Proverbs 23:27For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. A father warns his son about predatory women in the marketplace and streets of Jerusalem, Israel, where foreign influences threaten moral standards...
The emotion here: urgent fear watching young men destroy their lives and marriages
The original word
šūḥāh (שׁוּחָה) — a pit dug for trapping animals, impossible to climb out alone
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern cities had temple prostitutes as part of fertility religions - this was both spiritual and physical adultery
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 23:27
The 'pit' metaphor means you can't get out by yourself - you need someone to pull you up
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about 'bad women' when it's actually about men making foolish choices - the pit exists because someone chooses to walk toward it.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 23:27
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 23:27 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 23:27 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include sexual purity, warning, danger. Notable phrases: prostitute is deep pit; wayward wife narrow well. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 23:27 mean to you, today?
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