Proverbs Chapter 5 · Verse 5
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Original Language Analysis
רַ֭גְלֶיהָ
Her feet
H7272
רַ֭גְלֶיהָ
Her feet
Strong's:
H7272
Word #:
1 of 6
a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda
יֹרְד֣וֹת
go down
H3381
יֹרְד֣וֹת
go down
Strong's:
H3381
Word #:
2 of 6
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
מָ֑וֶת
to death
H4194
מָ֑וֶת
to death
Strong's:
H4194
Word #:
3 of 6
death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin
שְׁ֝א֗וֹל
on hell
H7585
שְׁ֝א֗וֹל
on hell
Strong's:
H7585
Word #:
4 of 6
hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates
Historical Context
Reflects ancient understanding of sheol as place of the dead. The verse warns that adultery's path leads to premature death temporally and spiritual death eternally.
Questions for Reflection
- What sins in your life are 'going down to death' requiring immediate reversal?
- How does the gospel provide escape from sin's death-trajectory already begun?
Analysis & Commentary
Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on hell (sheol - grave, death, underworld). The path of adultery leads inexorably to destruction - not merely risk but certainty. The vivid imagery of descending to sheol emphasizes sexual sin's deadly trajectory. While applied specifically to adultery, the principle extends to all sin - persistent evil leads to death, spiritual and eternal. Only repentance can reverse this downward trajectory.