Proverbs 5:23 kjv
He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Proverbs 5:23 nkjv
He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Proverbs 5:23 niv
For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.
Proverbs 5:23 esv
He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.
Proverbs 5:23 nlt
He will die for lack of self-control;
he will be lost because of his great foolishness.
Proverbs 5 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:29 | If only they were wise and would understand this... they would discern their final destiny. | Lack of wisdom prevents understanding destiny. |
| Psa 73:17-19 | until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. Surely you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! | Folly leads to sudden destruction. |
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. | Directly links despising instruction with folly. |
| Prov 1:29-32 | Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD... Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way... For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them. | Rejecting instruction leads to self-destruction. |
| Prov 6:23 | For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life. | Discipline and instruction lead to life, contrasting death here. |
| Prov 8:36 | but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death. | To reject wisdom is to embrace death. |
| Prov 10:21 | The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. | Folly directly leads to death. |
| Prov 10:14 | The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near. | Contrast of wisdom and folly in outcomes. |
| Prov 12:1 | Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. | Those who reject discipline are fools. |
| Prov 13:18 | Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. | Consequences of ignoring instruction. |
| Prov 15:10 | There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. | Strong link between hating reproof and death. |
| Prov 15:32 | Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains understanding. | Ignoring instruction shows self-contempt. |
| Isa 44:20 | He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray... | Folly is a delusion leading astray. |
| Jer 2:19 | Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God. | Consequences of abandoning God. |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from being a priest to me. | Lack of knowledge (wisdom) leads to destruction. |
| Matt 7:26-27 | And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. | Illustrates the destructive outcome of folly and not obeying teaching. |
| Rom 1:21-25 | For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools... | Folly as a deep-seated spiritual issue, turning from truth. |
| Gal 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. | Spiritual principle of cause and effect applied to actions stemming from folly. |
| Eph 4:18-19 | They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. | Describes spiritual alienation from ignorance (lack of discipline) and folly, leading to moral depravity. |
| Jas 1:15 | Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | Sin, stemming from uncontrolled desires and folly, culminates in death. |
| 2 Pet 2:18-19 | For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensuality people who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. | Connects folly with leading others astray through sensual deception, resulting in spiritual slavery and corruption. |
Proverbs 5 verses
Proverbs 5 23 Meaning
Proverbs 5:23 conveys a stark warning: the ultimate destruction of an individual stems from a profound rejection of divine instruction and a stubborn embrace of foolishness. The absence of disciplinary correction, coupled with deep-seated folly, inevitably leads one to err from the righteous path, resulting in spiritual, relational, and sometimes even physical death. It underscores the critical necessity of heeding wisdom's guidance to avoid ruin.
Proverbs 5 23 Context
Proverbs chapter 5 is a direct warning from a father to his son concerning the destructive lure of the adulterous woman. The entire chapter serves as an impassioned plea to remain loyal to one's own spouse and to avoid illicit sexual entanglements. The chapter details the short-term enticements, the insidious dangers, and the bitter, devastating consequences of giving in to such temptation, contrasting the sweet beginnings with a bitter end (v. 4). Verse 23 acts as a conclusive summary statement, generalizing the dire fate of those who reject wisdom's path, epitomized by succumbing to forbidden pleasure. It is the culmination of the negative consequences elaborated upon in the preceding verses (v. 7-22), emphasizing that this destructive path is taken by those who reject guidance. The broader context of Proverbs is wisdom literature, instructing young men (and all people) on living righteously, emphasizing the fear of the Lord, discerning right from wrong, and avoiding the paths of folly that lead to ruin. This specific verse underscores that true wisdom involves disciplined self-control and an open ear to divine and parental instruction.
Proverbs 5 23 Word analysis
- He dies: Hebrew: מֵת ( meth ). This verb signifies a terminal state. While it can mean physical death, in the context of Proverbs' ethical warnings, it often refers to a profound spiritual and relational ruin—the complete destruction of one's life, reputation, health, and future prospects, culminating in utter despair and separation from God's favor. It implies perishing or being brought to nought.
- for lack of: Hebrew: בְּאֵין ( b'ein ). This prepositional phrase means "in the absence of," "because there is no," or "for want of." It denotes a causative void; the death is not an arbitrary event but a direct result of something missing.
- discipline: Hebrew: מוּסָר ( musar ). A key term in Proverbs, encompassing instruction, correction, chastisement, moral training, and guidance. It refers to the consistent teaching and reproof necessary for moral development. This musar originates from God, through parents, and wise teachers (Prov 1:7; 3:11; 4:13). Its absence leads to devastating consequences.
- and because of his great: Hebrew: וּבְרֹב ( uverov ). The "u" (וּ) is "and," indicating a reinforcing cause. "Berov" (בְּרֹב) means "in the abundance of," "by the greatness of," or "on account of much." It signifies that the folly is not incidental but deeply entrenched and extensive, a dominant characteristic.
- folly: Hebrew: אִוַּלְתּוֹ ( ivvalto ). This term describes profound moral and intellectual foolishness. Unlike simple ignorance, ivvalto implies an active aversion to wisdom and a stubborn adherence to perverted ways, particularly a defiance against God's order. It is an intrinsic condition of one's being, manifesting in wrong choices and behaviors, and contrasted sharply with wisdom (Prov 14:8; 27:22).
- he is led astray: Hebrew: יִשְׁגֶּה ( yishgeh ). This verb means "to err," "to wander," "to go astray," "to be mistaken." It indicates a deviation from the correct path, often implying unintended wandering but resulting from a fundamental error in judgment or character. The active voice suggests self-induced error driven by internal folly. It's the inevitable trajectory of the foolish.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "He dies for lack of discipline": This phrase establishes a direct causal link. The path to destruction is paved by a void—the absence of essential moral training and correction. It implies that wisdom's teachings, parental guidance, and God's law are life-giving, and to lack or reject them is to embrace a deadly path. This "discipline" (musar) is foundational for proper living and avoids ruin.
- "and because of his great folly he is led astray": This second clause explains why the discipline is lacking or ineffective and how death comes about. The deep-seated, abundant folly (ivvalto) in the individual prevents them from valuing or accepting discipline. This internal spiritual and moral corruption then causes them to inherently err (yishgeh) from the right way. Folly isn't just passive ignorance; it actively guides one onto misguided, destructive paths. The two clauses together show that a life without guidance, built upon a foundation of stubborn foolishness, inexorably leads to a ruined end. The "death" is not merely physical cessation but the full disintegration of life, character, and relationship with God due to choosing perverse paths.
Proverbs 5 23 Bonus section
The verse powerfully connects intellectual/moral deficiency ("folly") with a lack of openness to guidance ("discipline"), culminating in existential "death." This "death" in Proverbs extends beyond the mere cessation of breath to signify a profound loss of one's true potential, standing, peace, and ultimate well-being in all facets of life. It implies a state of being utterly undone. The cumulative effect of many seemingly small errors, each born of folly and undisciplined choice, ultimately manifests in this "great folly" and leads one irrevocably "astray." This is a stark warning that straying from God's wisdom is not a minor detour but a fatal journey.
Proverbs 5 23 Commentary
Proverbs 5:23 powerfully distills the consequence of spiritual neglect and willful foolishness. The verse posits a two-pronged pathway to destruction: externally, the "lack of discipline" (מוּסָר, musar), and internally, the abundance of "folly" (אִוַּלְתּוֹ, ivvalto). These two are intrinsically linked. An individual dies because they have either never received vital instruction or, more likely, have consistently rejected it. This rejection is rooted in a heart saturated with folly—a stubborn, morally perverse mind that disdains wisdom and righteousness. This "death" is a comprehensive ruin, encompassing spiritual alienation, relational breakdown, loss of reputation, and potentially physical suffering (as implied earlier in Prov 5 with sexually transmitted diseases or general deterioration). It is not an arbitrary punishment, but the natural and inevitable outcome of a life lived contrary to divine order. To be "led astray" means to deviate from the correct, life-giving path, highlighting that folly actively directs one into dangerous error. This verse underscores the critical importance of actively embracing correction and cultivating wisdom to avert ruin, emphasizing personal responsibility for one's choices and their consequences.