Proverbs 5:9

Pro 5:9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

Ver. 9. Lest thou give thine honour,] i.e., Whatsoever within thee, or without thee, may make thee honourable or esteemed, as the flower of thine age, the comeliness of thy body, the excellency of thy wit, thy possibility of preferment, that good opinion that the better sort had of thee, &c. How was David slighted by his own children and servants after he had thus sinned! Compare 1Sa 2:30 with 2Sa 12:10. Chastity is a man’s honour. {a} {1Th 4:4}

And their years,] i.e., According to some, Thy wealth that thou hast been many years in gathering; πλουτος quasi πολυετος.

To the cruel.] That is, To the harlot and her bastardly brood, whom thou must maintain. The Hebrews expound it of the devil. To the cruel - i.e., principi gehennae, saith Solomon; angelo morris, saith another; to the Prince of Hell, to this Angel of Death. Aczar, the Hebrew word, properly signifies, saith one, "the poison of the asp," {Deu 32:33} which paineth not at first, but is deadly.

{a} Castus; quasi καστος, ornatus, αγνος, ab αγος, venerabills.

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_5:9

Lest thou give thine honour unto others.

A mans honour sunk in sensuality

A good name is better than precious ointment, but of a good name this abominable sin is the ruin. The credit of David and of Solomon was greatly sunk by it. By it has the honour of thousands been irretrievably lost. Life is a great blessing, and may be regarded as the foundation of every earthly blessing. But unclean persons part with everything that renders life worthy of the name, and in a literal sense, they often give their years unto the cruel. Their lives are lost in the pursuit of this sin by the just judgment of God, by its native consequences, or by the accidents to which it exposes those who practise it. And for what are these years given away? Did men generously part with their lives in the defence of their country, or for the sake of a generous friend, the loss would be amply compensated by honour, and by the pleasure of a good conscience. But how infatuated are they who give their years unto the cruel, who conceal a selfish and malignant heart under the mask of love! All unlawful love is hatred, and all tempters to it are cruel enemies to our happiness. Shall we then gratify inhuman enemies, at the expense of honour and life and everything dear to us? These false friends and malicious enemies rob you of your honour and life, with as much eagerness as if they could enjoy these precious blessings of which you are deprived. (G. Lawson, D.D.)

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

5:9-10 An illicit relationship can be tempting, but it eventually brings shame. If the woman is a prostitute, the young man will have to pay her and thus lose income. If the woman is another man’s wife, he might have to pay her husband (see Lev 20:10).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That is, thy strength and goods to her that will have no pity upon thee: as is read of Samson, and the prodigal son.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

thine honour--in whatever consisting, strength (Pro 3:13) or wealth.

thy years--by cutting them off in dissipation.

unto the cruel--for such the sensual are apt to become.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 9. Lest thou give thine honour] The character of a debauchee is universally detested: by this, even those of noble blood lose their honour and respect.

Thy years unto the cruel] Though all the blandishments of love dwell on the tongue, and the excess of fondness appear in the whole demeanour of the harlot and the prostitute; yet cruelty has its throne in their hearts; and they will rob and murder (when it appears to answer their ends) those who give their strength, their wealth, and their years to them. The unfaithful wife has often murdered her own husband for the sake of her paramour, and has given him over to justice in order to save herself. Murders have often taken place in brothels, as well as robberies; for the vice of prostitution is one of the parents of cruelty.

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

(9) Thine honour.—Rather, freshness, vigour.

Thy years.—The best years of thy life.

Unto the cruel.—That is the temptress herself, or her hangers-on and associates, whose sole idea is plunder.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. others] instead of to thine own, Pro_5:15; Pro_5:17. Comp. Pro_5:10.

the cruel] The Heb. noun is masc. sing. and is intended perhaps vividly to describe the sin with its cruel consequences (Pro_6:26; Pro_6:31-35; Pro_7:22-23; Pro_7:26) as a merciless personal Avenger. LXX. ἀνελεήμοσιν, taking the Heb. word apparently as a collective noun.

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.

Lest thou give thine honour unto others,.... To strumpets, their children, attendants, servants, and friends; that is, either wealth or riches, which make men honourable; or their three, credit, and reputation, which are lost by keeping company with such persons; or the outward comeliness of the body, and inward rigour of the mind, which are impaired by adulterous practices. The Targum renders it, "thy strength"; and so the Syriac version, "thy strength of body", which is enervated by such impurities; see Pro 31:3; compare with this the kings of the earth that commit fornication with the whore of Rome, giving their power and strength to the beast, Rev 17:2. Jarchi's note is,

"lest thine heart has respect to other gods, to give them the glory of thine honour and praise;''

and so understands it not of corporeal but of spiritual adultery or idolatry: the Septuagint and Arabic versions are, "thy life"; which agrees with what follows;

and thy years unto the cruel; youthful years, the flower of age, consumed by the cruel lust of uncleanness, which preys upon and wastes both body and substance, and cuts them off in the prime of days; and deprives of years which otherwise, according to the course of nature, and in all probability, might be arrived unto: so harlots, in Plautus (o), are said to sup the blood of men, and to deprive of goods, light, honour, and friends (p). And the harlot herself may be here meant; who, when she has got what she can, has no pity on the man she has ruined, and even will not stick to take away his life upon occasion; as well as is the cause and means of the damnation of his soul: or the jealous husband of the adulterous woman, who will not spare the adulterer when taken by him; or her brethren, her relations and friends; or her other gallants and co-rivals, who, when they have opportunity, will avenge themselves; or the civil magistrate, who executes judgment without mercy on such delinquents, this being a sin punished with death. Jarchi interprets the "cruel" of the prince of hell, the devil; and so the Midrash of the angel of death. The character well agrees with the antichristian beast, the whore of Rome; who, by her sorceries and fornications, has destroyed millions of souls.

