Proverbs 6:35 kjv
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
Proverbs 6:35 nkjv
He will accept no recompense, Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
Proverbs 6:35 niv
He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.
Proverbs 6:35 esv
He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
Proverbs 6:35 nlt
He will accept no compensation,
nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.
Proverbs 6 35 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Severity of Adultery / Covenant Breaking | ||
| Ex 20:14 | “You shall not commit adultery.” | One of the Ten Commandments, signifying its absolute prohibition. |
| Lev 20:10 | If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, both the adulterer and… | Prescribes death for both parties in ancient Israel, showing severity. |
| Deut 22:22 | If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them | Reinforces the death penalty under the Mosaic Law. |
| Pr 5:8-14 | Keep your way far from her... lest strangers feast on your wealth... | The cost and ruin caused by immorality, including financial and reputational. |
| Pr 6:32 | But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; Whoever does so destroys himself. | Emphasizes self-destruction, internal damage, beyond external payment. |
| Mal 2:13-16 | The Lord was a witness between you and the wife of your youth... | God witnesses and despises covenant breaking, especially in marriage. |
| Mt 5:27-28 | You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you | Jesus expands adultery to include lust, showing its depth of offense to God. |
| Mk 10:11-12 | “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery…” | Jesus’ teaching on the indissolubility of marriage and severity of adultery. |
| Heb 13:4 | Let marriage be held in honor among all... for God will judge the sexually immoral | Marriage is sacred; sexual sin incurs divine judgment. |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral... nor adulterers... | Adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God, emphasizing eternal consequences. |
| Eph 5:3-6 | But sexual immorality and all impurity or greed must not even be named among | Warning against such sins, as God's wrath comes upon the disobedient. |
| Irreparable Loss / Insufficient Ransom | ||
| Num 35:31-32 | You shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty... | Life is too precious for monetary compensation; a similar principle of ultimate offense. |
| 1 Sam 2:25 | If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone | Eli warns that a sin against the Lord (or severe sin) has no intercessor. |
| Ps 49:7-9 | Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life... | Human wealth cannot purchase salvation or ransom a life from death or God's judgment. |
| Pr 6:27-28 | Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? | Rhetorical questions emphasizing unavoidable painful consequences for sin. |
| Pr 6:31 | But if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though he may have to give up | Contrasts the thief (who can pay) with the adulterer (who cannot truly restore). |
| Pr 28:13 | Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses | Confession leads to mercy, contrasting with bribery or concealment. |
| Divine Justice & Unappeasable Wrath (Analogy) | ||
| Deut 32:41-42 | If I sharpen My flashing sword... I will render vengeance on My adversaries | God's wrath is not appeased by bribes when justice is demanded. |
| Rom 1:18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness... | God's righteous anger against sin is real and cannot be bought off. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality... hatred... | These works earn condemnation, not an escape through payment. |
| The True, Only Ransom (Contrast) | ||
| Mk 10:45 | For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life | Jesus as the ultimate and effective ransom (λύτρον - lytron) for many sins. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | knowing that you were ransomed... not with perishable things such as silver | Christ's precious blood is the true ransom, unlike material wealth which fails. |
| Rom 3:24-25 | and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in | Christ's sacrifice (propitiation, covering, atonement) is the divine payment for sin. |
| Pr 21:14 | A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe behind the back strong wrath. | While earthly gifts can appease, adultery's offense is of a different, deeper category. |
Proverbs 6 verses
Proverbs 6 35 Meaning
Proverbs 6:35 powerfully conveys that the injury caused by adultery is so profound and personal that it cannot be mitigated or resolved through any form of financial payment, compensation, or bribe. The wronged husband's fury and personal indignation are beyond appeasement by material wealth, emphasizing the grave, irreparable nature of the offense against marriage and honor. This highlights that some trespasses carry a weight and consequence that money can never undo.
Proverbs 6 35 Context
Proverbs 6:35 is the culmination of a lengthy admonition against sexual immorality (Proverbs 5:1-23 and 6:20-35). Specifically, it falls within a warning to a young man about the allure and devastating consequences of adultery with another man's wife. The earlier verses (6:27-29) use vivid imagery of fire to illustrate the inescapable harm adultery brings, and 6:30-31 contrast it with the crime of theft. While a thief, though condemned, might repay his debt sevenfold, the sin of adultery is shown to be far more grievous because its harm extends beyond material restitution. It wounds deeply, brings perpetual reproach, and awakens an unyielding, passionate wrath in the wronged husband (6:32-34). Historically, in ancient Israelite society, marriage was a sacred covenant, a foundational institution, and the bedrock of family honor. Adultery was not merely a private transgression but a public scandal that disgraced the family and could even result in the death penalty under Mosaic Law (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22). The husband's "fury" (Pr 6:34) was both a reflection of personal betrayal and a representation of societal outrage against a crime that violated deeply held values and covenants, undermining social order and trust.
Proverbs 6 35 Word analysis
- He will accept (h2)
- He will accept (h2) (לֹא יִשָּׂא - lo yisa): The negative particle lo (not) combined with yisa, from the verb nasa, meaning to lift, carry, bear, or take. Here, it denotes an emphatic refusal; he will not "lift up" or "take" in payment. It signifies a complete unwillingness to receive, acknowledging the offer but firmly rejecting its validity or power to reconcile.
- no ransom (h2) (כֹּל כֹּפֶר - kol kop̄er): Kol means 'all' or 'any,' indicating the utter futility of any amount. Kop̄er refers to a bribe, ransom, or atonement money. This word is significant as it denotes a covering or a price paid to avert penalty or satisfy a claim. However, unlike certain other offenses or the spiritual "ransom" of Christ, this earthly payment is declared inadequate for adultery.
- he will not be appeased (h2)
- he will not be appeased (h2) (וְלֹא יֹאבֶה - welo' yo've): Welo' means 'and not.' Yo've comes from the verb avah, meaning to be willing, consent, desire, or yield. This phrase conveys an absolute and uncompromising refusal to relent or forgive. The wronged husband's desire for retribution is so intense that he remains entirely unwilling to be mollified, irrespective of the proposed compensation.
- no matter how great the bribe (h2)
- no matter how great the bribe (h2) (וְאִם-תַּרְבֶּה־שֹׁחַד - we'im tarbeh-shōḥad): We'im means 'and if,' indicating a conditional phrase "even if you increase." Tarbeh, from rabah, means to increase, multiply, or make great, emphasizing the extent of the offering. Shōḥad means a gift or bribe. The entire phrase underscores that no matter how lavish or substantial the monetary offering, it will not pacify the deep-seated rage and resolve for retribution from the aggrieved party.
Words-Group analysis (h2)
- "He will accept no ransom": This phrase asserts the absolute worthlessness of monetary payment as a means to atone for adultery. Unlike theft where restitution is possible, this sin creates a damage beyond financial repair, suggesting a moral and personal wound rather than a material one.
- "he will not be appeased, no matter how great the bribe": This strong double negative reinforces the husband's unwavering fury. It signifies that the pain, betrayal, and violation of trust are so profound that no amount of money, regardless of its magnitude, can assuage his righteous indignation or purchase his forgiveness. It is a debt that money simply cannot pay.
Proverbs 6 35 Bonus section
This verse implicitly contrasts earthly justice systems with the profound spiritual reality of certain sins. While in many human contexts, financial reparations can serve to pacify or restore, adultery highlights a category of offense that cuts so deeply into the fabric of relationships and covenant that no monetary kop̄er (ransom/atonement price) is sufficient. This can be understood as an analogy for spiritual truths:
- Irreparability of some consequences: Just as money cannot buy forgiveness from the enraged husband, some moral damages or spiritual consequences of sin cannot be undone or avoided through human effort or material offerings.
- The exclusive nature of true atonement: In theological terms, the ultimate kopher for humanity's sins against God is not material wealth or human deeds, but the precious blood of Jesus Christ, His perfect and complete sacrifice on the cross (1 Pet 1:18-19). This true divine ransom is the only means by which divine wrath against sin can be genuinely appeased and forgiveness secured, starkly contrasting with the futility of human payment in Proverbs 6:35.
Proverbs 6 35 Commentary
Proverbs 6:35 stands as a stark warning against adultery, revealing its distinct severity compared to other offenses. Unlike theft, which could often be repaid, sometimes sevenfold (Pr 6:31), the profound injury of adultery – violating marriage, family honor, and personal trust – is not financially rectifiable. The wronged husband’s rage is not merely an emotional outburst but a righteous indignation born of a deep personal violation, making him utterly unyielding to any monetary appeasement. This verse underscores that some betrayals carry an intrinsic weight that no amount of wealth can counterbalance or forgive, leading to unavoidable and unappeasable consequences. It emphasizes that preserving moral integrity and fidelity far outweighs any fleeting pleasure, as the damage from this particular sin leaves an indelible, irredeemable mark that transcends all material considerations.