Proverbs 5:5
Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Proverbs 5:5
Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse emphasizes a terrifying progression: "her feet go down to death" implies the beginning of the end, a downward slide, while "her steps take hold on hell" reveals that this path isn't just leading towards destruction, but actively grasping it, securing its inevitable grip. This imagery paints a stark picture of sin not merely straying from the right path, but becoming irrevocably entangled with ruin itself.
The teacher continues his warning against the seductive ways of an immoral woman, describing her path as a descent into ruin. This woman's life and the lives of those who follow her are leading directly towards death, not just the cessation of life but the finality of the grave and the place of the dead. The imagery emphasizes the inescapable and irreversible nature of the destruction that awaits her and her pursuers.
This verse paints a stark picture of a dangerous path. It's not just a stumble, but a deliberate descent. What makes this journey so irreversible?
The imagery of "going down" and "taking hold" emphasizes the finality and active participation in a destructive path. This isn't an accidental fall, but a lifestyle that is increasingly drawing closer to its ultimate, grim destination.
The Inevitable End
The "death" here isn't just the cessation of physical life. It's a spiritual death, a separation from God that begins long before the body perishes. The path described is one of sin that, if unrepented, leads to eternal separation.
A Gripping Reality
"Her steps take hold on hell" suggests an almost irresistible pull. It's as if the path itself grabs hold of the person, making it incredibly difficult to turn back. This speaks to how habits and choices can lead to a spiritual bondage that grips the soul.
When the Bible mentions 'hell,' it's often using a word that meant something very specific to the ancient Israelites. What was their understanding of this final destination?
The Hebrew word translated as "hell" in this verse is 'Sheol.' For the ancient Israelites, Sheol was understood as the grave, the underworld, the abode of all the dead, both the righteous and the wicked, in a shadowy existence.
A Place of No Return
While not the fiery torment of later imagery, Sheol represented a place of finality and separation from the land of the living and, crucially, from God's presence. The steps "taking hold" on Sheol imply that this deceptive path leads directly to this ultimate, irreversible state of being cut off.
The Ultimate Consequence
Following the path of deceptive allure, as described by the "harlot" in Proverbs, doesn't just lead to immediate earthly ruin (though it does), but to an eternal state of being out of reach from life and God. It's the final destination of a life lived apart from divine wisdom.
Understand the original words
sheol · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, Sheol refers to the grave, the place of the dead, or the underworld; it represents the inevitable end of the wicked and the separation from the presence of the living God.
This passage describes the house of the immoral woman as leading to death and the grave, paralleling the immediate consequence of straying from wisdom mentioned in Proverbs 5:5.
Proverbs 7:27Similar to Proverbs 5:5, this verse explicitly states that the adulterous woman's house is 'a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death,' reinforcing the deadly destination.
Romans 6:23This New Testament verse clearly states that 'the wages of sin is death,' which beautifully echoes the ultimate consequence for those who follow the path of destructive allurements described in Proverbs 5:5.
Matthew 7:13-14Jesus speaks of two gates and two ways: the wide gate and broad way leading to destruction, and the narrow gate and hard way leading to life, reflecting the choice between a path of ruin and a path of life presented in Proverbs 5:5.
pulpitProverbs 5:5: "Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell."
Verse 5. - Vers. 5 and 6 continue the description of the harlot. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. She leads her victims to ruin. She hastens to death and the grove, and so do all those who listen to her. In all instances where the teacher speaks of the harlot at length he gives the same description of her (cf. Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 7:27; Proverbs 9:18). An intensifying of the language is observable…
clarkeProverbs 5:5: "Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell."
Her feet go down to death - She first, like a serpent, infuses her poison, by which the whole constitution of her paramour is infected, which soon or late brings on death. Her steps take hold on hell - First, the death of the body; and then the damnation of the soul. These are the tendencies of connections with such women.
The verse emphasizes a terrifying progression: "her feet go down to death" implies the beginning of the end, a downward slide, while "her steps take hold on hell" reveals that this path isn't just leading towards destruction, but actively grasping it, securing its inevitable grip. This imagery paints a stark picture of sin not merely straying from the right path, but becoming irrevocably entangled with ruin itself.
The teacher continues his warning against the seductive ways of an immoral woman, describing her path as a descent into ruin. This woman's life and the lives of those who follow her are leading directly towards death, not just the cessation of life but the finality of the grave and the place of the dead. The imagery emphasizes the inescapable and irreversible nature of the destruction that awaits her and her pursuers.
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The teacher continues his warning against the seductive ways of an immoral woman, describing her path as a descent into ruin. This woman's life and the lives of those who follow her are leading directly towards death, not just the cessation of life but the finality of the grave and the place of the dead. The imagery emphasizes the inescapable and irreversible nature of the destruction that awaits her and her pursuers.
"Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;" — The verse emphasizes a terrifying progression: "her feet go down to death" implies the beginning of the end, a downward slide, while "her steps take hold on hell" reveals that this path isn't just…