(o) Bacchides, Act. 3. Sc. 1. v. 5. & Sc. 3. v. 67. (p) Truculentus, Act. 2. Sc. 7. v. 20.

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

Thine honor - i. e., “The grace and freshness of thy youth” (compare Hos 14:6; Dan 10:8). The thought of this is to guard the young man against the sins that stain and mar it. The slave of lust sacrifices “years” that might have been peaceful and happy to one who is merciless.

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

Strangers. The world, the flesh, and the devil are such; cruelly devising our ruin. (Worthington)

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).

Thine honour; thy dignity and reputation, the strength and rigour of thy body and mind, which is an honour to a man, and which are commonly wasted by adulterous practices.

Unto others; unto whores, and their husbands, and children, and friends.

Thy years; the flower of thine age, thy youthful years.

Unto the cruel; to the harlot, who though she pretends ardent love and kindness to thee, yet in truth is one of the most cruel creatures in the world, wasting thy estate and, body without the least pity, and then casting thee off with scorn. and contempt; and when her interest requires it, taking away thy very life, of which there are innumerable examples, and damning thy soul for ever.

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

9. Thine honour — הודךְ, thy vigour, bloom, strength; the glory of thy manhood. “Lest thou sacrifice the flower of thine age and thy precious time to one that doth not love thee a jot, but could see thee perish without pity.” — Patrick. Though all the blandishments of love dwell on the tongue, and excessive fondness appear in the whole demeanour of harlots, they will rob and murder those who give their strength and wealth to them.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The reasons why the harlot is to be avoided follow in rapid succession. Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel. The word rendered "honour" (Hebrew, hod) is not so much reputation, as the English implies, as "the grace and freshness of youth." It is so used in Hos_14:6 Dan_10:8. The Vulgate renders "honour," and the LXX, zwh , "life." Hod is derived from the Arabic word signifying "to lift one"s self up," and then "to be eminent, beautiful." Thy years; i.e. the best and most vigorous, and hence the most useful and valuable, years of life. Unto the cruel (Hebrew, l"ak"zari); literally, to the cruel one ; but the adjective akzari is only found in the singular, and may be here used in a collective sense as designating the entourage of the harlot, her associates who prey pitilessly on the youth whom they bring within the range of her fascinations. So Delitzsch. It seems to be so understood by the LXX, which reads anelehmosin , immitentibus; but not so by the Vulgate, which adheres to the singular, crudeli. If we adhere to the gender of the adjective akzari, which is masculine, and to its number, it may designate the husband of the adulteress, who will deal mercilessly towards the paramour of his wife. So Zockler. Again, it may refer, notwithstanding the gender, to the harlot herself (so Vatablus and Holden). who is cruel, who has no love for the youth, and would see him perish without pity. The explanation of Stuart and others, including Ewald, that the "cruel one" is the purchaser of the punished adulterer, is without foundation or warrant, since there is no historical instance on record where the adulterer was reduced to slavery, and the punishment inflicted by the Mosaic code was not slavery, but death, (Num_20:10 Deu_22:22) and, as it appears from Eze_16:40 and Joh_8:5, death from stoning. The adjective akzari, like its equivalent akzar, is derived from the verb kazar, "to break," and occurs again in Pro_11:17 Pro_12:10 Pro_17:11. The moral of the warning is a wasted life.

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

honour - Thy dignity and reputation, the strength of thy body and mind. Years - The flower of thine age. The cruel - To the harlot, who though she pretends love, yet in truth is one of the most cruel creatures in the world, wasting thy estate and body without pity, and damming thy soul forever. 10. Strangers - Not only the strange women themselves, but others who are in league with them. labours - Wealth gotten by thy labours.

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

In that way

"If you do this." This phrase refers to what he has just said in previous verses.

you will not give away your honor to others

Possible meanings for the word "honor" are 1) it refers to one's reputation. AT: "You will not lose your good reputation among other people" or 2) it refers to one's wealth and possessions. AT: "You will not give away your wealth to other people" or 3) it refers to strength and represents the prime years of one's life. AT: "You will not give away the best times of your life to other people"

or years of your life to a cruel person

The writer speaks of a person dying prematurely, possibly by murder, as if the years of his life were items that he gives away to another person. The verb may be supplied from the previous phrase. AT: "or give years of your life to a cruel person" or "or cause a cruel person to kill you while you are still young" (See: Ellipsis and Metaphor)

a cruel person

This may refer to the husband of the adulteress, who will deal cruelly with the person who sleeps with her.

strangers will not feast on your wealth

The writer speaks of people taking and enjoying another person's wealth as if they were feasting on the wealth. AT: "strangers will not take all of your wealth" (See: Metaphor)

what you have worked for will not go into the house of strangers

Here the word "house" represents the person's family. AT: "the things that you have obtained will not end up belonging to the families of strangers" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

honor

life

feast

house

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

lest you give others your glory Lest you turn your heart to other gods to give them the glory of your beauty and your praise.

and your years to a cruel one To the prince of Gehinnom.

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.