who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that forsaking marital faithfulness isn't just a personal betrayal, but a profound renunciation of a sacred covenant made before God. It emphasizes that marriage itself is recognized as a covenant under divine sanction, not merely a social contract.
who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse describes the "strange woman" who abandons her first husband, the one she married in her youth and made solemn vows to before God. It's a stark picture of infidelity, not just to a person, but to a sacred covenant blessed by God Himself.
The "guide of her youth" might sound like a parent or a mentor. But the text has something far more intimate in mind.
This verse points to the husband as the "companion of her youth." This isn't just any friend; it's the one she vowed to cleave to. The Hebrew word used here can mean a close friend or associate, someone you're deeply accustomed to. In the context of marriage, it’s the person God intended to be her lifelong partner, her closest confidant, and the one who would lead her. This imagery highlights the deep bond and intimacy that marriage is meant to embody, a reflection of Christ and the Church. Forsaking this "guide" is a profound betrayal of that sacred relationship.
Marriage is called a 'covenant of her God.' What does that mean for us today?
The betrayal isn't just personal; it's spiritual. The marriage vow is described as 'the covenant of her God.' This means marriage isn't merely a social contract but a sacred agreement made in God's presence. God Himself is the witness and the guarantor of this covenant. To forget or break this covenant is to forget God, to disregard His authority, and to break faith with Him directly. It’s a spiritual defection that has eternal consequences, impacting not just the couple but their relationship with the Creator.
Understand the original words
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beriyth · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the sacred, binding relationship established by God between a husband and wife, which is intended to be lifelong and exclusive. Breaking this covenant is a betrayal of both the spouse and the Lord.
This passage directly references the marriage covenant as 'the wife of your covenant,' highlighting the sacred, God-witnessed nature of marriage, just as Proverbs 2:17 speaks of forgetting 'the covenant of her God.'
Jeremiah 3:4Here, God refers to Himself as the 'guide of my youth' to Israel, drawing a parallel to the husband as the 'guide of her youth' in Proverbs 2:17, emphasizing a relational betrayal and turning away from a foundational commitment.
Proverbs 5:18This verse speaks of rejoicing in 'the wife of your youth,' presenting the ideal picture of marital fidelity that Proverbs 2:17 warns against abandoning, thus underscoring the severity of forsaking one's spouse.
Matthew 19:5-6Jesus quotes Genesis about a man leaving father and mother to be united with his wife, stating 'they are no longer two but one flesh,' which illuminates the profound, God-ordained union being broken by forgetting the covenant in Proverbs 2:17.
clarkeProverbs 2:17: "Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God."
Which forsaketh the guide of her youth - Leaves her father's house and instructions, and abandons herself to the public. The covenant of her God - Renounces the true religion, and mixes with idolaters; for among them prostitution was enormous. Or by the covenant may be meant the matrimonial contract, which is a covenant made in the presence of God between the contracting parties, in which they bind…
pooleProverbs 2:17: "Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God."
The guide of her youth, to wit, her husband, whom she took to be her guide and governor, and that in her youth: which circumstance is added to aggravate her sin and shame, because love is commonly most sincere and fervent between a husband and wife of youth, as they are for that reason emphatically called, Proverbs 5:18 Isaiah 54:6 Joel 1:8 Malachi 2:14,15 . Forgetteth, i.e. violateth or breaketh, a…
This verse highlights that forsaking marital faithfulness isn't just a personal betrayal, but a profound renunciation of a sacred covenant made before God. It emphasizes that marriage itself is recognized as a covenant under divine sanction, not merely a social contract.
This verse describes the "strange woman" who abandons her first husband, the one she married in her youth and made solemn vows to before God. It's a stark picture of infidelity, not just to a person, but to a sacred covenant blessed by God Himself.
This verse describes the "strange woman" who abandons her first husband, the one she married in her youth and made solemn vows to before God. It's a stark picture of infidelity, not just to a person, but to a sacred covenant blessed by God Himself.
"who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;" — This verse highlights that forsaking marital faithfulness isn't just a personal betrayal, but a profound renunciation of a sacred covenant made before God. It emphasizes that marriage itself is recog…
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Last reviewed October 2026