Proverbs 5:18-19
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The imagery of a "fountain" here doesn't just refer to the wife's fertility, but also to her as the source of life and blessing within the marriage. It’s a reminder that the wife isn't just a vessel for children, but the very spring from which joy and continuation flow, intended to be cherished.
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The speaker has just finished a stark warning against the seductive dangers of adultery, describing its ruinous consequences. Now, he pivots to counsel the young man to find fulfillment within marriage, calling his wife his "fountain" and urging him to cherish her. This instruction is meant to fortify him against temptation by grounding him in a healthy, joyful marital relationship.
The Bible uses some surprisingly intimate imagery to describe marriage. In Proverbs, your wife is called your 'fountain.' What does this powerful metaphor reveal about God's design for marriage?
In Proverbs 5:18, the imagery shifts from 'cistern' and 'well' (in verse 15) to 'fountain.' This isn't just a water source; a fountain is active, bringing forth life and refreshment.
A Source of Blessing
The instruction to 'rejoice' in your wife is more than just a suggestion – it's a command rooted in commitment and enduring love.
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The verse doesn't just say 'be with' your wife, but 'rejoice in' her. This points to a deep, intentional joy found within the marriage covenant.
Enduring Commitment
Understand the original words
barak · Hebrew Verb
To be declared favored by God or to experience the prosperity and protection that comes from walking in obedience to His design for life and relationships.
ishah · Hebrew Noun
The woman taken in marriage during one's early adult years; she represents the divinely ordained partner with whom one is to share a life of exclusive intimacy and joy.
ahabah · Hebrew Noun
A deep, intense, and God-honoring pleasure derived from the companionship and intimacy of one's spouse, serving as a safeguard against the enticements of illicit relationships.
This passage echoes the blessings of faithfulness in marriage, portraying a life filled with joy, a fruitful wife like a vine, and children like olive shoots, directly aligning with the 'fountain blessed with children' concept in Proverbs.
Ecclesiastes 9:9This verse offers a similar exhortation to 'enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life,' highlighting the importance of cherishing the marital relationship throughout life, just as Proverbs urges rejoicing in the wife of one's youth.
Malachi 2:14-15Here, God speaks against unfaithfulness in marriage, emphasizing that He made husband and wife one, seeking godly offspring, which underscores the sacredness and intended purpose of the marital union that Proverbs is protecting.
Song of Solomon 4:12This verse uses the imagery of a 'locked garden' and 'sealed spring' to describe the beloved's exclusive intimacy, directly paralleling the 'fountain' metaphor in Proverbs and illustrating the cherished, private nature of marital love.
pulpitProverbs 5:18: "Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth."
Verse 18. - Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. The employment of the ordinary term "wife" in the second hemistich shows in what sense the figure which is used has to be understood. The terms "fountain" and "wife" denote the same person. The wife is here called "thy fountain" (Hebrew, m'kor'ka), just as she has been previously "thine own cistern" (b'or) and "thine own well" (b…
clarkeProverbs 5:18: "Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth."
Let thy fountain be blessed - יהי מקורך ברוך yehi mekorecha baruch. Sit vena tua benedicta. Thy vein; that which carries off streams from the fountain of animal life, in order to disperse them abroad, and through the streets. How delicate and correct is the allusion here! But anatomical allusions must not be pressed into detail in a commentary on Scripture.
The imagery of a "fountain" here doesn't just refer to the wife's fertility, but also to her as the source of life and blessing within the marriage. It’s a reminder that the wife isn't just a vessel for children, but the very spring from which joy and continuation flow, intended to be cherished.
The speaker has just finished a stark warning against the seductive dangers of adultery, describing its ruinous consequences. Now, he pivots to counsel the young man to find fulfillment within marriage, calling his wife his "fountain" and urging him to cherish her. This instruction is meant to fortify him against temptation by grounding him in a healthy, joyful marital relationship.
The speaker has just finished a stark warning against the seductive dangers of adultery, describing its ruinous consequences. Now, he pivots to counsel the young man to find fulfillment within marriage, calling his wife his "fountain" and urging him to cherish her. This instruction is meant to fortify him against temptation by grounding him in a healthy, joyful marital relationship.
"Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love." — The imagery of a "fountain" here doesn't just refer to the wife's fertility, but also to her as the source of life and blessing within the marriage. It’s a reminder that the wife isn't just a vessel…
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Last reviewed October 2026
