Reading for January 18th

Read Proverbs 5.1-23. In 5.1-23: Choose the right woman! The teacher exhorts a youth to avoid adulterous liasons (the "wrong" woman, vv. 3-4) and to enjoy the company of his wife (the "right" woman, vv. 15-19). The poem has four sections (vv. 1-6, 7-14, 15-19, and 20-23), each of which begins with "my child" (implict in v. 15). Adulterous consorting with the wrong woman leads to loss of health (v. 9), dissipation of family wealth (v. 10), ruined reputation (vv. 9,14), and bitter regret (vv. 11-13). The context of Provverbs suggests a metaphorical level of meaning: Seductive and lying words lead one away from one's primary commitment to the tradition of wisdom. In verse 16: Should your springs be scattered abroad? A disputed phrase. Most probably, water is a metaphor for sexual pleasure, as exclusively with his wife in the context of the household. Comments or Questions..