Proverbs 5:15 — Word Study
WLCשְׁתֵה־ מַ֥יִם מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתּ֥וֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃
BSADrinkshâthâh [refresh yourself with, feast on] watermayim [a source of refreshment, spiritual nourishment] from your own cisternbôwr [pit, personal reservoir] and running waternâzal [flowing, dripping, liquid refreshment, figurative satisfaction] fromtâvek your own wellbᵉʼêr [spring, fountain of life]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁתֵה־ | drink | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine singular |
| מַ֥יִם | water | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ | from own cistern your | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים | and streams | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural |
| מִתּ֥וֹךְ | from [the] midst of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃ | own well your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. |
| KJV | ¶ Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. |
| ASV | Drink waters out of thine own cistern, And running waters out of thine own well. |
| YLT | Drink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well. |
| WEB | Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well. |
| BBE | Let water from your store and not that of others be your drink, and running water from your fountain. |
The translations agree on the imperative nature of this verse — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a conjunction and a subordinate clause, emphasizing the call to action.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁתָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 5:15
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Advice on Marital Fidelitygenerated
Proverbs 5:15 emphasizes the importance of finding satisfaction within one's own marriage and resources rather than seeking fulfillment outside of them. This passage is set within a broader warning against infidelity and the dangers of straying from one's commitments, as seen in the surrounding verses. The wisdom literature often encourages reflection on personal choices and their consequences.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 5:18–19 | May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth: |
| 2 | 1 Corinthians 7:2–5 | But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. |
| 3 | Hebrews 13:4 | Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׁתָה, she.teh-generated
The verb שָׁתָה (shathah) is an imperative form, calling for action. It means 'to drink' and can refer to both literal drinking and metaphorical uses, such as enjoying life or experiencing God's provision. It appears frequently throughout the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing its significance in various contexts.
This word is rooted in the Qal stem, indicating a simple action. The lexicons highlight its versatility, noting that it can convey both the act of drinking and the broader idea of feasting or celebrating. The call to 'drink' here suggests a need for personal engagement with one's own resources.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the imperative nature of the verse, with all versions reflecting the call to 'drink' from one's own sources.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb שְׁתֵה governs the entire verse, with two phrases following it: a noun phrase describing the source of water and a prepositional phrase indicating the place from which to draw. This structure emphasizes the action of drinking as central to the message.
The Hebrew word order places the verb first, highlighting the imperative nature of the instruction. The subsequent phrases clarify the source and type of water, reinforcing the personal nature of the advice.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שָׁתָה as πῖνε, which also means 'to drink'. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning and maintains the imperative tone of the instruction.
The Greek term used in the Septuagint does not introduce any new nuances but rather preserves the original intent of seeking satisfaction from one's own resources.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 5:15 advises individuals to drink water from their own cistern and well, highlighting the importance of finding satisfaction and nourishment in personal relationships rather than seeking it elsewhere. This teaching encourages fidelity and the appreciation of one's own resources.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means to find satisfaction and fulfillment in your own relationships and resources, rather than seeking them outside.
This advice emphasizes the value of marital fidelity and personal integrity, warning against the temptations of infidelity.
It encourages individuals to cultivate and appreciate their own relationships and resources, fostering a sense of contentment.
Related passages include Proverbs 5:18–19 and Hebrews 13:4, which also emphasize the importance of marital fidelity.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I cultivate satisfaction in my own relationships?
- What are some personal resources I can draw from to find fulfillment?
- How does this verse challenge me to reflect on my commitments?
- What steps can I take to ensure I appreciate what I have rather than seeking fulfillment elsewhere?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers referenced this verse to emphasize personal understanding and engagement with Scripture, urging believers to draw from their own insights.
