· Translation: KJV

Proverbs 2:19None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

The setting

Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. Solomon's court in Jerusalem. A father teaching his son about the adulteress who prowls the streets at night, representing all destructive temptations...

The emotion here: urgent warning from hard-won experience

The original word

shûb (שׁוּב) — to turn back, return; implies a complete reversal of direction

Why it matters

In ancient Israel, adultery was punishable by death for both parties

Read with care

What most readers miss in Proverbs 2:19

This isn't just about sexual sin - 'her' represents any destructive path that promises pleasure but delivers death

Common misconceptionPeople think this is only about prostitution, but Solomon is using the adulteress as a metaphor for ANY destructive choice that seems appealing but leads to ruin - gambling, drugs, corrupt business deals.

Bible Genome reading

Proverbs 2:19 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerWisdom
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typewisdom
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability80%
Memorability90%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone70%
Themes:deathno return

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Proverbs 2

Proverbs 2:19 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Wisdom. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include death, no return. Notable phrases: none who go return; paths of life. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

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