Proverbs 5:23
He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Original Language Analysis
ה֗וּא
H1931
ה֗וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
1 of 7
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
יָ֭מוּת
He shall die
H4191
יָ֭מוּת
He shall die
Strong's:
H4191
Word #:
2 of 7
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
בְּאֵ֣ין
H369
מוּסָ֑ר
without instruction
H4148
מוּסָ֑ר
without instruction
Strong's:
H4148
Word #:
4 of 7
properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint
Cross References
Job 36:12But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.Job 4:21Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.Proverbs 14:32The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.Proverbs 10:21The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.Psalms 81:12So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.Proverbs 14:14The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
Historical Context
Mosaic Law prescribed death for adultery (Leviticus 20:10), though enforcement varied. Beyond legal execution, adultery produced social death (disgrace, exclusion), relational death (broken families), and spiritual death (covenant violation). Proverbs emphasizes all these dimensions - folly's consequences are comprehensively deadly.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'death' (social, relational, spiritual) results from folly you've observed or experienced?
- How does recognizing sin's deadly consequences motivate receptivity to instruction?
- What specific instruction, if heeded, would prevent death (in some form) in your life?
Analysis & Commentary
The fool dies for lack of instruction, led astray by his great folly. The Hebrew 'muwth' (die) and 'shagah' (go astray/err) describe fatal wandering. Refusing instruction doesn't lead to freedom but death. The 'greatness' of folly isn't admirable magnitude but destructive enormity. This verse summarizes chapter 5's warning: sexual immorality, rooted in rejecting wisdom, leads to death - social, spiritual, potentially physical.