Proverbs 5:16

Pro 5:16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, [and] rivers of waters in the streets.

Ver. 16. Let thy fountains be dispersed.] "Thy fountains," that is, thy children. Let thine end in marrying be, that thou mayest have a numerous offspring, that may be as an infantry to the kingdom of heaven. Lawful marriage is usually blessed with many children; and the contrary. {Hos 4:10} Erasmus tells of one Combe, a young woman in Euboea, that being married to one whom she liked, became mother and grandmother to a hundred children. {a} The same author tells of an Englishman, a cripple, that married a blind woman, lived very lovingly with her, and had by her twelve lusty boys, that had no defect or deformity. {b}

{a} Erasm. in Chiliad.

{b} Erasm. De Instit. Matrim.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro_5:16

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad.

The children of marriage

Streams of children. Unlawful intercourse is often barren.

I. Children of lawful marriage are like rivers.

1. In plenty. Gods blessing goes with marriage.

2. In purity. Pure fountains bring forth pure streams.

3. In spreading abroad.

4. In profitableness.

II. Children are a great part of the comforts of marriage.

1. Because they are a part of both their parents.

2. Because they are a firm bond of love, peace, and reconciliation to both their parents.

III. Parents need not be ashamed of their children.

1. Because they come into the world Gods way, and that brings no shame with it.

2. Because there is hope that they will be good.

3. Being well-bred, they may come to preferment in the State.

4. They are likely to have honourable posterity. (Francis Taylor, B. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro 5:16-17. Let thy fountains — Rather, thy streams, as Dr. Waterland renders the word, that is, thy children, proceeding from thy wife, called thy fountain, Pro 5:18, and from thyself; be dispersed abroad — They shall be multiplied, and in due time appear abroad in the world, to thy comfort and honour, and for the good of others; whereas harlots are commonly barren, and men are ashamed to own the children of whoredom. Let them be only thine own — “Children that acknowledge no other father, because they spring from one whom thou enjoyest (like a fountain in thy own ground) thyself alone: she being taught, by thy confining thyself to her, never to admit any stranger to thy bed.” — Bishop Patrick.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad] Let thy children lawfully begotten be numerous.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. Let thy fountains] This rendering (retained in R.V. marg.) gives a good sense: purity of married life (Pro_5:15) will diffuse itself abroad like streams from a fountain, in a numerous family, and in wholesome influences: but only by such purity can these advantages be secured (Pro_5:17).

The rendering of R.V. text, Should thy springs &c. with a note of interrogation at the end of the verse, makes however the connection of thought in Pro_5:15-17 more clear, and is a return to the warning of the earlier verses of the chapter.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad,.... Or "shall abound", as the Targum; that is, streams of water from fountains; which Aben Ezra interprets of a multitude of children, namely, that are lawfully begotten: the "fountains" are the man and his wife in lawful marriage; the streams are their offspring lawfully procreated by them; which may be said to be "dispersed abroad", when being grown up they are disposed of in marriage in other families, and so become fountains to others, and public blessings;

and rivers of waters in the streets; meaning a numerous posterity as before; and such as a man is not ashamed publicly to own, whereas he is ashamed of such as are unlawfully begotten; but these are to his honour in the streets, and for public good; and particularly to those to whom they are given in marriage; see Isa 48:1. Jarchi interprets this of multiplying disciples, and of teaching them the law publicly, and of getting a name thereby; but it might be interpreted much better of spreading the doctrines of the Gospel, and of the public ministry and profession of that, for the good of others.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Wedded love streams forth in blessing on all around, on children and on neighbors and ill the streets, precisely because the wife’s true love is given to the husband only.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Waters. Mayst thou have a numerous offspring, (ver. 10.) and be liberal. Many copies of the Septuagint, &c., have a negation, with Aquila, "let not thy," &c., (Calmet) though it my be read with and interrogation, "are the waters of thy fountain to be?" &c. (De Dieu) --- By not means. Origen (in Numbers xii.) acknowledges both readings. (Calmet) --- Good instructions must be given to those who are well disposed, but not to scoffers, or obstinate infidels. (Worthington) --- Husbands are exhorted to be content with their own wives, (ver. 15, 20.) so that the negative particle seems to be here wanting, as it is, chap. vi. 17., in Manuscript 60, (Kennicott) and chap. xiv. 33. (Septuagint, &c.) (Capellus)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Thy fountains; thy children proceeding from thy wife, called thy fountain, Pro 5:18, and from thyself, as the Israelites are said to come from the fountain of Israel, Deu 33:28; Psa 68:26. Compare Isa 51:1. And fountains are here put for rivers flowing from them, as it is explained in the next clause, and as it is Psa 104:10, by a metonymy of the cause for the effect. And this title may be the more fitly given to children, because as they are rivers in respect of their parents, so when they grow up, they also become fountains to their children.

Be dispersed abroad; they shall be multiplied, and in due time appear abroad in the world to thy comfort and honour, and for the good of others; whereas whores are commonly barren, and men are ashamed to own the children of whoredom.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. The figurative language is still continued, and under the terms "fountains" and "rivers of waters," are to be understood children, the legitimate issue of lawful marriage. So Aben Ezra and the majority of modern commentators, Schultens, Doderlein, Holden, Muenscher, Noyes, Wardlaw, etc. The meaning appears to be, "Let thy marriage be blessed with many children, who may go forth abroad for the public good." Other interpretations have been adopted. Thus:

(1) Delitzsch takes the words fountans and "rivers of waters" as used figuratively for the procreative power, and renders, "Shall thy streams flow abroad, and water brooks in the streets?" and interprets, "Let generative power act freely and unrestrainedly within the marriage relation.

(2) Schultens and Dathe, followed by Holden, regard the verse as expressing a conclusion on the preceding, "Then shall thy springs be dispersed abroad, even rivers of waters in the streets." The objection to this is that it necessitates the insertion of the copulative vau (w) before the verb, yaphutzu, "be dispersed.

(3) Zockler and Hitzig read the verse interrogatively, "Shall thy streams flow abroad as water brooks in the streets?" on the analogy of Pro_6:30 and Psa_56:7.

(4) The reading of the LXX, adopted by Origen, Clemens Alexandrinus, places a negative before the verb, Mh uperekceisyw , i.e. "Let not thy waters flow beyond thy fountain;" i.e. "confine thyself to thy wife." Fountains. The Hebrew ma"yanim, plural of mayan, derived from ayin ("a fountain") with the formative men, is rather a stream or rill water flowing on the surface of the ground. It is used, however, of a fountain itself in Gen_7:11 Gen_8:2. Rivers of waters (Hebrew, pal"gey-mayim); rather, water courses, or water brooks. (cf. Job_38:25) The peleg represents the various streams into which the mayan, "fountain," divides itself at its source or in its course. We find the same expression, pal"gey-mayim, used of tears in Psa_119:136 Lam_3:48. It occurs again in our book in Pro_21:1, "The king"s heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of waters (pal"gey mayim)." On "abroad" (Hebrew, khutz), and "in the streets" (r"khovoth), see Pro_1:20.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Fountains - Thy children proceeding from thy wife and from thyself. Fountains are here put for rivers flowing from them. Dispersed - They shall in due time appear abroad to thy comfort, and for the good of others.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

May your springs spread out In the end you will acquire disciples, and you will promulgate decisions in public, and you will gain a reputation.

in the squares of the city the rivulets of your water shall spread.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.