DAWN

     Explanation: In Proverbs 5 Solomon advises his son to avoid fornication and to cling to his wife in love. The first painting illustrates a sinful liaison. The second painting illustrates marital fidelity and has numerous symbols of a wholesome relationship, as explained in this link.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Proverbs 6. Proverbs 7. Proverbs 8. Proverbs 9. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Proverbs 5. ]

     Solomon commands his son to be attentive to his wisdom and his understanding that he may have respect to discretion and keep knowledge (1-2). The lips of a strange woman are like a honeycomb; and her mouth is smoother than oil. But her end is as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a twoedged sword (3-4). Her feet go down to death; and her steps take hold of hell. She stops you from pondering the paths of life because her ways are moveable, and you cannot know them (5-6). Solomon then broadens his instruction to include all of his children, instructing them not to depart from the words of his mouth. They should move far away from the adulterous woman and come not near the door of her house (7-8). Otherwise strangers will be filled with your wealth, and your labors will be given to the house of a stranger (9-10). You will mourn when your flesh and your body are consumed; and you will mourn the fact that you have hated instruction and despised reproof (11-12). You will mourn that you did not obey the voice of your teachers, nor incline your ear to them, so that you were almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and the assembly (13-14). Instead, drink waters from your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad like rivers of waters in the streets? No! Let them be your own; and do not allow strangers to share them with you (15-17). Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. Let her be like the loving deer and the pleasant doe. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and be ravished always with her love (18-19). Why would you be ravished with a strange woman and embrace her bosom? For the ways of man are before the LORD; and he ponders his goings. His own iniquities will take hold of the wicked; and the cords of his sins will hold him. He will die without instruction. And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray (20-23).

¹ My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
² That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

³ For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
⁴ But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
⁵ Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
⁶ Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
⁷ Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
⁸ Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
⁹ Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
¹⁰ Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
¹¹ And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
¹² And say,How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
¹³ And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mineear to them that instructed me!
¹⁴ I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

¹⁵ Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
¹⁶ Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
¹⁷ Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
¹⁸ Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
¹⁹ Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

²⁰ And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
²¹ For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
²² His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
²³ He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.