New King James Version
Proverbs 9:17
17“Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
Proverbs 9:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
- New International Version (NIV)“Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!”
Context of Proverbs 9:17
15To call to those who pass by, Who go straight on their way: 16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”; And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” 18But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.
Read all of Proverbs 9Proverbs 9:17 word by word
מַֽיִם־גְּנוּבִ֥ים יִמְתָּ֑קוּ וְלֶ֖חֶם סְתָרִ֣ים יִנְעָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 9:17
- Proverbs 20:17Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
- Proverbs 23:31Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;
- Genesis 3:6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
- Romans 7:8But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.
- James 1:14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
- Proverbs 7:18Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love.
- Proverbs 30:20This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.”
- 2 Kings 5:24When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed.
- Ephesians 5:12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Commentaries on Proverbs 9:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Stolen waters are sweet - I suppose this to be a proverbial mode of expression, importing that illicit pleasures are sweeter than those which are legal The meaning is easy to be discerned; and the conduct of multitudes shows that they are ruled by this adage. On it are built all the adulterous intercourses in the land.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17The besetting sin of all times and countries, the one great proof of the inherent corruption of man‘s nature. Pleasures are attractive because they are forbidden (compare Romans 7:7).Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 How diligent the tempter is, to seduce unwary souls into sin! Carnal, sensual pleasure, stupifies conscience, and puts out the sparks of conviction. This tempter has no solid reason to offer; and where she gets dominion in a soul, all knowledge of holy things is lost and forgotten. She is very violent and pressing. We need to seek and pray for true wisdom, for Satan has many ways to withdraw our souls from Christ. Not only worldly lusts and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Just like Wisdom, Folly has prepared a banquet for her guests (see Proverbs 9:2–5). However, this meal is deceitful and immoral.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. The language of a proverb, meaning that forbidden delights are sweet and pleasant, as fruits of risk and danger.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 9:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 9
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries