5:4

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

4a in the end she is bitter as wormwood,

4b
sharp as a double-edged sword.

Notice that the topic of the metaphors in 5:3 is the woman’s words. In 5:4 the parallel similes focus on the woman herself.

5:4a

in the end she is: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “her end.” It refers to the final result of sexual intercourse with her.

bitter as wormwood: There is a textual difference here:

(1) The MT has “wormwood,” as in the Berean Standard Bible.

(2) The LXX has “gall.” For example:

bitter as gall (New International Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).

Wormwood was a plant that had a bitter taste and was regarded as poisonous. In several OT passages, it is a symbol of suffering and sorrow. If there is no word in your language for wormwood or if the significance of wormwood is not known, some other ways to translate the phrase bitter as wormwood are:

• Use a more general figure of speech, such as “poison.” For example:

But the result is as bitter as poison (New Living Translation (1996))

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

she leaves you nothing but bitterness (Good News Translation)
-or-
In the end she will bring you sorrow (New Century Version)

• Use the name of a local plant that has a bitter taste.

5:4b

sharp as a double-edged sword: The similarity of an adulteress to a sharp sword with two edges is that both cause pain and destruction. In some languages, it may be helpful to make the similarity explicit. For example:

causing you pain like a two-edged sword (New Century Version)

In some cultures, swords are not known. If this is true in your culture, other ways to translate this simile are:

• Use a similar object that is known in your culture. For example:

she will harm you as much as a machete/dagger with two edges

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

she will cause you great suffering/harm

General Comment on 5:4a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts. For example, the Good News Translation combines the meaning of the two lines without using a figure of speech. It has:

but when it is all over, she leaves you nothing but bitterness and pain

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