Proverbs chapter 5

vs 12

I'm not sure when exactly you will say this - after you've spent all your youth with your adultress? So you're looking back and seeing how unwise you have been. Of course, the damage is done now, so while you can see with hindsight the fool you have been, it's too late. Hence the reason Solomon is teaching them about it now - in the hope that they don't make the mistake.

vs 13

It is now, too late, that one recognises the wisdom of their instructors. And this attitude of, "If only" is so mournful. Best avoided.

vs 14

Oh yes, don't forget the trouble you get into. I hate to think what sort of carnage an adulterous relationship would cause in a church. I've heard of it, but never seen it happen. Now add stoning.

vs 15

You wouldn't believe the interpretations I've seen of this section. But the basic picture is that you should seek... refreshment from your own wife, rather than someone else's. After all, everyone is married in this culture.

vs 16

Should everyone get to drink what belongs to you? Of course, this might be implicitly suggesting a right to private property, but what it is really talking about is the sanctity of marriage.

vs 17

While I doubt that adultery often happens amongst strangers per se, the comparison is between a married couple and two people not married - they should be strangers by comparison. Also remember that water is a valuable resource in the middle east, and so your family obviously comes first in the great scheme of things.

vs 18

I can't help but thinking the fountain is some sort of innuendo for the penis. It's hard not to read that in there.

I wonder when adulteries often happened - was it early in the arranged marriage, or later in life? We talk about the 7 year itch, but I don't know what it was like back then.

vs 19

Even in old age, the wife of your youth is still the same woman. There should be more to love than simple attraction. The link developed over time spent with someone (particularly important in arranged marriage) is what should be satisfying.

vs 20

It's not that one woman is alike to another in terms of satisfying you - it is that your wife should be better at satisfying your needs than any other woman! But there's also an element of discipline in here too - it is up to the man to keep his focus on his wife.

vs 21

And God is watching, so you should know better than to get up to no good.

vs 22

Plus sinful actions become entrapping - you can become a slave to them, like an addiction.

vs 23

And so eventually the thing that was a bit of fun or whatever becomes an addiction, and then the addiction becomes your all-consuming need, to the point of death. All for the lack of wisdom and discipline.