Proverbs Chapter 6
Wisdom to a Son on Debts and Work, Sin and Seduction
A. The foolishness of taking on others’ debts.
1. (Proverbs 6:1–2) Taking debts of friends or strangers.
“My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”
Solomon begins with a sober warning to his son about the dangers of becoming surety for another person’s debt. To become surety means to pledge oneself as responsible for another’s financial obligation. Whether for a friend or a stranger, the principle is the same: a man who guarantees another’s debt is placing himself under a binding burden that may quickly become his ruin. This kind of agreement in ancient times involved a formal gesture—striking hands or clasping hands in pledge—that sealed one’s responsibility for another’s repayment.
This was not the same as loaning money directly, nor precisely the same as co-signing a loan. In modern terms, it would be more like guaranteeing another person’s credit line. It carries the same weight as saying, “If he fails to pay, I will.” The warning is that such an agreement can easily entangle a person, because it is a matter of words spoken hastily but bearing heavy consequences. As the text says, “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth.” Words of promise can become a trap when they obligate one’s resources and future to the reliability of another.
As Matthew Henry and others have observed, this sort of entanglement removes the natural sense of responsibility from the debtor, who now knows someone else bears the burden. Adam Clarke put it plainly, noting that when one stands between a man and the demands of justice, the debtor’s spirit of exertion is crippled. It encourages irresponsibility rather than accountability. Even to the debtor, this can become a moral snare, tempting him to exploit the goodwill of a friend.
Yet beyond the practical danger lies a spiritual lesson. Job 17:3 declares, “Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?” Job realized that only God Himself could be a sufficient surety for man’s soul. Psalm 119:122 also pleads, “Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me.” These verses show that material suretyship points to a deeper reality—our spiritual insolvency before God. We cannot pay our own debt of sin, but our Lord Jesus Christ took that burden upon Himself. Charles Bridges rightly notes, “Our God, while he warns us against putting up security, has taken it on himself. He has given us his Word, his bond, yes, his blood as security for sinners, which no power of hell can shake.”
2. (Proverbs 6:3–5) What to do if you have taken the debt of another.
“Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.”
If one has already fallen into such an entanglement, Solomon’s counsel is decisive and urgent: escape it immediately. The wise man must humble himself, plead with his friend, and do all within his power to be released from the agreement. The phrase “go, humble thyself” carries the idea of throwing oneself down at another’s feet, acknowledging folly, and imploring mercy. Matthew Poole explained it as offering oneself to be trodden upon, recognizing that the surety has become servant to the one whose debt he guaranteed. It is not a time for pride but repentance, for the situation is perilous.
The imagery Solomon uses to convey urgency is vivid: “Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.” A gazelle will do anything to escape the hunter’s snare, and a bird will desperately fight to break free from the net. So must the wise man hasten to free himself from financial and moral bondage. Delay only deepens the danger.
Proverbs 27:1 warns, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Likewise, one cannot control the future or guarantee the behavior of others. To bind oneself to another’s unknown future is folly. As Bruce Waltke observes, “Becoming surety is folly because the surety makes promises for the future that he cannot control. Moreover, he has handed himself over to the debtor, who may unmercifully throw him into the hands of the creditor.”
The consequences in the ancient world were severe. Failure to pay could lead to the loss of land, home, or even liberty. Garrett notes that in Israelite society, as in other ancient cultures, nonpayment often resulted in the selling of the debtor into slavery, and the cosigner could face the same fate. The warning, therefore, is both practical and moral. The man who values wisdom will avoid unwise entanglements, and if caught, he will act swiftly and humbly to deliver himself.
B. The Honor of Hard Work
1. (Proverbs 6:6–8) The Example of the Ant
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”
Solomon, ever the wise instructor, turns from the subject of debt to the subject of diligence. He addresses the sluggard, the man or woman characterized by habitual laziness, and commands him to observe the ant. The tone is direct and corrective, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard,” as though the wise man tells the lazy to leave his bed and enter the field classroom of nature. There, in one of the smallest of God’s creatures, he may learn one of life’s greatest lessons: the virtue of hard work.
The ant becomes a symbol of wisdom and industry. It does not rely on external pressure or supervision, for it “hath no guide, overseer, or ruler,” yet it labors constantly. Its diligence flows not from the whip of authority but from an inward drive to provide and prepare. The Book of Proverbs frequently links success, honor, and prosperity to the discipline of hard work. In contrast, laziness brings poverty and disgrace. The ant, therefore, stands as a natural rebuke to every idle man.
