What is the meaning of Proverbs 5:4? In the end Proverbs 5 warns that the temptation of an immoral woman looks sweet at first, “but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword” (v. 4). • “In the end” points to consequences, not the momentary thrill. Scripture repeatedly stresses that choices ripen into harvests—“for whatever a man sows, he will reap” (Galatians 6:7). • The phrase directs us to look past surface allure to the long-range outcome God sees (Proverbs 14:12; 23:32). • Solomon is urging us to measure every attraction by eternity’s yardstick (Romans 6:21; Proverbs 1:31). Bitter as wormwood • Wormwood is a plant famous for its extreme bitterness (Jeremiah 9:15; Lamentations 3:15). The picture is striking: what tasted like honey at first (Proverbs 5:3) will leave the soul nauseated. • Moral compromise corrodes joy. David felt similar bitterness after his sin with Bathsheba (Psalm 32:3–4). • God associates wormwood with judgment because it vividly captures the internal anguish that follows disobedience (Deuteronomy 29:18; Revelation 8:11). • Practical take-away: – Hidden sin eventually surfaces as a bitter aftertaste. – No one bypasses this law; confession and repentance are the only antidotes (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). Sharp as a double-edged sword • A double-edged sword cuts both ways—no safe side to grab. Yielding to seduction injures body and soul (Proverbs 6:26, 32). • The pain isn’t only emotional; it can slice into marriages, reputations, finances, even physical health (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6). • Hebrews 4:12 compares God’s word to such a sword; here the image flips to show sin’s lethal power. What feels thrilling can “pierce even to dividing soul and spirit.” • The warning is mercy: better to feel the sting of conviction now than the deeper gash of unrepented ruin later (Proverbs 7:22–23; James 1:15). summary Proverbs 5:4 unmasks the true payoff of sexual sin. However appealing temptation looks, God declares it will end in bitterness as wormwood and wounds like a double-edged sword. He is not out to rob us of joy but to spare us from misery. Taking His word at face value and fleeing the lure (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Timothy 2:22) protects our hearts and preserves the life He delights to bless. |
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