ProverbesChapitre 5

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My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,

so that you may hold on to discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.

For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil,

but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.

She gives no thought to the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.

Now then, my sons, listen to me, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Keep your way far from her; do not go near the door of her house,

or you will surrender your honor to others and your years to one who is cruel,

or strangers will feast on your strength, and your labors will end up in the house of a foreigner.

At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent,

and you will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart despised correction!

I would not listen to my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

I was on the brink of utter ruin, in the midst of the congregation and the assembly.

Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.

Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?

Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth—

a loving doe, a graceful mountain gazelle. May her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

Why be captivated, my son, by a forbidden woman, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?

For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths.

The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.

He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 5

Main Theme: A father's exhortation to avoid the foreign woman and hold fast to his own wife.

Content: The chapter warns against the seductive foreign woman, whose words are sweet as honey but lead to death and destruction (vv. 3-6). The son is urged to stay away from her in order to avoid losing honor, years, and wealth to others (vv. 7-14). Instead, he should rejoice in his own wife, portrayed through the image of drinking from one's own well (vv. 15-19). The chapter concludes with the reminder that the Lord sees all human ways, and that the wicked are caught by their own sins (vv. 21-23).

Key Words/Images:

The foreign woman (זָרָה): Represents sexual temptation outside of marriage, whose alluring words conceal deadly danger.
Honey and wormwood: The contrast between the sweet appearance of temptation (v. 3) and its bitter consequences (v. 4).
One's own well/spring: A picture of marital faithfulness—finding satisfaction in one's own wife (vv. 15-18).
The eyes of the Lord: God sees and weighs all human ways, underscoring accountability for one's own actions (v. 21).

Contexte historique

Context for Proverbs 5

Key Concepts

The chapter contains several Hebrew words that require cultural explanation. The term זָרָה (zarah, "foreign woman") in verses 3 and 20 does not primarily refer to a foreigner by nationality, but to a woman who stands outside the young man's legitimate marital sphere. The parallel term נָכְרִיָּה (nokriyyah) reinforces this—she is "foreign" in the sense that she belongs to another man's household or operates outside honorable social structures.

The water imagery in verses 15–18 is culturally charged. בּוֹר (bor, "cistern") and בְּאֵר (be'er, "well") were vital sources of water in the dry climate of Israel. To "drink water from your own cistern" became an established metaphor for marital faithfulness. מָקוֹר (maqor, "spring") in verse 18 is also used elsewhere in Proverbs to refer to the fountain of life (Prov 10:11; 13:14).

Events and Customs

The warnings in verses 9–14 reflect concrete social and economic consequences of adultery in ancient Israel. The expressions "give your honor to others" (v. 9) and "let strangers be filled with your strength" (v. 10) allude to the fact that adulterous relationships could lead to financial ruin. An aggrieved husband could demand compensation, and a family's resources might be lost to outsiders. Verse 14 mentions "in the midst of the assembly and congregation" (qahal we'edah), suggesting public shame and possible legal proceedings before the city elders at the city gate.

The animal images in verse 19—אַיֶּלֶת אֲהָבִים ("the deer of love") and יַעֲלַת־חֵן ("the graceful gazelle")—were common in ancient Near Eastern love poetry. Similar images appear in the Song of Solomon (see Song 2:9,17; 4:5), where gazelles and does represent beauty, grace, and erotic attraction.

Personnages

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Mots-clés10

Wisdom — The ability to understand and apply knowledge in an effective and ethical way, regarded as a virtue in the book of Proverbs.
Understanding — The ability to judge situations and people correctly and insightfully, often linked with wisdom and prudence.
Prudence — A combination of wisdom, understanding, and experience that leads to good decisions and actions.
Discipline — Self-control or training necessary to live a moral and ethical life.
Injustice — Unethical or wrongful acts that go against morality and justice.
Warning — An exhortation to be cautious or attentive in order to avoid dangers and bad consequences.
Loyalty — Faithfulness and trust toward others, especially in marriage and close relationships.
Temptation — A desire or urge to do something that may be harmful, immoral, or unethical.
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