What is the meaning of Proverbs 5:17? Let them be yours alone Proverbs 5:17 sits in a flow that begins with “Drink water from your own cistern” (v. 15) and moves toward “May your fountain be blessed” (v. 18). The imagery of springs, cisterns, and fountains points to the exclusive intimacy of marriage. • The word “yours” guards the one-flesh covenant established in Genesis 2:24, echoed in Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:5–6. • By keeping marital affection private, a husband and wife protect the blessing promised in Proverbs 5:18–19, where rejoicing in one’s spouse is celebrated. • Songs 4:12 pictures the bride as “a garden locked,” an image of beauty reserved for her husband alone. • Malachi 2:14–16 warns that betrayal of this covenant invites God’s displeasure, underscoring the seriousness of keeping marital love exclusive. Choosing exclusivity is not merely a personal preference; it obeys God’s design and safeguards the deep joy He intends for marriage. Never to be shared with strangers The negative half of the verse clarifies the positive: what belongs in marriage must never be offered outside it. • Earlier, Proverbs 5:3–6 describes the “forbidden woman” whose lips drip honey but whose path leads to death—signaling the danger of sharing intimacy with outsiders. • 1 Corinthians 6:15–18 asks, “Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!” This reinforces that sexual union creates a bond God reserves for covenant partners. • Hebrews 13:4 calls believers to honor marriage and keep the marriage bed undefiled, promising judgment on the adulterer. • 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 urges purity so that believers “do not transgress and defraud his brother” in this matter—another reminder that sexual sin always harms others. “Strangers” are anyone outside the marriage bond. Scripture treats adultery not as a casual mistake but as a theft of what belongs only to one’s spouse (Proverbs 6:32–35). summary Proverbs 5:17 charges husbands and wives to treasure their exclusive, God-given intimacy. “Let them be yours alone” calls couples to enjoy the blessing of marital love within covenant boundaries, while “never to be shared with strangers” warns against adulterous compromise that brings spiritual and relational ruin. The verse, nested in the larger passage, celebrates the joy of faithfulness and the protection it offers to individuals, marriages, and the community of faith. |
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