What is the meaning of Proverbs 6:32? He who commits adultery • The verse begins with a blunt identification of the sin—“a man who commits adultery” (Proverbs 6:32). Scripture consistently names adultery as a direct violation of God’s moral order (Exodus 20:14; Matthew 5:27-28). • Adultery is never treated as a mere private indiscretion. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 Paul urges, “Flee from sexual immorality,” showing that unfaithfulness is spiritually corrosive and always affects more than the two people involved. • Hebrews 13:4 underscores the sanctity of marriage, declaring it “must be honored by all,” so the act addressed here is a deliberate crossing of a clearly marked boundary. Lacks judgment • The proverb moves immediately to the inner problem: adultery exposes a deficit of discernment. In other words, the sinner is acting foolishly, ignoring obvious warnings. • Proverbs 7:6-23 tells of the “youth lacking sense” who walks straight into an adulterous trap; his ignorance is willful, not accidental. • Compare Proverbs 5:1-2, where wisdom’s purpose is “to maintain discretion.” Choosing adultery means rejecting that wisdom. • This lack of judgment is not intellectual stupidity but moral blindness—Roman 13:13-14 urges believers to “behave decently… not in sexual immorality,” putting on Christ so the will is ruled by truth, not desire. Destroys himself • The final phrase shows adultery’s boomerang effect: the sinner “destroys himself.” There are layers to this destruction: – Physical: Proverbs 5:11 pictures the adulterer groaning “at the end of your life when your flesh and body are spent.” – Emotional and relational: Broken trust fractures families (Malachi 2:14-16) and sows bitterness. – Spiritual: 1 Corinthians 6:18 explains that sexual sin is “against his own body,” while Galatians 6:7-8 warns that sowing to the flesh reaps corruption. • James 1:14-15 traces the downward spiral: desire conceives sin, sin matures, and “gives birth to death.” Adultery is not a harmless fling; it is self-inflicted ruin. summary Proverbs 6:32 starkly exposes adultery’s true nature. The act violates God’s clear command, reveals a heart that has traded wisdom for folly, and unleashes destruction on the sinner’s whole life. Scripture’s consistent message—from Sinai’s commandment to Paul’s exhortations—is that marital faithfulness safeguards both individuals and communities, while infidelity dismantles them. God’s wisdom calls us to cherish the covenant of marriage, exercise discernment before temptation, and flee from sin that only leads to self-destruction. |
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