thine honor - i. e., “The grace and freshness of thy youth” (compare Hosea 14:6; Daniel 10:8). The thought of this is to guard the young man against the sins that stain and mar it. The slave of lust sacrifices “years” that might have been peaceful and happy to one who is merciless.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10An illicit relationship may seem tempting, but it eventually causes shame. If the woman is a prostitute, the young man will have to pay her, losing income. If the woman is another man's wife, he might have to pay her husband (see Leviticus 20:10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-98-9. Avoid the slightest temptation.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 5:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries