23:27
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
27a For a prostitute is a deep pit,
27b and an adulteress is a narrow well.
Both lines are metaphors. They compare two types of immoral women to dangerous places that can trap an animal or person.
23:27a–b
For: This verse gives a specific motivation or reason for the son to pay attention to his father’s admonition in 23:26. The reason is that an immoral woman is a source of danger from which it is difficult to escape. It is implied that the son will avoid this danger if he heeds the warning.
Some versions leave it implied that this is a reason. For example:
A prostitute is a deep pit. (God’s Word)
Introduce this reason in a natural way in your language.
a prostitute…an adulteress: The first phrase refers to a woman who charges a fee for men to have sex with her. In Hebrew, the second phrase usually means “foreign woman” or “strange woman.” In Proverbs, it refers to a wife who commits adultery.
Together, these parallel phrases refer to any immoral woman. They include both unmarried and married women.
Some ways to translate these parallel phrases are:
a prostitute…a wayward wife (New International Version)
-or-
a woman who sells her body…a woman who is not faithful to her husband
Many languages have euphemisms to refer to having sex with immoral women. Use terms in your language that will not cause embarrassment if this verse is read in public.
For more information, see the note on prostitute in 6:26a. See also the note on adulteress in 6:24b.
a deep pit…a narrow well: A pit and a well differ in several ways. A hunter digs a pit in order to trap a larger animal. This pit is usually covered over with branches or leaves in order to hide it. A person digs a well so he can have a source of water.
However, in these parallel metaphors, a deep pit and a narrow well have similar characteristics. Immoral women are similar to both of these:
(a) For a person to get involved with an immoral woman is dangerous and leads to death.
(b) The dangers are hidden, so the victims do not suspect the disastrous consequences.
(c) An animal or person that has fallen into a deep pit or a narrow well cannot escape. Similarly, a man that has become involved in adultery will be unable to escape the bad consequences.
One way to translate these parallel metaphors is to change the metaphors to similes. Make explicit one or more of the implied similarities. For example:
27a A prostitute is as dangerous as a deep pit.
27b and an unfaithful wife is like a narrow well. (New Century Version)
See the notes on 22:14a for a similar comparison. That verse has the identical phrase “a deep pit.” But there, the comparison involves the “mouth of an adulteress.”
General Comment on 23:27a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder one or more of the parallel parts. For example:
Bad women and unfaithful wives are like a deep pit (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Prostitutes and immoral women are a deadly trap. (Good News Translation)
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