For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Proverbs 23:27
What does Proverbs 23:27 mean?
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Proverbs 23:27
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The verse uses two distinct images to convey the danger of sexual sin: a "deep ditch" for a prostitute, suggesting a place of irreversible ruin, and a "narrow well" for an adulteress, implying a trap that may seem manageable at first but ultimately leads to injury and a desperate, difficult struggle for escape. Both images highlight how easily one can fall into these destructive paths and the extreme difficulty of getting out.
For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a larger section of Proverbs offering wisdom to a son, warning him against the seductive dangers of immorality and excess. It follows advice against gluttony and the allure of wealth, positioning sexual sin as another destructive trap that can quickly lead to ruin and make escape incredibly difficult.
Why does Proverbs compare a prostitute to a 'deep ditch'? What makes this image so stark and terrifying?
The imagery here is incredibly powerful. A 'deep ditch' suggests a place of profound danger and near-impossibility of escape.
Lost in the Depths
When you fall into a deep ditch, you're not just inconvenienced; you're in serious trouble. It implies:
The prostitute, in this sense, isn't just a person but a symbol of a destructive path that swallows people whole, making recovery incredibly difficult.
What's the difference between a 'deep ditch' and a 'narrow well'? Why does the Bible use two distinct images for similar dangers?
While the 'deep ditch' speaks to the overwhelming depth of destruction, the 'narrow well' offers a different, yet equally grim, picture of entrapment.
Trapped and Bruised
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A narrow well is restrictive and difficult to navigate. It suggests:
The 'strange woman' (often translated as adulteress) is depicted as this narrow well, implying a suffocating snare that injures those who try to break free.
Understand the original words
zonah · Hebrew Noun
A woman who engages in sexual immorality for payment; biblically, it symbolizes spiritual infidelity and the destructive consequences of sexual sin.
nokriyah · Hebrew Noun
An adulterous woman or a foreign woman who tempts others to forsake covenantal obligations; her influence is portrayed as a trap leading to ruin.
This passage directly echoes the danger and destructive nature of sexual immorality, comparing it to falling into a deep pit, which resonates with the imagery of Proverbs 23:27.
Matthew 5:27-28Jesus expands the concept of adultery beyond the physical act to the sinful thought, highlighting the internal corruption that leads to such destructive actions, mirroring the insidious trap described in Proverbs.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This passage speaks of the severe spiritual and physical consequences of sexual immorality, urging believers to flee from it and honor God with their bodies, which is the ultimate escape from the 'pit' described.
Hebrews 12:15-16The warning against a 'root of bitterness' and 'immorality or godlessness' underscores how such sins can spread and deeply corrupt, much like falling into a pit that affects one's whole life and relationships.
bensonProverbs 23:27: "For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit."
Proverbs 23:27-28. For a whore is a deep ditch — In which a man is in evident danger of perdition, and out of which it is exceeding difficult to escape. See the note on Proverbs 22:14 . She lieth in wait, &c. — Watching all opportunities of insnaring young men to their destruction; and increaseth the transgressors among men — She is the cause of innumerable sins against God, and against the souls and bodies of t…
ellicottProverbs 23:27: "For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit."
(27) Strange woman ( nokhriyyah ) .—See above, on Proverbs 2:16 .
The verse uses two distinct images to convey the danger of sexual sin: a "deep ditch" for a prostitute, suggesting a place of irreversible ruin, and a "narrow well" for an adulteress, implying a trap that may seem manageable at first but ultimately leads to injury and a desperate, difficult struggle for escape. Both images highlight how easily one can fall into these destructive paths and the extreme difficulty of getting out.
This verse is part of a larger section of Proverbs offering wisdom to a son, warning him against the seductive dangers of immorality and excess. It follows advice against gluttony and the allure of wealth, positioning sexual sin as another destructive trap that can quickly lead to ruin and make escape incredibly difficult.
This verse is part of a larger section of Proverbs offering wisdom to a son, warning him against the seductive dangers of immorality and excess. It follows advice against gluttony and the allure of wealth, positioning sexual sin as another destructive trap that can quickly lead to ruin and make escape incredibly difficult.
"For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well." — The verse uses two distinct images to convey the danger of sexual sin: a "deep ditch" for a prostitute, suggesting a place of irreversible ruin, and a "narrow well" for an adulteress, implying a trap…
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Last reviewed October 2026