Adam Clarke noted, “No insect is more laborious, not even the bee itself; and none is more fondly attached to or more careful of its young, than the ant.” Even nature teaches what indolence denies—that life requires exertion. John Trapp added that Christ Himself sends us to school with the creatures, pointing us to the birds and lilies in Matthew 6:25–29 to teach us reliance on God’s providence, and to the stork, crane, and swallow in Jeremiah 8:7 to remind us not to waste the seasons of grace. The ant, through instinct, does what many men fail to do by reason.
Aristotle himself observed that ants labor without rulers to direct them, and modern study confirms that though they function in perfect social organization, there is no hierarchy of command. As Bruce Waltke remarked, “This does not imply that there is a hierarchy of command,” yet the order and efficiency of their labor reveal a divinely designed wisdom. The ant works tirelessly and with foresight, “provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” She knows that time is limited, and opportunity must not be wasted.
Trapp described the diligence of the ant vividly: “What a deal of grain gets she together in summer! What pains doth she take for it, labouring not by daylight only, but by moonshine also! What huge heaps hath she! What care to bring forth her store, and lay it drying on a sunshine day, lest with moisture it should putrefy.” Such foresight and exertion are lessons to all who would live wisely. The diligent soul understands the seasons of life, uses time profitably, and prepares for the future. The sluggard, by contrast, fails to act in season and finds himself unprepared when need arises.
The ant’s wisdom lies not only in her labor but also in her preparation. She works when work is available, gathers when gathering is possible, and stores when storing is necessary. So also should the wise believer make use of his opportunities, storing up knowledge, wisdom, and provision in times of abundance, knowing that the days of scarcity may come. God commends industry because it reflects both stewardship and foresight—virtues that honor Him.
2. (Proverbs 6:9–11) Warning the Lazy Man
“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.”
Solomon now turns from the ant to the sluggard himself. His words are piercing and rhetorical: “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?” It is not sleep itself that is condemned, for rest is part of God’s design for man, but the excess of it. The sluggard’s sin lies in loving ease and comfort more than duty and discipline. He delays his labors with continual excuses, saying, “A little sleep, a little slumber,” until the opportunities of life pass him by.
Waltke notes that the explicit audience here is the sluggard, but the implicit audience includes the son and the simple who are being trained by these proverbs to avoid laziness. The warning is pedagogical—it instructs the wise by displaying the folly of the slothful. Solomon’s rebuke is almost parental in tone, demanding an accounting of wasted time and neglected duty.
The problem is not merely sleep but escapism. “Sleep,” says Waltke, “is the defining characteristic of the sluggard; for him the love of sleep is pure escapism—a refusal to face the world.” The lazy man seeks refuge from responsibility, dulling his conscience by perpetual rest. Whereas the laboring man enjoys the sweet sleep that follows honest work, the sluggard’s sleep is narcotic, an endless cycle of avoidance and decline. Ecclesiastes 5:12 confirms this contrast: “The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.”
The consequences of laziness are inevitable and severe. “So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” Poverty, like a prowler, advances quietly but surely. It does not announce itself; it comes suddenly upon those who are unprepared. The phrase “as one that travelleth” suggests stealth, and “as an armed man” implies force. Adam Clarke comments that poverty comes “with irresistible fury; and thou art not prepared to oppose it.”
At least fourteen proverbs connect idleness to poverty. The lazy man will not lack luxuries—he will lack necessities, for “it is not riches the lazy person lacks; it is food, the necessity of life,” as Waltke explains. The lazy man imagines that his condition is the result of bad luck or circumstance, but Solomon clarifies that his poverty is self-inflicted. It is “thy poverty,” born of neglect and delay.
The lesson is both moral and spiritual. Diligence honors God because it reflects His character as Creator and Sustainer, who works and provides. Laziness dishonors Him because it rejects the order He has built into creation. The diligent ant thrives in her season, but the sluggard loses his. Wisdom therefore calls every man to rise, work, and redeem the time that God has given.
3. (Proverbs 6:12–15) The Destiny of the Wicked Man
“A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.”
Solomon now moves from the lazy man to the worthless and wicked man. These two characters are often related, for laziness easily becomes the breeding ground of corruption. When a man refuses discipline and labor, moral decay often follows. Here, the “naughty person” (literally, a man of Belial) and “wicked man” depict one who has given himself over to perversity in speech, deceit in conduct, and destruction in intent.
The primary mark of such a man is his “froward mouth.” His words are crooked, deceitful, and destructive. They are not straight or honest but bent toward mischief. He cannot speak truthfully because perversity has taken root in his heart. The tongue, as James 3:6 declares, “is a fire, a world of iniquity,” and in the wicked man, it sets the course of his life toward destruction. The corruption of speech reveals the corruption of the soul, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34).
Solomon paints a vivid picture of this man’s deceitful character. He “winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers.” Every part of his body communicates deception. The wink of the eye and the motion of the hand suggest secret signs and gestures—an ancient equivalent to the conspiratorial nods and coded signals of the cunning. Such subtle communications betray his crooked heart. What he cannot say openly, he plots silently. As Proverbs 10:10 warns, “He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.”
“Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually, he soweth discord.” His life is consumed with scheming and stirring strife. He is never at peace, for his heart breeds conflict. The Hebrew term for “frowardness” means distortion or perversity, indicating that the very seat of his being is twisted. He thrives on causing division, whispering lies, and turning brethren against one another. As Solomon later warns, “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends” (Proverbs 16:28).
But the destiny of such a man is certain. “Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.” The suddenness of judgment underscores its inevitability. Though the wicked man may appear clever and secure for a time, his destruction comes swiftly, as when a tree falls under the weight of its own rot. The text does not explicitly name God as the cause, but divine judgment is clearly implied. The Almighty allows the sinner’s deceit to become his downfall. As Psalm 37:35–36 declares, “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not.” There will be no remedy, no escape, and no recovery when the judgment falls.
4. (Proverbs 6:16–19) Seven Things the Lord Hates
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
Solomon now lists seven abominations in the sight of God. The Hebrew idiom “six…yea, seven” is a poetic device used to emphasize completion and seriousness. Each of these sins is hateful to the Lord, not because they offend human sensibility, but because they violate His holy nature and destroy the harmony of His creation.
The list begins with “a proud look,” the arrogance that exalts self above others and ultimately against God. Pride was the first sin, for it lifted Lucifer’s heart to say, “I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:14). It is fitting that pride leads the list, for it is the root from which all other sins spring.
Next is “a lying tongue.” The Lord is the God of truth; therefore, falsehood is abhorrent to Him. “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22). Every lie opposes the God of truth and aligns with the father of lies, Satan himself (John 8:44).
“Hands that shed innocent blood” follows. This refers to the deliberate taking of life by violence or injustice. It recalls the sin of Cain, who slew Abel, and points prophetically to all acts of murder and oppression. The shedding of innocent blood cries out to heaven for vengeance (Genesis 4:10).
Next, “an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations.” The heart is the workshop of evil. As Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” It is not enough to avoid the act; God judges the intent. When the heart continually plots sin, it stands as an abomination before Him.
“Feet that be swift in running to mischief” describes eagerness in doing evil. The sinner’s enthusiasm for wickedness reveals a perverse delight in wrongdoing. Isaiah 59:7 echoes this thought: “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood.”
“A false witness that speaketh lies” is a sin against both truth and justice. It perverts righteousness, destroys reputations, and leads to the ruin of the innocent. God Himself forbade it in the ninth commandment: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16).
Finally, “he that soweth discord among brethren.” This sin stands as the climax of the list. It is the culmination of the previous six—a deliberate act of division among those who should dwell in unity. It is an attack upon the peace of God’s people. Adam Clarke described such a man as “he who troubles the peace of a family, of a village, of the state; all who, by lies and misrepresentations, strive to make men’s minds evil-affected towards their brethren.” The sowing of discord is especially hateful to God because it divides what He has joined. Psalm 133:1 declares, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” To destroy that unity is to strike at the heart of God’s design for His people.
As Morgan wrote, “None love a mischief-maker, and yet we are apt to think of the sin with something less than the Divine intolerance for it. We may take it as an unqualified certainty that no man in whose heart the fear of Jehovah prevails and rules can ever sow discord among brethren.” Bridges adds, “A withering blast will fall on those who, mistaking prejudice for principle, cause divisions for their own selfish ends,” referencing Romans 16:17–18, where Paul warns against those who cause divisions contrary to the doctrine of Christ.
This catalogue of sins is both comprehensive and convicting. Most involve the parts of the body—eyes, tongue, hands, heart, feet—reminding us that sin uses our members as its instruments. As Paul commands in Romans 6:13, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God.” Moreover, each sin concerns our treatment of others, underscoring that righteousness before God cannot be divorced from righteousness toward men.
God hates these things because they destroy fellowship, justice, truth, and love—all reflections of His nature. To walk in wisdom, therefore, is to forsake pride, deceit, violence, and division, and to pursue humility, honesty, mercy, purity, diligence, and peace.
C. The Harm of the Harlot
1. (Proverbs 6:20–24) God’s Word Can Keep You from the Evil Woman’s Seduction
“My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.”
Solomon again speaks as a father to his son, appealing for obedience to parental and divine instruction. The command of the father and the law of the mother represent not only parental wisdom but also the moral instruction founded upon the Word of God. “Keep” and “forsake not” are words of discipline and loyalty. The child of wisdom guards the commandments of God within his heart and outwardly lives by them, symbolically tying them around his neck as a visible reminder of moral devotion. This language recalls Deuteronomy 6:6–8, where God commands His people to bind His words upon their hands and as frontlets between their eyes, that His truth might govern all thought and action.
“Bind them continually upon thine heart” suggests constant remembrance and internalization of God’s Word. Bruce Waltke explains that this means memorizing them in such a way that they become permanently impressed upon one’s essential being, directing every impulse and decision. The commandments are not meant to be external rules but inward guides that shape the conscience and affections. A home where father and mother teach their children the fear of the Lord provides one of the greatest defenses against moral ruin. Allen Ross notes that a godly home life—where both parents share in rearing their children—will go far in preventing a youth from falling into immorality.
As Warren Wiersbe observed, in Proverbs 5–7 each warning against adultery begins with a call to heed the Word of God. The reason is clear: only Scripture has the power to guard the heart from the seductions of sin. The one who cherishes the Word will find it active and alive in every circumstance of life. “When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” The Word becomes a living companion—guiding, guarding, and conversing with the believer.
Charles Spurgeon beautifully described this quality of the Bible: “This Bible is a wonderful talking book; there is a great mass of blessed talk in this precious volume. It has told me a great many of my faults; it would tell you yours if you would let it. It has told me much to comfort me; and it has much to tell you if you will but incline your ear to it.” The Scriptures are indeed a lamp and a light, as Solomon echoes from Psalm 119:105—“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” The commandments illuminate the path of life and expose the snares of temptation.
“To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.” The purpose of this divine illumination is moral preservation. The Word of God will never lead one into sin; it protects from the snares of the seductress. Her flattering words are sweet but deadly, while the reproofs of instruction are the way of life. Where God’s Word is heeded, the seductress loses her power, for the light of truth dispels the darkness of her deceit.
2. (Proverbs 6:25–29) The Damage Adultery Does
“Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.”
Having spoken of the preserving power of the Word, Solomon now warns of the destructive power of lust. “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart” reaches to the root of sin—desire within. The heart is the battleground of purity, and sin begins not in the act but in the imagination. Jesus expanded this truth in Matthew 5:28, declaring, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Beauty itself is not sin, but when the gaze becomes covetous, beauty becomes bait for destruction. John Trapp rightly said, “It is a small praise to have a good face and a naughty nature, a beautiful countenance and a base life.”
The seductress uses her physical beauty and charm to capture the foolish man. “Neither let her take thee with her eyelids,” Solomon says, for the eyes are instruments of enticement. Waltke observes that the parallel between coveting her beauty and being taken by her eyes suggests that lust begins with allowing eye contact, through which desire enters the heart. Ross adds that painted eyes and luring glances were characteristic tools of seduction, as seen in 2 Kings 9:30 with Jezebel. The same principle applies to modern forms of temptation—images and media designed to allure and inflame lust. The Word of God trains the heart to discern such deceit and flee from it.
“For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread.” Lust promises pleasure but yields poverty. The harlot drains a man of his strength, honor, and resources until he is reduced to worthlessness. “And the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.” Adultery is predatory; it takes what is valuable and leaves ruin behind. Garrett notes that some translations express the contrast between the cost of a harlot and that of adultery: “Although the price of a prostitute may be as much as a loaf of bread, another man’s wife hunts the precious life.” The meaning is not to endorse prostitution but to emphasize the greater danger of adultery. The one who takes another man’s wife not only risks financial loss but also destruction of life and soul.
“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” Solomon employs a series of rhetorical questions that expose the inevitable consequences of sin. Adultery is not harmless pleasure but deadly fire. No one can embrace the flame and escape unscathed. Just as no man can walk upon hot coals without burning his feet, no one can enter into adultery without damage to his soul. Sin’s fire always leaves scars.
“So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” The phrase “goeth in” is a euphemism for sexual relations, as used elsewhere in Scripture (Genesis 29:23; 1 Corinthians 7:1). To “touch” in this context means more than physical contact; it implies intimacy that leads to sin. Matthew Poole explains that the expression includes all forms of carnal knowledge. The warning concludes firmly: “shall not be innocent.” The guilt of adultery is inescapable. Those who yield to temptation cannot later plead ignorance or weakness, for they knowingly played with fire. Charles Bridges comments, “It is no good for such a man to later complain about the strength of the temptation. Why did he not avoid it?”
Adultery destroys homes, breaks covenant vows, dishonors God, and wounds souls beyond repair. It promises delight but delivers disgrace. The man who forsakes God’s Word for the flattery of the seductress exchanges lasting wisdom for momentary pleasure and reaps only ruin.
3. (Proverbs 6:30–35) The Disgrace Adultery Brings
“Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; but if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.”
Solomon closes this section with a sobering comparison between theft and adultery, emphasizing that though both are sins, adultery is far worse. “Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.” While theft is wrong, society may show a measure of compassion to a man who steals out of starvation. His motive is survival, not indulgence. Yet even the starving thief, when caught, must make restitution: “if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.” In Exodus 22:1, the Law required a thief to repay multiple times what he had taken. There was a means of restitution for theft; the debt could be paid and the matter settled.
But with adultery, no restitution can be made. “Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding.” The adulterer sins not out of need but out of lust, pride, and self-indulgence. He steals what cannot be restored—honor, trust, purity, and covenantal love. As Trapp observed, “The thief steals out of want; the adulterer of wantonness.” In this sense, adultery is not only theft but sacrilege, for it violates the sacred covenant of marriage and robs both God and man.
Paul draws this same moral connection in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication…that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter.” To commit sexual sin is to defraud—to take what does not belong to us and cannot be rightly returned. The adulterer steals from his own spouse, from the partner of his sin, and from the future spouses of both.
“He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.” This is one of the most solemn warnings in all of Scripture regarding sexual sin. Adultery does not merely damage reputation; it destroys the inner life. Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 6:18–19: “He that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” The adulterer wounds himself—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The sin may be hidden from men, but it corrupts the soul in ways that will eventually manifest in ruin. Wiersbe noted that even King David, wise and mighty, lost all sense of reason when he looked upon Bathsheba and fell into sin (2 Samuel 11–12). The lesson is clear: even great men fall when they forsake wisdom for desire.
The blame, Solomon insists, lies with the adulterer himself: “He destroyeth his own soul.” He may blame the woman who tempted him, the circumstances that surrounded him, or even the devil himself, but ultimately he bears responsibility. Ross explains that “the expression ‘destroys himself’ stresses that the guilty one destroys his own life.” Waltke adds, “The vixen hunts for his life, but he is responsible for his self-destruction.”
“A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.” The consequences of adultery extend beyond the moment of sin. It brings shame that time and forgiveness cannot erase. Though God may pardon the repentant, the social disgrace often remains. As Poole remarks, “Although it be forgiven by God, yet the reproach and scandal of it remains.” The adulterer’s name is stained, his testimony marred, and his influence weakened. Bridges vividly observed, “He is wounded, but not like a soldier or Christian martyr. He is not full of honour but of disgrace. His name is full of shame.”
“For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.” Here Solomon warns of another consequence—the wrath of the offended husband. Jealousy, though often sinful, in this case reflects a just and natural response to betrayal. The injured husband’s fury will not be restrained by pity or appeased by payment: “He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.” Clarke notes, “This is an injury that admits of no compensation. No gifts can satisfy a man for the injury his honour has sustained.” The Law itself recognized the right of the jealous husband to avenge his honor (Deuteronomy 22:22). Waltke comments that even if courts punish the adulterer with shame or loss of property, the wronged man’s rage remains—he demands nothing less than the offender’s ruin.
Kidner insightfully remarked that while modern society may downplay this sin, in any healthy moral culture, adultery is social suicide. To condone it is to admit moral decay. Thus, even in an age where the world excuses immorality, the Word of God still declares it shameful and destructive. The adulterer loses not only his soul but his peace, honor, and influence.
The lesson is clear: theft steals property, but adultery steals purity; theft may be repaired, but adultery cannot. The thief may repay his debt, but the adulterer can only reap disgrace. He exchanges fleeting pleasure for lasting dishonor and, if unrepented, eternal loss.
