What is the meaning of Proverbs 5:20? Why be captivated Proverbs 5:20 opens with a loving challenge: “Why be captivated…?”. The verb pictures being spellbound, infatuated, even intoxicated. God’s design is that we stay clear-headed so we can treasure the spouse He gives. • Proverbs 4:23 urges, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” • James 1:14-15 warns that unchecked desire drags a person away and conceives sin. The question presses us to pause and evaluate: Is any momentary thrill worth surrendering the lasting joy of obedience? my son A father addresses his son, underlining close relationship and personal responsibility. Wisdom is handed down in the context of family so that each generation can walk in purity. • Proverbs 1:8—“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction.” • Ephesians 6:1-4 shows parents guiding children toward godliness. Hearing “my son” reminds us that God’s counsel is not impersonal; He speaks as a caring Father who knows how devastating sexual sin can be. by an adulteress The adulteress represents any forbidden partner who entices us away from marital faithfulness. Scripture paints her allure vividly, yet exposes the ruin that follows. • Proverbs 2:16-19 explains that she “forsakes the partner of her youth” and her house “sinks down to death.” • Proverbs 6:32 declares, “He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.” • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 calls believers to flee sexual immorality and practice holiness. The allure is real, but so is the wreckage—spiritual, emotional, relational. or embrace the bosom of a stranger? “Embrace” speaks of intimate physical union God reserves for covenant marriage (Genesis 2:24). To share that embrace with a stranger violates both partner and Creator. • Hebrews 13:4 affirms, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled.” • 1 Corinthians 6:16-18 asks, “Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? … Flee from sexual immorality.” • Malachi 2:14-16 portrays marriage as a covenant God Himself witnesses. The verse contrasts the deep, secure embrace of marital love (Proverbs 5:18-19) with the fleeting, risky grasp of someone outside that covenant. summary Proverbs 5:20 poses a piercing question, urging us not to trade lasting covenant joy for a moment of forbidden passion. God, speaking as a caring Father, warns that captivation by an adulteress leads to self-destruction, while marital faithfulness brings blessing. The verse calls us to guard our hearts, cherish our spouses, and honor the holy boundaries God established for our good. |
    |