Proverbs 5:18 kjv

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

Proverbs 5:18 nkjv

Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

Proverbs 5:18 niv

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Proverbs 5:18 esv

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

Proverbs 5:18 nlt

Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Proverbs 5 verses

Proverbs 5 18 Meaning

Proverbs 5:18 exhorts a husband to regard his wife as the blessed, exclusive source of physical intimacy, children, and all domestic life. It commands him to find deep contentment and genuine joy within the sacred covenant of his marriage, particularly with the spouse he committed to in his youth, as a direct antidote to the allure of fleeting, destructive immorality.

Proverbs 5 18 Context

Proverbs chapter 5 serves as a father's stern and loving counsel to his son concerning the grave dangers of sexual immorality and the wisdom of marital fidelity. The preceding verses (Pro 5:3-14) vividly paint a picture of the seductive yet ultimately ruinous path of the "strange woman" (the adulteress), detailing her deceitful allure, her devastating consequences (bitterness, pain, spiritual death, loss of wealth and honor). Verses 15-17 then pivot to positive advice, employing the metaphor of drawing water from one's "own cistern" and "spring" – a call to exclusive fidelity to one's own wife for satisfaction and offspring. Verse 18 builds directly on this, explicitly defining the "fountain" as the wife and commanding active joy and contentment within the marital bond established in youth. Historically, in ancient Israelite society, marriage was the foundation of the family, lineage, and social structure, held in high regard as a divinely instituted covenant. Adultery was a profound violation of this covenant and the broader community's well-being, standing in direct contrast to God's moral law.

Proverbs 5 18 Word analysis

• fountain (מָקוֹר - maqor): Literally "a spring, a wellhead, a source." Here, it is a potent metaphor for one's wife as the exclusive and pure source of marital intimacy, procreation, and the continuation of the family line. The imagery evokes freshness, purity, life-giving flow, and blessed fruitfulness, contrasting sharply with illicit or "stolen waters."
• be blessed (יְהִי בָרוּךְ - yehi barukh): An optative or jussive form, functioning as an imperative wish or prayer. It means 'may it be blessed' or 'let it be blessed by God.' This signifies divine endorsement and approval upon the marriage, implying fruitfulness (both in children and overall well-being), prosperity, and the joyous flourishing of the relationship. It's an active petition for divine favor upon the union.
• rejoice (שִׂמַח - simaḥ): A strong imperative verb meaning "to be glad, to exult, to delight in, to take pleasure." It is not a mere suggestion but a command for the husband to find profound, deep, and continuous satisfaction and pleasure specifically in his own wife. This goes beyond obligation to a state of emotional and physical delight.
• with the wife of thy youth (אֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶיךָ - 'eshet ne'urekha): This phrase emphasizes the enduring and foundational nature of the marriage covenant. "Wife of thy youth" refers to the woman married in one's early life, highlighting the value of long-term faithfulness and the intimate bond that develops over years of shared life. It underscores the importance of cherishing the initial commitment and allowing that relationship to be the exclusive source of marital joy.

• "Let thy fountain be blessed": This phrase encourages the husband to honor, protect, and find divine favor within his marriage. His wife is the "fountain" — the consecrated wellspring of all conjugal blessing and procreation. This positive injunction signifies that God's blessing rests upon faithful marriage, ensuring its fruitfulness and purity. It's a prayerful exhortation to maintain marital sanctity and acknowledge its divine origin and purpose.
• "and rejoice with the wife of thy youth": This is a direct, actionable command for sustained marital happiness. It prescribes actively finding pleasure and contentment in the lifelong relationship forged early in life, fostering deep emotional and physical delight exclusively within that sacred bond. This joy provides the true, lasting satisfaction that counterfeit pleasures can never offer, fortifying the husband against external temptations.

Proverbs 5 18 Bonus section

• This verse completes a four-part thought on sexual morality (Pro 5:15-18): Drink from your water; let your streams be shared with no stranger; let your sources overflow in public; and finally, let your fountain be blessed and rejoice with your own wife.
• The "fountain" metaphor is ancient and cross-cultural, universally recognized as a source of life. By applying it to a wife, the wisdom teacher underscores her essential role in the continuation and vitality of the family line and the deep connection she provides for the husband.
• The emphasis on "youth" speaks to the beauty of a long-term, faithful marriage that deepens and matures over time, offering a richness that cannot be found in fleeting illicit encounters.
• The advice implicitly recognizes the intense power of sexual desire and directs it towards its God-ordinained context within a faithful, exclusive, and joyous marital covenant. It asserts that true satisfaction is found within God's boundaries, not outside them.

Proverbs 5 18 Commentary

Proverbs 5:18 delivers a powerful, positive injunction to marital fidelity, directly countering the allure of infidelity presented earlier in the chapter. It elevates marriage as the sole and divinely blessed source of sexual intimacy and procreation, urging the husband to cherish his wife as his personal, life-giving "fountain." The command to "rejoice" goes beyond mere abstinence from sin; it calls for a proactive cultivation of profound pleasure and deep contentment within the exclusive, lifelong bond with "the wife of thy youth." This highlights God's design for marriage as a sphere not only of duty but also of genuine, satisfying joy and flourishing. It teaches that true fulfillment in this area is found not by wandering, but by watering and nurturing the one pure source God has provided, resulting in spiritual, emotional, and physical blessedness.