Proverbs 5:4 — Word Study
WLCוְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה כְּחֶ֣רֶב פִּיּֽוֹת׃
BSAin the endʼachărîyth [her final outcome, last part] she is bittermar [causing emotional pain, unpleasant] as wormwoodlaʻănâh [a poisonous plant] sharpchad [cutting, piercing] as a double-edgedpeh [two-edged, having two mouths] swordchereb [a cutting instrument]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ | and end her | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| מָרָ֣ה | [is] bitter | Adj |
| כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה | like wormwood | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| חַ֝דָּ֗ה | sharp | Adj |
| כְּחֶ֣רֶב | like a sword of | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| פִּיּֽוֹת׃ | mouths | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. |
| KJV | But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. |
| ASV | But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. |
| YLT | And her latter end [is] bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword [with] mouths. |
| WEB | but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword. |
| BBE | But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword; |
Where they part company is חַדָּ֗ה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured to emphasize the contrast between the initial allure and the final outcome, with comparisons enhancing the warning.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 5:4
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 — Warnings Against Temptationgenerated
Proverbs 5:4 warns that while temptation may seem sweet at first, its ultimate result is bitterness and pain. This verse is part of a larger discourse on the dangers of seduction and the consequences of straying from wisdom, as seen in the surrounding verses. The author emphasizes the importance of discernment and the recognition of the true nature of temptation, which can lead to destruction.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 6:24–35 | to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. |
| 2 | Proverbs 7:22–23 | He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap, |
| 3 | Proverbs 9:18 | But they do not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. |
| 4 | Proverbs 23:27–28 | For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well. |
| 5 | Ecclesiastes 7:26 | And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מָרָ֣ה, ma.Rahgenerated
The word מָרָ֣ה (marah) is an adjective meaning 'bitter.' It describes not only a taste but also emotional pain or distress. It indicates a negative outcome, particularly in the context of relationships and decisions that lead to regret.
This word appears in various contexts throughout the Bible, often associated with suffering or unpleasant experiences. Its use here underscores the serious consequences of yielding to temptation, contrasting the initial allure with the eventual bitterness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against. The BSB has bitter, and so do the KJV, ASV, and others.
Where translations differ is in the rendering of חַדָּ֗ה — sharp (ASV, KJV) versus cutting (ULB). This reflects a choice between two valid interpretations of the Hebrew term.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of a main clause and several descriptive phrases. The finite verb מָרָ֣ה (is bitter) serves as the predicate, with the subject being the implied 'she' from the previous verse. The structure emphasizes the comparison of her bitterness to wormwood and the sharpness to a sword.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the qualities of bitterness and sharpness, highlighting the severity of the consequences associated with the forbidden woman.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the translators chose πικρότερον for מָרָ֣ה, which also means 'bitter' but carries a connotation of increased bitterness. This choice reinforces the idea of heightened consequences.
The Greek word μαξαίρας for חַדָּ֗ה suggests a focus on the sharpness of the sword, emphasizing its lethal nature, aligning with the Hebrew's intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 5:4 warns that the end result of following a forbidden woman is bitterness and pain, comparing her to wormwood and a sharp sword. This highlights the dangers of temptation and the importance of wisdom in making choices.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a painful and unpleasant outcome, suggesting that what seems appealing can lead to deep regret.
A double-edged sword is sharp on both sides, indicating that the consequences of temptation can strike from multiple angles, causing harm.
It serves as a stark warning against the allure of temptation, contrasting the sweetness of initial attraction with the bitterness of its consequences.
We should be cautious of temptations that appear sweet and seek wisdom to discern the true nature of our choices.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What temptations do I face that seem appealing but may lead to bitterness?
- How can I seek wisdom to make better choices in my life?
- In what ways can I help others recognize the dangers of temptation?
- What are some practical steps I can take to avoid situations that lead to regret?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers commented on this verse to illustrate the dangers of temptation and the contrast between initial sweetness and eventual bitterness.
"In the end," [Solomon] says, "you will find what seemed sweet in the beginning to be more bitter than gall and sharper than the edge of a sword." But the nature of righteousness is the opposite: In the beginning, it seems more bitter,Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 5 →
But her end is bitter, etc. The drink of wormwood becomes bitter within the bowels, outwardly the members are wounded by the sword.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 5 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 5:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBut her end is bitter as wormwood,.... Which is opposed to the honeycomb her lips are said to drop; so that, as Juvenal says (g), "plus aloes quam mellis habet": the end which she brings persons to,
Read John Gill on Proverbs 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. But her end is bitter as wormwood - (Ecclesiastes 7:26). The flesh promises every delight, but it leaves bitter dregs (Mercer).
