Proverbs 5:10 kjv

Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

Proverbs 5:10 nkjv

Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;

Proverbs 5:10 niv

lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another.

Proverbs 5:10 esv

lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,

Proverbs 5:10 nlt

Strangers will consume your wealth,
and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.

Proverbs 5 verses

Proverbs 5 10 Meaning

Proverbs 5:10 serves as a dire warning within a larger discourse against sexual immorality. It vividly portrays the devastating financial and social consequences of pursuing a "strange woman" or adulteress. The verse signifies that one's accumulated wealth and the fruit of all one's hard work will be consumed and exploited by outsiders, rendering the original owner destitute and his labors profitless. It highlights total loss of control, resources, and honor due to illicit choices, where the very substance of one's life becomes a spoil for those without rightful claim.

Proverbs 5 10 Context

Proverbs 5 is a direct admonition from a father figure, personifying Wisdom, to his son regarding the severe perils of sexual immorality. The chapter serves as a stark warning against enticement by the "strange woman" (אִשָּׁה זָרָה, ʾishshah zarah) or the "foreigner" (נָכְרִיָּה, nokriyyah), metaphors for an adulteress or a woman outside the covenant relationship, and specifically outside of marital fidelity. The initial verses (1-6) emphasize listening to wisdom for protection from such dangers. The subsequent verses (7-14) outline the progressively dire consequences of falling victim to her allure. Verse 10 specifically addresses the material ruin, illustrating how succumbing to her lures leads to the depletion of one's accumulated wealth and labor, to the benefit of "strangers" or "foreigners." This counsel reflects the patriarchal and agricultural society of ancient Israel, where land, accumulated wealth, and inherited possessions were central to identity, status, and familial well-being. To lose these meant not just financial destitution but also deep social disgrace and the erosion of one's legacy. The advice aims to protect not just the individual but also the family unit and its continuity.

Proverbs 5 10 Word analysis

• lest (Heb. פֶּן, pen): This conjunction introduces a warning, indicating a negative outcome to be avoided. It highlights the direct cause-and-effect relationship between certain actions (forsaking wisdom) and negative consequences.
• strangers (Heb. זָרִים, zarim): This refers to "outsiders," those alien or not part of one's legitimate family or community. In this context, it could mean those who directly benefit from the immoral relationship (like the strange woman's family or co-conspirators), or generally, unentitled beneficiaries who come to possess what the rightful owner loses. They have no claim by kinship or covenant, yet they gain.
• be filled (Heb. יִשְׂבְּעוּ, yisb'u): From the root שָׂבַע (savaʿ), meaning "to be sated" or "satisfied." It implies a complete consumption, eating until full. Here, it suggests that the "strangers" will gorge themselves on, and totally deplete, the individual's resources, leaving nothing.
• with your wealth (Heb. חֵילֶךָ, cheleka): "Wealth" (חַיִל, chayil) denotes substance, property, resources, or even strength and virtue. In the context of economic loss, it refers to accumulated assets, savings, and general prosperity—everything a man has gained or possesses that brings him standing and security.
• and your labors (Heb. עֲמָלֶךָ, amalecha): "Labors" (עָמָל, amal) refers to toil, pain, effort, and the fruit of hard work. It signifies what was acquired through painful, wearisome effort. This word emphasizes the strenuous work put in, making the loss even more bitter and tragic. It's not just passive wealth, but hard-won achievements.
• be in the house of a foreigner (Heb. בְּבֵית נָכְרִי, b'veit nokhri):
  • house of (בְּבֵית, b'veit): Implies ownership and control. The loss means one's property is now in another's domain.
  • foreigner (נָכְרִי, nokhri): Similar to zar, but nokhri often emphasizes one who is completely alien, detached, or perhaps hostile. It reinforces the idea of total dispossession to an illegitimate claimant, possibly the adulteress's actual family or others benefiting from her machinations. This loss of labor means one's legacy is diverted to a different lineage, a severe disgrace in the ancient Near East.

• "lest strangers be filled with your wealth": This phrase describes the initial stage of loss: one's substance being devoured by unrelated, perhaps undeserving, individuals. It suggests exploitation and confiscation of assets gained legitimately. The shame lies in providing sustenance for those who are not one's own, who may even despise the benefactor.
• "and your labors be in the house of a foreigner": This indicates the complete transference of what one has earned through toil and sweat. It's not merely a partial loss, but the complete appropriation and re-allocation of one's life's work and legacy to an alien entity or family. It underscores absolute control and benefit to the detriment of the original worker and his intended heirs. This highlights the vulnerability of property rights to moral compromise in a social system intertwined with reputation and integrity.

Proverbs 5 10 Bonus section

The concept of "wealth" (chayil) in Proverbs extends beyond mere monetary assets. In Pro 31:10, a "virtuous woman" is called ʾeshet-chayil, implying a woman of strength, capability, and character who contributes to the well-being of the household. Conversely, the loss of chayil in Pro 5:10 implies a loss of not just material goods but also strength, vigor, and the very foundation of one's reputation and household stability. This underscores the comprehensive nature of ruin caused by sexual sin, affecting identity and moral fiber, not just finances. Furthermore, the use of "strangers" and "foreigners" could also subtly allude to those who are alienated from God's covenant, suggesting a spiritual as well as a physical consequence of immorality.

Proverbs 5 10 Commentary

Proverbs 5:10 profoundly encapsulates the economic devastation that is a direct consequence of abandoning moral purity for sexual immorality. The verse illustrates that the path of the adulteress does not only bring shame and physical decay (as described elsewhere in Proverbs) but also directly leads to tangible, material ruin. All the "wealth" (accumulated resources, prestige, and well-being) and "labors" (hard-earned gains, effort, and legacy) become forfeit. They are not simply lost but are actively "filled" by and reside "in the house of a foreigner" – outsiders who reap what they have not sown. This loss signifies a complete inversion of prosperity and the fulfillment of toil, becoming a source of gain for those without legitimate claim. It reveals that unfaithfulness in one area of life—moral integrity—can shatter one's stability and security in every other area, impacting livelihood, reputation, and even the future of one's household.