Proverbs 22:14
The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.
The mouth of an adulteress
This phrase highlights the seductive and deceitful nature of an adulteress. In Hebrew, the word for "mouth" (פֶּה, peh) often symbolizes speech or words. The adulteress uses her words to entice and lead astray, much like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Historically, the role of women in ancient Israel was complex, and the adulteress here represents a moral and spiritual danger. Her words are not just idle chatter but are strategically used to lure the unsuspecting into sin. This serves as a warning to guard one's heart and mind against seductive influences that can lead one away from God's path.

is a deep pit
The imagery of a "deep pit" (שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה, shuchah amukkah) conveys danger and entrapment. In ancient times, pits were often used as traps for animals or as prisons for people. Falling into a deep pit implies a situation that is difficult to escape from, symbolizing the spiritual and moral consequences of succumbing to temptation. The depth of the pit suggests the severity of the consequences, emphasizing that what may seem like a momentary lapse can lead to profound and lasting repercussions. This serves as a metaphor for the spiritual entrapment that sin can cause, leading one further away from God's grace.

he who is cursed by the LORD
This phrase indicates divine judgment. In Hebrew, "cursed" (אָרוּר, arur) signifies being under God's disfavor. The Bible often speaks of blessings and curses as outcomes of one's relationship with God. To be cursed by the LORD is to be in a state of spiritual peril, often as a result of persistent disobedience or rebellion against God's commandments. This reflects the biblical principle that sin has consequences, and those who choose to ignore God's laws may find themselves under His judgment. It serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of living a life that is pleasing to God.

will fall into it
The phrase "will fall into it" (יִפֹּל־שָׁם, yippol-sham) suggests inevitability and consequence. The Hebrew verb "fall" (נָפַל, naphal) implies an unintentional yet unavoidable descent into trouble. This highlights the natural outcome of living a life contrary to God's will. The verse warns that those who are not vigilant in their spiritual walk, and who allow themselves to be led astray by sinful influences, will inevitably face the consequences of their actions. It serves as a call to remain steadfast in faith and to seek God's wisdom and guidance in all aspects of life, avoiding the pitfalls of sin.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Adulteress
In the context of Proverbs, the adulteress often symbolizes temptation and moral failure. She represents the seductive power of sin that leads individuals away from righteousness.

2. Deep Pit
This metaphor signifies danger and entrapment. Falling into a deep pit implies a situation that is difficult to escape and can lead to spiritual or moral ruin.

3. The LORD
Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, who is portrayed as the ultimate judge and source of wisdom.

4. Cursed by the LORD
This phrase indicates divine disfavor or judgment. It suggests that those who fall into the trap of the adulteress are experiencing the consequences of turning away from God's wisdom.
Teaching Points
Guard Your Heart and Mind
Be vigilant against temptations that can lead you away from God's path. The allure of sin can be subtle and persuasive, much like the words of the adulteress.

Seek God's Wisdom
Regularly immerse yourself in Scripture and prayer to discern God's will and avoid the pitfalls of sin. Wisdom from God acts as a safeguard against moral failure.

Understand the Consequences
Recognize that sin has real and serious consequences. Falling into the "deep pit" of sin can lead to spiritual separation from God.

Rely on God's Strength
Acknowledge that avoiding sin is not solely a matter of personal strength but requires reliance on God's power and grace.

Accountability and Community
Engage with a community of believers who can provide support, accountability, and encouragement in your walk with Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the metaphor of a "deep pit" help us understand the nature of temptation and sin?

2. In what ways can we guard ourselves against the seductive power of sin in our daily lives?

3. How does understanding the consequences of sin influence our decision-making and spiritual discipline?

4. What role does community play in helping us avoid falling into the traps of sin, as described in Proverbs 22:14?

5. How can we apply the wisdom of Proverbs 22:14 to modern-day situations where we might face moral or ethical temptations?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 5:3-5
This passage also warns about the dangers of the adulteress, describing her words as sweet but ultimately leading to death.