Attempt, O hearer, to have your own well and your own spring, so that you too, when you take up a book of the Scriptures, may begin even from your own understanding to bring forth some meaning,Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 5 →
Let us return to the sacred Scriptures and “drink water from our own cisterns and running water from our own wells.” Let us drink of the living water,Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 5 →
“Drink water out of your own cistern,” that is, examine your own resources, do not go to the springs belonging to others, but from your own streams gather for yourself the consolations of life.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 5 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 5:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleDrink waters out of thine own cistern,.... Arguments being used to dissuade from conversation with an adulterous woman, taken from the disgrace, diseases, poverty, and distress of mind on reflection,
Read John Gill on Proverbs 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryDrink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 5 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis metaphor contained here, and , is to be understood either, 1. Of the free and lawful use of a man’ s estate, both for his own comfort, and for the good of others. Or rather, 2. Of the honest use of matrimony, as the proper remedy against these filthy practices. This best suits with the whole context, both foregoing and following; and thus it is explained in the end of . So the sense is, Content thyself with those delights which God alloweth thee, with the sober use of the marriage bed. Why shouldst thou ramble hither and thither, trespassing against God and men, to steal their waters, which thou mightest freely take out of thine own cistern or well. The ground of the metaphor is this…
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 5:15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.Ver. 15. Drink waters out of thine own cistern.] After other preservatives from fornication, as not to think of or speak with the harlot, not to come near the doors of her house, &c., but to consider the many mischiefs that follow upon it - a diseased body, a damned soul, a poor purse, &c. - here the wise man prescribeth wedlock as a remedy properly ordained by God for that end. And because not the having of a wife, but the loving of her keeps a man honest; therefore it follows, "Let her be as the loving hind," &c. And running waters.] Heathen writers also set forth a wife by waters: as Hesiod bids…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15-20) Drink waters out of thine own cistern . . .—In these verses Solomon urges his disciples to follow after purity in the married life; he pictures in vivid terms the delights which it affords as compared with the pleasures of sin. Out of thine own cistern.—The “strange woman,” on the other hand, says, “Stolen waters are sweet” (Proverbs 9:17). The same figure is employed in Son 4:15, where a wife is compared to “a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” In Jeremiah 2:13 God compares Himself to a “fountain of living waters,” and complains that Israel had deserted Him, and hewed out for themselves “broken cisterns that can hold no water.” This passage in…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 5 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 15. Drink waters out of thine own cistern] Be satisfied with thy own wife; and let the wife see that she reverence her husband; and not tempt him by inattention or unkindness to seek elsewhere what he has a right to expect, but cannot find, at home.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15–19. The remedy against sin is to be found in the holy estate which God has ordained. “The resemblance between the two Books (the Song of Solomon and the Book of Proverbs) in their treatment of this subject is singularly striking.” Speaker’s Comm., ad loc.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 5 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe teacher seeks to counteract the evils of mere sensual passion chiefly by setting forth the true blessedness of which it is the counterfeit.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well.
Tyndale line
¶ Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, And running waters out of thine own well.
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Drink waters out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
Drinke the water of thy cisterne, and of the riuers out of the middes of thine owne well.
Strictly literal
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well.
Drink waters out of your own cistern, || Even flowing ones out of your own well.
Drink water out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
Drink water from your own cistern and drink running water from your own well.
From the Latin
Drink water out of thy own cistern, and the streams of thy own well:
Simplified
Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.
Let water from your store and not that of others be your drink, and running water from your fountain.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their rendering of this verse, with four of the six words matching directly. The Septuagint's word order differs, but it conveys the same essential message of drawing from one's own well.
שְׁתֵה־ מַ֥יִם מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתּ֥וֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 5:15
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׁתָה (shathah) means 'to drink' and can refer to both literal drinking and figurative uses, such as feasting or experiencing God's wrath. It is a primitive root that appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating actions like drinking and being drunk. The lexicons note its connection to the Aramaic equivalent שְׁתָה (she.tah), but do not present significant disagreements.
שָׁתָה 217 vb. drink
Qal 216
Niph. all which is (may be) drunk
base
H8354 שָׁתָה drink
8354 shathah shaw-thaw'
a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively):--X
assuredly, banquet, X certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk
(X -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of 8248.)
see HEBREW for 08248
שָׁתָה (sha.tah) — to drink.
1) to drink
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to drink
1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig)
1a2) to feast
1b) (Niphal) to be drunk
Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)
V-Qal-Impv-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singularHVqv2ms
See FOOD; DRINK, STRONG.
