Guard wisdom and flee adultery

6:20 My child, guard the commands of your father and do not forsake the instruction of your mother. 6:21 Bind them on your heart continually; fasten them around your neck. 6:22 When you walk about, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. 6:23 For the commandments are like a lamp, instruction is like a light, and rebukes of discipline are like the road leading to life, 6:24 by keeping you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the loose woman. 6:25 Do not lust in your heart for her beauty, and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes; 6:26 for on account of a prostitute one is brought down to a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man preys on your precious life. 6:27 Can a man hold fire against his chest without burning his clothes? 6:28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? 6:29 So it is with the one who has sex with his neighbor’s wife; no one who touches her will escape punishment. 6:30 People do not despise a thief when he steals to fulfill his need when he is hungry. 6:31 Yet if he is caught he must repay seven times over, he might even have to give all the wealth of his house. 6:32 A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks wisdom, whoever does it destroys his own life. 6:33 He will be beaten and despised, and his reproach will not be wiped away; 6:34 for jealousy kindles a husband’s rage, and he will not show mercy when he takes revenge. 6:35 He will not consider any compensation; he will not be willing, even if you multiply the compensation.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Proverbs teaches that a child must keep a parent’s instruction close to the heart. Wisdom guides daily life and protects from the trap of lust and adultery. Sexual sin is not a small matter. It brings shame, loss, and punishment that cannot be simply paid away.

This passage begins with a call to hold fast to a father’s commands and a mother’s teaching. Wisdom must be kept in the heart and made part of daily life. Then it is described as a lamp and a light, showing the way and guarding the learner from evil.

The warning then turns to sexual temptation. The “evil woman” and the “smooth tongue” point to seductive speech that hides harm. Lust starts in the heart before it becomes an outward act. The proverb warns not to be captured by beauty or alluring eyes.

The section uses strong pictures to show the danger of adultery. Fire burns the clothes, and hot coals scorch the feet. In the same way, adultery brings real harm. The one who sleeps with his neighbor’s wife will not escape punishment.

The proverb compares adultery with theft to make its point. Even theft, which may be driven by hunger, still requires repayment. But adultery is far worse, because it destroys a person’s life, brings shame, and stirs a husband’s jealous rage. The final verdict is plain: the adulterer lacks wisdom and ruins himself.

• Parental instruction is to be treasured and kept close.
• Wisdom should guide a person in daily life, not only in rare moments.
• God’s wisdom warns against lust before it becomes action.
• Adultery is a grave sin that brings shame, loss, and punishment.
• Some sins cannot be undone by money or compensation.
• The passage is about covenant betrayal and the destruction it causes.

• Guard your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
• Bind wisdom on your heart and keep it near you.
• Do not lust in your heart for the seducing woman.
• Do not let alluring beauty capture you.
• Learn from the warning that adultery leads to punishment and disgrace.

This proverb belongs to Israel’s covenant life and reflects God’s moral order for his people. It fits the command against adultery and shows that God’s wisdom reaches the heart, not only outward actions. In the larger Bible story, it prepares God’s people to value faithfulness, self-control, and purity.

Keep godly teaching in your heart through regular hearing and remembering. Watch your thoughts and desires, not only your outward actions. Treat sexual sin as serious, because it harms marriages, families, and the soul. Seek repentance quickly where lust or betrayal has begun.

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