Proverbs 7:21-27
Provides a vivid account of a young man being led astray by an adulteress, emphasizing the destructive end of such a path.

James 1:14-15
Discusses how temptation leads to sin, and sin, when fully grown, leads to death, paralleling the idea of falling into a deep pit.

Psalm 7:15-16
Speaks of the wicked falling into the pit they have made, highlighting the self-destructive nature of sin.
The Good NameE. Johnson Proverbs 22:1-16
Hindrances to the Attainment of a Good NameE. Johnson Proverbs 22:13-16
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abhorred, Adulteress, Angry, Cursed, Deep, Displeased, Ditch, Fall, Falleth, Hole, Loose, Lord's, Mouth, Pit, Strange, Therein, Women, Wrath
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 22:14

     4257   pit
     6188   immorality, sexual
     6242   adultery

Library
The Rich and the Poor
Chapel Royal, Whitehall, 1871. Proverbs xxii. 2. "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." I have been asked to preach here this afternoon on behalf of the Parochial Mission Women's Fund. I may best describe the object for which I plead, as an attempt to civilise and Christianise the women of the lower classes in the poorer districts of London and other great towns, by means of women of their own class--women, who have gone through the same struggles as they have,
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

One Lion Two Lions no Lion at All
A sermon (No. 1670) delivered on Thursday Evening, June 8th, 1882, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."--Proverbs 22:13. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets."--Proverbs 26:13. This slothful man seems to cherish that one dread of his about the lions, as if it were his favorite aversion and he felt it to be too much trouble to invent another excuse.
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Formation of Habits.
School Sermon. Proverbs xxii. 6. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." INTRODUCTION.--There is a district, high up in the Black Forest, where the ground is full of springs. It is a plain some nine hundred feet above the sea. Thousands upon thousands of little springs gush out of the soil; you seem to be on the rose of a vast watering-can. Now, from this great source flow a good many rivers, and they flow in very different, nay, opposite directions.
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

The Christian Business World
Scripture references: Proverbs 22:29; Romans 12:11; Psalms 24:1; 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8; Psalm 49:6,10,16,17; 62:10; Matthew 13:22; Mark 10:23,24; Job 31:24-26; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 25:14-30; 24:45-51; 6:19-21; Luke 12:16-21. THE IDEAL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD There is often a wide difference between the methods actually employed in doing business and when they should be. Good men who are in the thick of the battle of competition and rivalry with other firms in the same line of trade, are the quickest
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

Philip and the Emperor
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.--Prov. xxii. 29. Kallias stayed a fortnight under the hospitable roof of Olympias, and during those days he had the pleasure of seeing how greatly his honest and genial simplicity brightened the thoughts both of his hostess and of his friend. The general outline of his own future seemed now to be approximately settled. Like Philip, he had acquired an incurable disgust for Constantinople, with
Frederic William Farrar—Gathering Clouds: A Tale of the Days of St. Chrysostom

He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not
He accuses Abaelard for preferring his own opinions and even fancies to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, especially where he declares that Christ did not become incarnate in order to save man from the power of the devil. 11. I find in a book of his sentences, and also in an exposition of his of the Epistle to the Romans, that this rash inquirer into the Divine Majesty attacks the mystery of our Redemption. He admits in the very beginning of his disputation that there has never been but one conclusion
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

We Shall not be Curious in the Ranking of the Duties in which Christian Love...
We shall not be curious in the ranking of the duties in which Christian love should exercise itself. All the commandments of the second table are but branches of it: they might be reduced all to the works of righteousness and of mercy. But truly these are interwoven through other. Though mercy uses to be restricted to the showing of compassion upon men in misery, yet there is a righteousness in that mercy, and there is mercy in the most part of the acts of righteousness, as in not judging rashly,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Proverbs 22:14 NIV
Proverbs 22:14 NLT
Proverbs 22:14 ESV
Proverbs 22:14 NASB
Proverbs 22:14 KJV

Proverbs 22:14 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Proverbs 22:13
Top of Page
Top of Page