Drink
The drinks of the Hebrews were water, wine, “strong drink,” and vinegar. Their drinking vessels were the cup, goblet or “basin,” the “cruse” or pitcher, and the saucer.
To drink water by measure (Ezek. 4:11), and to buy water to drink (Lam. 5:4), denote great scarcity. To drink blood means to be satiated with slaughter.
The Jews carefully strained their drinks through a sieve, through fear of violating the law of Lev. 11:20, 23, 41, 42. (See Matt. 23:24. “Strain at” should be “strain out.”)
→ INTOXICATING
See ABSTINENCE, TOTAL
→ See DRUNKARD
→ See DRUNKENNESS
→ See WINE
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):
(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.
(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.
(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…
See CISTERN and WELLS.
In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare
→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5
→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9
→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11
→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20
→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5
→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22
בּוֹר (bor) refers to a pit, well, or cistern, often used for water storage or as a dungeon. It can also denote a grave pit. The term appears in various contexts, including the specific location known as the cistern of Sirah, mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:26. The entries consistently emphasize its function as a hole or pit.
בּוֹר n.m. pit, cistern, well
cistern, containing water, made by digging
later appar. well
pit
dungeon
(poet. & late; never c. art.) pit of the grave
base
בּוֹר הַסִּרָה n.pr.loc. 2 S 3:26 (cistern of Sirah)
ref
H953a בּוֹר pit, cistern, well H953b בּוֹר הַסִּרָה (cistern of Sirah)
953 bowr bore
from 952 (in the sense of 877); a pit hole (especially one
used as a cistern or a prison):--cistern, dungeon, fountain,
pit, well.
see HEBREW for 0952
see HEBREW for 0877
בּוֹר (bor) — pit.
pit, well, cistern, dungeon, pit of the grave
בּוֹר (bor) — Cistern.
Cistern of Sirah
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
נָזַל (nazal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flow or trickle. It encompasses various forms of flowing, including distilling and shedding liquid. The term appears in both the Qal and Hiphil stems, indicating both a simple action of flowing and causing something to flow. The poetic usage suggests a rich imagery associated with water and movement.
[נָזַל] vb. flow, trickle, drop, distil (poet.)
Qal
flow
distil
Hiph. cause to flow
base
H5140 [נָזַל] flow, trickle, drop, distil (poet.)
5140 nazal naw-zal'
a primitive root; to drip, or shed by trickling:--distil,
drop, flood, (cause to) flow(-ing), gush out, melt, pour
(down), running water, stream.
נָזַל (na.zal) — to flow.
1) to flow, distil, flow forth or down, trickle, drop
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to flow
1a1a) streams, floods (participle)
1a2) to distil
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to flow
Conj | V-Qal — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine pluralHC/Vqrmpa
תָּ֫וֶךְ (tavek) means 'midst' or 'middle,' indicating a central position or location. It can also imply being 'among' or 'between' things, particularly in contexts involving separation or division. The term appears in various forms, such as 'into' or 'through,' especially after verbs of motion.
תָּ֫וֶךְ 416 subst. midst
base
H8432 תָּ֫וֶךְ subst. midst
8432 tavek taw'-vek
from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by
implication) the centre:--among(-st), X between, half, X
(there- ,where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among),
X out (of), X through, X with(-in).
תָּ֫וֶךְ (ta.vekh) — midst.
1) midst, middle
1a) midst, middle
1b) into, through (after verbs of motion)
1c) among (of a number of persons)
1d) between (of things arranged by twos)
1e) from among (as to take or separate etc)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
בְּאֵר (be'er) refers to a well or pit, often created by digging. It can denote a spring as well. The term appears in Genesis 26:21 and is also used as a proper noun for a location in the desert, situated north of Eleutheropolis.
בְּאֵר n.f. Gn 26:21 well, pit
a well, often as made by digging
pit
as n.pr.loc.
a station of Isr. in desert
8 miles north of Eleutheropolis
base
H875 בְּאֵר well, pit
875 'er be-ayr'
from 874; a pit; especially a well:--pit, well.
see HEBREW for 0874
בְּאֵר (be.er) — well.
well, pit, spring
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms