Proverbs 5:16 kjv

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

Proverbs 5:16 nkjv

Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets?

Proverbs 5:16 niv

Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?

Proverbs 5:16 esv

Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?

Proverbs 5:16 nlt

Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
having sex with just anyone?

Proverbs 5 verses

Proverbs 5 16 Meaning

Proverbs 5:16 is a rhetorical question that continues the admonition against sexual immorality and exhortation to marital fidelity found in the preceding verses. Metaphorically, it asks whether one should allow their "springs" (a direct reference to their seminal fluid, reproductive capacity, or metaphorically, their children and lineage) to be "dispersed abroad" or their "streams of water" to flow "in the streets." This imagery strongly implies a warning against sharing one's intimate life and procreative power outside the sacred boundaries of marriage, specifically with those who are not one's legitimate spouse. The implied answer to this rhetorical question is a definitive "no," underscoring the severe negative consequences—both physical and relational—of such actions, leading to illegitimate offspring, a squandered legacy, and public shame.

Proverbs 5 16 Context

Proverbs chapter 5 is a fervent parental instruction (likely from a father) to a son, warning him sternly against the seduction of the "forbidden woman" or "adulteress" (אִשָּׁה זָרָה, ʾishshah zarah / אֵשֶׁת נָכְרִיָּה, ʾeshet nokhriyyah). The chapter highlights the deceptive charm of this woman, her smooth words, and the bitter, sharp, and deadly consequences that inevitably follow involvement with her. Immediately preceding verse 16, verse 15 advises the son to "Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well," an explicit metaphor for confining one's sexual and procreative intimacy to one's own wife. Verse 16 directly follows, posing a rhetorical question about the folly of doing the opposite. The subsequent verses (17-23) reinforce the necessity of exclusivity, rejoice in marital fidelity, and depict the final, inescapable ruin of those who fall prey to the adulteress. Historically and culturally, in ancient Israelite society, lineage, legitimate offspring, and the purity of the family line were paramount for inheritance, tribal identity, and maintaining the social fabric. Illegitimate children and promiscuity threatened the very foundations of the family unit and brought profound shame and disenfranchisement. The text polemicizes against the prevalent moral laxity and idol worship often associated with pagan fertility cults and practices where sexual activity outside marriage was normalized.

Proverbs 5 16 Word analysis

• Should your (הַיָּפ֤וּצוּ - ha-yaputsū): The Hebrew ha- prefixed to the verb forms a rhetorical question, indicating that the implied answer is a strong "no." It underscores the unacceptability and folly of the proposed action.
• springs (מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ - ma'yānōteyka): Derived from ma'yan, meaning "spring," "fountain," or "source of water." In this context, it is a powerful metaphor for one's life-giving fluid (semen) and, by extension, one's children, offspring, and the vitality of their family line and legacy. It signifies the very source of procreation.
• be dispersed abroad (יָפוּצוּ - yāpūtsū): From the root פּוּץ (pûṣ), meaning "to scatter," "to disperse," "to be spread out." This verb denotes a loss of control, an uncontained spreading, and implies distributing something (in this case, one's sexual vitality and potential for offspring) promiscuously and beyond its legitimate, designated bounds (i.e., outside the marriage covenant).
• streams of water (וּפְלַגּ֥וֹת מַ֗יִם - ūpəlaḡḡōṯ mâyim): Pelaḡḡoṯ (plural of peleq) refers to "streams," "canals," or "channels of water." This phrase reinforces the imagery of "springs," emphasizing the potential abundance of one's generative power. Mayim is simply "water."
• in the streets (בַּחוּצֹֽות - bakhûṣōṯ): From khûts, meaning "outside," "street," "public place," "open area." This contrasts sharply with the intimacy and privacy of the marriage bed or "own cistern" (Proverbs 5:15). It vividly paints a picture of a publicly known, uncontrolled, and illegitimate sharing of one's procreative life, leading to shame and a degraded reputation, where one's heritage is diluted and dishonored in public view.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Should your springs be dispersed abroad": This phrase graphically poses the question of whether one would allow the source of their life, vitality, and potential legacy (their sexual power and progeny) to be uncontainably spilled or scattered. It is a stark image of misdirection and squandering, a fundamental breaking of the divine design for intimacy and family.
• "streams of water in the streets?": This elaborates on the consequence of the first phrase, depicting the shameful public display and tragic waste of one's life-giving essence and lineage. It signifies the illegitimate dispersal of offspring or the act of procreation occurring in common, unregulated, and dishonorable settings, outside the protection and sanctity of the covenant of marriage. Such "streams" bring no lasting blessing but rather lead to impurity and loss of standing.

Proverbs 5 16 Bonus section

The metaphor of water—whether spring, fountain, or cistern—is highly significant in the ancient Near East, where water sources were essential for survival, prosperity, and life itself. To have one's "springs" dispersed "in the streets" implies a squandering of life, resources, and vitality in a wasteful and ultimately futile manner, directly contrasting with the precious, life-sustaining nature of contained and well-channeled water. In Israelite culture, the purity of a family's lineage and the legitimacy of its children were paramount, deeply connected to tribal identity, inheritance, and the passing on of blessings (Deut 23:2). To "scatter seed" outside marriage was to violate this core value, creating potential legal, social, and spiritual complexities, as illegitimate children did not have the same standing within the community. The rhetorical question here implicitly contrasts the blessings of controlled fruitfulness within the marriage covenant (which Proverbs upholds as "blessed" in v. 18) with the chaotic and barren nature of infidelity.

Proverbs 5 16 Commentary

Proverbs 5:16 is a rhetorical question that functions as a strong dissuasion from sexual infidelity. Following the metaphor of "drinking from your own well" (verse 15), this verse challenges the listener to consider the disastrous implications of allowing one's intimate life to extend beyond the exclusive bounds of marriage. The "springs" and "streams of water" represent the man's sexual potency, his children, and the purity of his family line. To have them "dispersed abroad" or "in the streets" signifies fathering illegitimate children, spreading one's procreative essence indiscriminately, and, by extension, compromising the sanctity of one's lineage and heritage. This action is not only morally condemned but leads to severe practical consequences: the blurring of legitimate family lines, potential loss of inheritance, the public shame of promiscuity, and the undermining of societal order based on defined family structures. It emphasizes the importance of exclusivity in marriage for the sake of the individual, the spouse, the children, and the broader community, warning against the futility and destructive nature of seeking gratification outside God's design.