· Translation: KJV

Proverbs 6:29So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

The setting

Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. A father teaching his son about life's dangers in Jerusalem's marketplace...

The emotion here: urgent paternal fear watching son approach disaster

The original word

naga (נגע) — to touch, strike, or reach; implies physical contact that violates boundaries

Why it matters

Adultery in ancient Israel carried the death penalty for both parties involved

Read with care

What most readers miss in Proverbs 6:29

This isn't about judgment - it's a father's desperate warning to save his son's life

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about God being a moral policeman, but it's a father warning his son that adultery literally destroys everything - reputation, family, wealth, even life itself in ancient Israel.

Bible Genome reading

Proverbs 6:29 — Bible Genome reading

EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typeteaching

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability70%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance80%
Standalone60%
Themes:adulteryconsequences

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6:29 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include adultery, consequences. Notable phrases: neighbor's wife; not unpunished.

Your reflection

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