5:6

There is a contrast in this verse between the parts in bold print. The underlined parts do not contrast.

6a
She does not consider the path of life ;

6b
she does not know that her ways are unstable.

5:6a

She does not consider the path of life: This clause indicates that the woman has decided to avoid the path that leads to life. Other ways to translate this clause are:

she does not care about the path to life (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
far from following the path of life (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
She doesn’t even think about the path of life. (God’s Word)

The Good News Translation translates this clause as, “She does not stay on the road to life,” but this may incorrectly imply that at certain times she does follow the road leading to life. That is not implied in this context.

path of life: This phrase means “way that leads to life.” For more information, see the note on 2:19a–b.

5:6b

she does not know that her ways are unstable: In Hebrew, the clause her ways are unstable is literally “her ways wander/waver.” This expression indicates that her life is unstable. Her behavior is like a path that keeps turning in different directions.

she does not know: She does not realize that her life is unstable and that she is wandering.

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