What is the meaning of Proverbs 5:9? Concede your vigor to others Proverbs 5:9 opens with the warning, “lest you concede your vigor to others.” Scripture paints vigor as the God-given blend of energy, health, and influence entrusted to us for faithful stewardship. • Physical and financial drain – “Otherwise, strangers will feast on your wealth, and your labor will enrich the house of a foreigner” (Proverbs 5:10). – Sexual sin is costly; it siphons resources that could bless family, church, and the needy. • Emotional and spiritual erosion – “Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to those who destroy kings” (Proverbs 31:3). – 1 Corinthians 6:18 urges believers to “flee from sexual immorality,” highlighting that unchecked desire empties the soul of resolve and joy. • Loss of testimony and purpose – Samson’s decline in Judges 16 shows how misplaced desire neutralizes God-given strength and influence. – When purity is surrendered, credibility suffers, and opportunities for kingdom impact shrink. Your years to one who is cruel The verse continues, “and your years to one who is cruel,” describing the long-term consequences of entanglement with an unprincipled partner. • A life consumed by exploitation – “For the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your precious life” (Proverbs 6:26). – Relationships outside God’s design often end with one party using the other’s time, resources, and health without mercy. • Shortened longevity and lingering regret – Proverbs 2:19 warns that none who go to the seductress “regain the paths of life.” – Stress, disease, and guilt can literally cut life short, turning years that could have been fruitful into seasons of anguish. • Divine discipline and earthly fallout – “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, he will reap in return” (Galatians 6:7). – The cruelty ultimately links back to sin’s own harsh master, as choices outside God’s will invite both temporal and eternal consequences. summary Proverbs 5:9 is a gracious, loving warning: guard your strength and the prime years of your life by walking in purity. Sexual sin appears thrilling but ends up robbing vigor, squandering years, and placing one under cruel bondage. God’s design protects vitality and ensures that our days and strength remain instruments for His glory and for the blessing of those we love. |
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