Should your springs overflow into the street, Streams of water in the public squares?
Parallel translations
- WEB Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?
- KJV Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
- BSB Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
- NKJV Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets?
- NLT Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone?
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
Should your springs be scattered abroad in the streets? Marital love and faithfulness are not to be squandered outside the marriage.
Overview
The imagery of springs overflowing in public squares warns against dissipating one's love and sexuality outside the marriage bond. What is meant to be cherished within marriage is wasted and defiled when spread abroad. The verse reinforces the call to faithful, exclusive love (v. 17).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ps 128:3Your wife will be as a fruitful vine, in the innermost parts of your house; your children like olive plants, around your table.
- Ps 127:3Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward.
- Ps 68:26“Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!”
- Deut 33:28Israel dwells in safety; the fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine. Yes, his heavens drop down dew.
- Gen 24:60They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.”
- Judg 12:9He had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside his clan for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.
- Isa 48:21They didn’t thirst when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 5:16 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.