Down to Death

Proverbs 5:4-10 But her [strange woman] end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou should ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou can not know them. Hear me now therefore, O you children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger 

‘Death’ [Hebrew: maveth] means death to the body, or the separation of the soul from the body (Jas. 2:26).

‘Hell’ [Hebrew: She’owl] is the place of the soul, not of the body.

‘Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou can not know them.’ She keeps you from reflecting on your present conduct and its end, for she constantly changes her allurements to trap you. You cannot conceive of all her tricks and wiles.

‘Remove thy way far from her.’ Fifteen reasons to stay away from a moral-less woman: She is an apostate (5:3). She is deceptive. She is a flatterer. Her end is like wormwood (a bitter taste, 5:4). Her end is destructive. Her feet go down to death (5:5). Her steps lay hold of hell. Her ways are unpredictable (5:6). She will ruin your reputation (5:9). She will cause years of trouble. She will bring material ruin (5:10). She will ruin your health (5:11). She will bring remorse (5:12-13). She will reduce to wickedness (5:14). She will cause eternal ruin (5:23).

‘Thy years unto the cruel.’ Your years will end in suffering.

‘Labours be in the house of a stranger.’ She will own what you have laboured for.