Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 2:18
For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
18. her house &c.] It is a steep descent, ending in death. The rendering of R.V. marg., she sinketh down unto death which is her house, is less forcible and impairs the parallelism.
the dead ] Lit. the Rephaim. The Rephaim were among the Aborigines of Canaan (Gen 14:5; Gen 15:20) and were people of giant stature (Deu 2:11; Deu 2:20-21, R.V.). They may have come to be identified in the popular mind in the dim retrospect of the past, with the shadowy spectres that loomed large in Sheol (Isa 14:9, R.V. marg.). See Smith’s Dict. of Bible, Art. Rephaim.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The house of the adulteress is as Hades, the realm of death, haunted by the spectral shadows of the dead (Rephaim, see the Psa 88:10 note), who have perished there.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. For her house inclineth unto death] It is generally in by and secret places that such women establish themselves. They go out of the high road to get a residence; and every step that is taken towards their house is a step towards death. The path of sin is the path of ruin: the path of duty is the way of safety. For her paths incline unto the dead, repheim, the inhabitants of the invisible world. The woman who abandons herself to prostitution soon contracts, and generally communicates, that disease, which, above all others, signs the speediest and most effectual passport to the invisible world. Therefore it is said,
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Her house inclineth unto death, conversation with her (which was most free and usual in her own house) is the ready and certain way to death, which it brings many ways; by wasting a mans vital spirits, and shortening his life; by exposing him to many and dangerous diseases, which physicians have declared and proved to be the effects of inordinate lust; as also to the fury of jealous husbands or friends, and sometimes to the sword of civil justice, and undoubtedly, without repentance, to Gods wrath and the second death. This is here mentioned as one great privilege and blessed fruit of wisdom, to be delivered from this evil.
Unto the dead; or, as the Chaldee and some others render it, unto the giants, to wit, those rebellious giants, Gen 6:4; or, as others, unto the damned, or unto hell. See for this word Job 7:9; Psa 88:11; Pro 9:18; 21:16.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. inclinethsinks down(compare Nu 13:31).
the deador shades ofthe departed (Ps 88:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For her house inclineth unto death,…. Bends, verges, and points that way; it lies in the way to death, and brings unto it, and sinks into it as into a ditch; or all that are in her house, that are familiar with her, live and dwell with her, and commit wickedness with her; these incline or are liable to lose, and do lose, their name, character, and reputation, which is a death upon them; and bring diseases upon their bodies, which issue in corporeal death; or are in danger of dying by the hand of the injured husband, or the civil magistrate; and also are exposed unto eternal death: or “she inclines to death, which is her house” x, so Aben Ezra and Kimchi; and to which the Targum agrees,
“for in the pit of death is her house:”
that is, the house she at last comes to and must dwell in, and all that are ensnared by her; see Pr 5:5; and the second death will be the portion of the whore of Rome and all her followers,
Re 14:10;
and her paths unto the dead; that is, her evil ways in which she walks, and into which she draws others to join with her; these lead both her and them to the “damned” y in hell, to keep company with them, and be punished as they are: the word “rephaim”, here used, sometimes signifies “giants”, and so the Targum renders it here; and may refer to the giants of the old world, who were cut off for their debauchery and uncleanness, Ge 6:4; and with whom such persons shall be for ever.
x “ad mortem quoad domum suam”, Cocceius; “ad mortem domum suam”, Gejerus; “quod ad domum suam”, Michaelis. y “ad damnatos”, Tigurine version; “ad orcinos”, Schultens.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(18) For her house inclineth . . .Rather, she sinks down with her house: house and all, like Dathan and Abiram.
Unto the dead.In Hebrew the Rephm. The word may signify those at rest (comp. Job. 3:17 : There the weary are at rest); or the weak. (Comp. Isa. 14:10 : Art thou also become weak as we?)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. Her house inclineth unto death “The house of the adulteress is as hades, the realm of death, haunted by the spectral shadows of the dead, the Rephaim, who have perished there.” Speaker’s Com. Psa 88:11; Isa 14:9. Her paths unto the dead Lead to the region of the dead, of shadows, shades, ghosts. Zockler renders:
Her house sinketh down to death,
And her paths (lead) to the dead,
Miller, last clause, “to the shades.” The Septuagint renders the 18th verse thus: “For she has fixed her house near death, and (guided) her wheels near hades with the giants.” Comparatively few persons who give themselves up to licentious habits ever recover themselves to a virtuous life. Debauchery destroys both their soul and body.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 2:18. Her house inclineth unto death Adultery was forbidden under pain of death, both of the man and woman. See Lev 20:10. Deu 22:22. Or otherwise the meaning may be, “Her house is a place of death to him that enters it; he will there find the death of his soul, and the loss of his innocence. It may be considered in some sort as a kind of grave, where he goes to bury himself alive. Her ways lead to hell: Unhappy he who knows her, and attaches himself to her.” It is added, And her paths unto the dead: Rephaim, the giants; those first and great opposers of God, who for their execrable misdeeds were condemned to the place of darkness, See Job 26:5. Thus we are taught that the next point of wisdom is to be learned from the dear-bought experience of others; who have been ruined, body and soul, by those lewd courses to which they were enticed; and here the wise man leads us back as far as the old world, which was wholly destroyed by such villainies as men’s brutal lusts and passions lead them to commit. I cannot recommend to my young readers a better comment on this subject than Mr. Ostervald’s excellent Treatise on Uncleanness.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 2:18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
Ver. 18. For her house inclineth unto death. ] Terence calleth harlots Cruces, quia iuvenes macerent et offligant. Venery a is death’s best harbinger: Venus ab antiquis dicta. She provideth, saith one, b not for those that are already born, but for those that shall be born. Of Pope Paul the Fourth, that old goat, it went for a byword, Eum per eandem partem animam profudisse, per quam acceperat. Pope John the Twelfth being taken with an adulteress, was stabbed to death by her husband. c Alexander the Great and Otho the Third test their lives by their lusts. But how many, alas! by this means have lost their souls. Fleshly lusts, by a specialty, “fight against the soul.” 1Pe 2:12 And nothing hath so much enriched hell, saith one, as beautiful faces.
And her paths unto the dead.
a The practice or pursuit of sexual pleasure; indulgence of sexual desire.
b Jacob. Revius.
c Barns.
d A – Sept.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
house. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for household.
the dead. Hebrew Rephaim, who have no resurrection. Compare Isa 26:14 (“deceased”), Isa 26:19 (“the dead”); and see App-25. This shows that a Canaanite woman is referred to here.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 5:4-14, Pro 6:26-35, Pro 7:22-27, Pro 9:18, 1Co 6:9-11, Gal 5:19-21, Eph 5:5, Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15
Reciprocal: Pro 5:5 – General Pro 6:32 – destroyeth Pro 7:27 – General Pro 15:24 – that Pro 21:16 – remain Ecc 7:26 – I find
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 2:18-19. For her house inclineth unto death Conversation with her (which was most usual in her own house) is the certain way to death, which it brings many ways, and undoubtedly, without repentance, to Gods wrath and the second death. None that go unto her That is, few or none; a hyperbolical expression, used Isa 64:7; return again From her and from this wicked way unto God and his ways. Whoremongers and adulterers are very rarely brought to repentance, but are generally hardened by the power and deceitfulness of their sin, and by Gods just judgment, peculiarly inflicted upon such persons, Heb 13:4; neither take they hold of the paths of life Of those courses which lead to true and eternal life and happiness.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:18 For her {m} house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto {n} the dead.
(m) Her acquaintance with her spirits and they that haunt her.
(n) To them who are dead in body and soul.