For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
Parallel translations
- WEB for her house leads down to death, her paths to the departed spirits.
- BSB For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
- NKJV For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead;
- NASB For her house sinks down to death, And her tracks lead to the dead;
- NLT Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Her house sinks down to death and her paths to the dead. It matters because it warns that sexual sin leads to ruin and death.
Overview
The adulteress's way is depicted as a downward slope toward death and the realm of departed spirits. What seems alluring leads to destruction. The grave consequence underscores the seriousness of the sin and points to our need for the One who delivers from death.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Prov 9:18But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
- 1 Cor 6:9–11Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
- Eph 5:5For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- Rev 21:8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
- Gal 5:19–21Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
- Prov 5:4–14But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
- Prov 6:26–35For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
- Rev 22:15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
- Prov 7:22–27He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 2:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.