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 5 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHer design, and the effect of that lewdness to which she enticeth men, is the sinner’ s destruction.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 5:4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.Ver. 4. But her end is bitter as wormwood.] The pleasure passeth, the sting remaineth; for in the froth of this filthy pleasure is bred that hell worm of guilt that never dieth. “ Principium dulce est, sed finis amoris amarus: Laeta venire Venus, tristis abire solet. ” Diana of the Ephesians was so artificially portrayed, that she seemed to smile most pleasantly upon such as came into her temple, but to frown at those that went out. So doth sensual pleasure. Heus tu scholastiae, dulce et amarum gustulum carpis, &c., said the harlot to Apuleius; hark, scholar, it is but a bitter sweet that you are so fond of. Plus…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) Bitter as wormwood.—The absinthium of Rev 8:11, where, apparently, it is considered as a poison. So God’s message to St. John (Revelation 10:10) was in his mouth sweet as honey (comp. Psalms 19:10), but made his belly bitter: that is, he met with much sorrow and trouble in making it known to men, but through this “much tribulation” (Acts 14:22) he “entered into the kingdom of heaven.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 5 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. Bitter as wormwood] כלענה Kelanah, like the detestable herb wormwood, or something analogous to it: something as excessive in its bitterness, as honey is in its sweetness.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. wormwood] The reference is perhaps not merely to the bitterness, but to the noxiousness of this herb. See Deuteronomy 29:18, and Revelation 8:10-11, where “many men died of the waters” into which the star named “wormwood” had fallen.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 5 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWormwood - In Eastern medicine this herb, the absinthium of Greek and Latin botanists, was looked upon as poisonous rather than medicinal. Compare Revelation 8:11.
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
in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Tyndale line
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
But her latter end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
But the end of her is bitter as wormewood, and sharpe as a two edged sworde.
Strictly literal
but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
And her latter end [is] bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword [with] mouths.
And her latter end [is] bitter as wormwood, || Sharp as a sword [with] mouths.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword.
but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, cutting like a sharp sword.
From the Latin
But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword.
Simplified
but in the end what you get from her is the bitterness of wormwood and the sharp pain of being cut with a two-edged sword.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword;
Word by word, the decisions they made
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 this verse, with five of the six words matched. The Septuagint reflects the same themes but presents them in a different word order.
וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה כְּחֶ֣רֶב פִּיּֽוֹת׃
5 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 5:4
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.
אַחֲרִית (achariyth) means 'end' or 'after-part' and encompasses concepts like the future, posterity, and remnants. It can refer to the last time or the latter part of events, often with prophetic implications. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be behind' and is noted in various contexts, including discussions of time and lineage.
אַחֲרִית 61 n.f. after-part, end
base
H319 אַחֲרִית after-part, end
319 'achariyth akh-ar-eeth'
from 310; the last or end, hence, the future; also
posterity:--(last, latter) end (time), hinder (utter) -most,
length, posterity, remnant, residue, reward.
see HEBREW for 0310
אַחֲרִית (a.cha.rit) — end.
1) after part, end
1a) end, issue, event
1b) latter time (prophetic for future time)
1c) posterity
1d) last, hindermost
Aramaic equivalent: a.cha.rit (אַחֲרִית "latter" H0320)
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp3fs
מַר (mar) means 'bitter' or 'bitterness' in Hebrew. It can describe the taste of food or water, as well as figurative uses related to pain or discontent. The word can function as both an adjective and a noun, and it can also be used adverbially to mean 'bitterly.'
מַר adj. and subst. bitter, bitterness
base
H4751 מַר bitter, bitterness
4751 mar mar
or (feminine) marah {maw-raw'}; from 4843; bitter (literally
or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially)
bitterly:--+ angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented,
X great, heavy.
see HEBREW for 04843
מַר (mar) — bitter.
adj
1) bitter, bitterness
1a) of water or food
1b) of harlot's end, end of wickedness, cry (fig.)
1c) of pain (subst)
adv
2) bitterly
Adj — AdjHAafsa
Bitter
Bitterness is symbolical of affliction, misery, and servitude (Ex. 1:14; Ruth 1:20; Jer. 9:15). The Chaldeans are called the “bitter and hasty nation” (Hab. 1:6). The “gall of bitterness” expresses a state of great wickedness (Acts 8:23). A “root of bitterness” is a wicked person or a dangerous sin (Heb. 12:15).
The Passover was to be eaten with “bitter herbs” (Ex. 12:8; Num. 9:11). The kind of herbs so designated is not known. Probably they were…
לַעֲנָה (la'anah) refers to wormwood, a plant often associated with bitterness and poison. The term is derived from a root that suggests a meaning related to cursing. It is mentioned in contexts that highlight its harmful qualities.
לַעֲנָה n.f. wormwood
base
H3939 לַעֲנָה wormwood
3939 la`anah lah-an-aw'
from an unused root supposed to mean to curse; wormwood
(regarded as poisonous, and therefore accursed):--hemlock,
wormwood.
לַעֲנָה (la.a.nah) — wormwood.
1) wormwood
1a) bitterness (metaph.)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
wurm'-wood (la'anah (De 29:18; Pr 5:4; Jer 9:15; 23:15; La 3:15,19; Am 5:7; 6:12, the King James Version hemlock); apsinthos (Re 8:11)): What the Hebrew la`anah may have been is obscure; it is clear it was a bitter substance and it is usually associated with "gall"; in the Septuagint it is variously translated, but never by apsinthos, "wormwood." Nevertheless all ancient tradition supports the English Versions of the Bible translation. The genus Artemisia (Natural Order Compositae), "wormwood," has five species of shrubs or herbs found in Palestine (Post), any one of…
Wormwood
Heb. la’anah, the Artemisia absinthium of botanists. It is noted for its intense bitterness (Deut. 29:18; Prov. 5:4; Jer. 9:15; Amos 5:7). It is a type of bitterness, affliction, remorse, punitive suffering. In Amos 6:12 this Hebrew word is rendered “hemlock” (R.V., “wormwood”). In the symbolical language of the Apocalypse (Rev. 8:10, 11) a star is represented as falling on the waters of the earth, causing the third part of the water to turn wormwood.
Four kinds of wormwood are found in Palestine-- Artemisia nilotica , A. Judaica , A. fructicosa and A. cinerea . The word occurs frequently in the Bible, and generally in a metaphorical sense. In (Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:15,19) wormwood is symbolical of bitter calamity and sorrow; unrighteous judges are said to "turn judgment to wormwood." (Amos 5:7) The Orientals typified sorrows, cruelties and calamities of any kind by plants of a poisonous or bitter nature.
La 3:15, an intensely bitter and poisonous plant, a symbol for whatever is nauseous and destructive, De 29:18 Jer 9:15. The fruits of vicious indulgence are "better as wormwood," Pr 5:3; and injustice and oppression are like wormwood and gall, Am 5:7 6:12.
The Chaldee paraphrase calls it "the wormwood of death." In Re 8:10-11, the star called wormwood seems to denote a mighty prince, or power of the air, the instrument, in its fall, of sore judgments on large numbers of the wicked. Compare Da 10:20-21
The Hebrew word חַד (*chad*) means 'sharp.' It is derived from the root word associated with the number 2300. The entries consistently define it as an adjective describing sharpness.
[חַד] adj. sharp
base
H2299 [חַד] sharp
2299 chad khad
from 2300; sharp:--sharp.
see HEBREW for 02300
חַד (chad) — sharp.
sharp
Adj — AdjHAafsa
חֶ֫רֶב (chereb) means 'sword' and can also refer to other cutting instruments like knives and tools. It is derived from a root meaning 'drought,' highlighting its destructive nature. The term is used in various contexts in the Old Testament, primarily to denote weapons.
חֶ֫רֶב 411 n.f. sword (as weapon)
base
H2719 חֶ֫רֶב sword (as weapon)
2719 chereb kheh'-reb
from 2717; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its
destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp
implement:--axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.
see HEBREW for 02717
חֶ֫רֶב (che.rev) — sword.
1) sword, knife
1a) sword
1b) knife
1c) tools for cutting stone
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHR/Ncfsc
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…
The Hebrew word פֶּה (*peh*) means 'mouth' and encompasses various meanings, including the mouth of a person or animal, as well as openings or orifices. It can also refer to speech, edges, and portions. Additionally, it denotes a weight equal to one third of a shekel, found in 1 Samuel 13:21.
פֶּה 485 n.m. mouth
mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking
external organ
much oftener, as organ of speech, of man
as laughing; panting
of God
of idols
of musical instr. = sound
of animals; hence of edge of sword
mouth = opening, orifice
extremity, end
= portion
with preps.
base
H6310 פֶּה mouth . . mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking
. external organ
. . much oftener, as organ of speech, of man
. as laughing; panting
. of God
. of idols
. of musical instr. = sound
. of animals
. mouth = opening, orifice
. . extremity, end
. = portion
. with preps.
6310 peh peh
from 6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether
literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically
edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition)
according to:--accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment,
assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, +
file, hole, X in, mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should)
say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk,
tenor, X to, + two-edged, wish, word.
see HEBREW for 06284
פֶּה (peh) — lip.
: lip/mouth
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21
פֶּה (peh) — lip: edge.
: edge
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21
פֶּה (peh) — lip: word.
: word/command
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
N-mp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa