Proverbs 5:7

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry ASV (1901)

What does Proverbs 5:7 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.
Proverbs 5:7 — American Standard Version

Context — Proverbs 5

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
7Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Hear me now therefore, O ye children, etc.] Since such is the character, this the wretched end, and these the ways of the adulterous woman; those that are young in years, and liable to be ensnared by her, should hear what Solomon, or Christ, here says, for their caution and instruction; and especially such who are, or profess themselves to be, the children of God and of Christ; and therefore, as dear children, should be followers of them, and not of an harlot; and depart not from the words of my mouth; the warnings, directions, and exhortations given to avoid the whorish woman; the doctrines of Christ, the truths of the Gospel: these should not be forsaken, but abode by; and also his…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Hear: Pro 4:1, Pro 8:32-36, Pro 22:17-21; Heb 12:25 and depart: Pro 3:21, Pro 4:21 Proverbs 5:8”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“The eighth discourse springs out of the conclusion of the seventh, and connects itself by its reflective מעליה so closely with it that it appears as its continuation; but the new beginning and its contents included in it, referring only to social life, secures its relative independence. The poet derives the warning against intercourse with the adulteress from the preceding discourse, and grounds it on the destructive consequences. 7 And now, ye sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth. 8 Hold thy path far from her neighbourhood, And come not to the door of her house! 9 That thou mayest not give the freshness of thy youth to another, Nor thy years to the cruel one; 10…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification