DISCOURSE 5. ADDRESSED TO ‘MY SON' (AND LATER ‘SONS'). HE IS TO AVOID THE ENTICEMENTS OF THE STRANGE WOMAN WHOSE WAYS LEAD TO DEATH, AND RATHER BE FAITHFUL TO HIS TRUE WIFE (PROVERBS 4:20 TO PROVERBS 5:23). An indication of the unity of this passage is found in the appeals to ‘attend to my words --... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NEED TO LISTEN TO SOLOMON'S WISDOM AND NOT TO BE ENTICED BY THE WORDS OF THE STRANGE WOMAN WHICH LEAD TO DEATH AND SLAVERY (PROVERBS 5:1). The constant reference to the need to avoid the enticements of the strange woman suggests that it was a major problem in the time of the writer (see Proverbs... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON CALLS ON HIS SON TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIS TRUE WIFE, AND TO OBTAIN HIS SEXUAL ENJOYMENTS FROM HER (PROVERBS 5:15). In contrast Solomon now brings home to ‘his son' (Proverbs 5:20) the joys of sexual fulfilment within marriage. He wants him to recognise that in marriage he has a unique sexual pa... [ Continue Reading ]
EPILOGUE. HE MUST RECOGNISE THAT A MAN'S WAYS ARE OPEN TO YHWH'S EYES, AND MUST NOT FORFEIT THE LEVEL PATHS THROUGH FOLLY (PROVERBS 5:21). The passage, like all previous passages, ends with an epilogue in which a contrast is made between the righteous and the wicked, although in this case the contr... [ Continue Reading ]