Proverbs

Proverbs 5:20–21

²⁰Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress,

or embrace the bosom of a stranger?^e

²¹For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,

and the LORD examines^f all his paths.

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	וְלָ֤מָּה	wə·lām·māh	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
be captivated	תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה	ṯiš·geh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7686 go astray, err
my son	בְנִ֣י	ḇə·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1121 son
by an adulteress	בְזָרָ֑ה	ḇə·zā·rāh	Preposition-b; Adjective - feminine singular	H2114 be a stranger
or embrace	וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק	ū·ṯə·ḥab·bêq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H2263 clasp, embrace
the bosom	חֵ֣ק	ḥêq	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2436 bosom
of a stranger	נָכְרִיָּֽה׃	nā·ḵə·rî·yāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H5237 foreign, alien

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
a man’s	אִ֑ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
ways	דַּרְכֵי־	dar·ḵê-	Noun - common plural construct	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
are before	נֹ֨כַח׀	nō·ḵaḥ	Preposition	H5227 front
the eyes	עֵינֵ֣י	‘ê·nê	Noun - cdc	H5869 eye
of the LORD	יְ֭הוָה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
and	מְפַלֵּֽס׃	mə·p̄al·lês	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H6424 weigh, make level
all	וְֽכָל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
his paths	מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו	ma‘·gə·lō·ṯāw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H4570 entrenchment

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Proverbs 5:20 Proverbs 6:24 · Proverbs 7:5

Proverbs 5:21 Hebrews 4:13 · Proverbs 15:3 · Jeremiah 32:19 · Job 34:21 · Psalm 11:4 · Hosea 7:2 · Jeremiah 23:24 · Jeremiah 16:17 · Job 31:4 · Psalm 119:168 · 2 Chronicles 16:9 · Job 14:16

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.