6:26

There is a contrast between the two lines of this verse. The New Revised Standard Version has been used as the source line, because it follows the recommended interpretation.

26a for a prostitute ’s fee is only a loaf of bread, (New Revised Standard Version)

26b but the wife of another stalks a man’s very life. (New Revised Standard Version)

6:26a–b

(New Revised Standard Version) for a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another stalks a man’s very life: There are two main ways to interpret this verse:

(1) There is a strong contrast between the low cost of sleeping with a prostitute (only a loaf of bread) and the high cost of sleeping with a married woman (one’s valuable life). The two lines are connected by the word “but.” For example:

A prostitute can be bought for a hunk of bread, but a married woman aims to snare a precious life. (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) Sleeping with a prostitute and sleeping with a married woman both have bad results. The first act leads to poverty (the man is reduced to begging for a loaf of bread). The second act leads to death. The two lines are connected by the word “and.” For example:

For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, and sleeping with another man’s wife may cost you your very life. (New Living Translation (1996))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with a majority of versions and scholars. The purpose of the verse is to show the terrible danger of having an affair with a married woman. It is not to minimize the moral wrong of sleeping with prostitutes.

6:26a

(New Revised Standard Version) for: The word for introduces the reason for not yielding to the temptation of sleeping with a married woman (described in 6:25).

(New Revised Standard Version) a prostitute’s fee: The phrase a prostitute’s fee refers to what a prostitute charges for having sex. Another way to translate this phrase is:

A man can hire a prostitute for the price of… (Good News Translation)

Be careful to choose a word or expression for prostitute carefully so that people are not embarrassed when they hear the word read aloud. Many languages use euphemisms such as “a woman who sells her body” or “a woman with a bad reputation.” For example:

A woman who sells her love can be bought for as little as… (Contemporary English Version)

(New Revised Standard Version) a loaf of bread: In Hebrew, the word loaf is literally “a round.” It refers to the small round pieces of bread known as “pocket” or “pita” bread. If this type of bread is unknown, a more general term may be used. For example:

a hunk of bread (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
the price of a meal (Contemporary English Version)

6:26b

(New Revised Standard Version) but the wife of another stalks a man’s very life: The word stalks is often used of a hunter’s action in silently approaching his prey. This clause is a metaphor. A hunter stalks his prey in order to kill it. Similarly, the adulteress seduces her lovers with the intention that they will die.

A number of modern versions translate the nonfigurative meaning of the metaphor in a way that minimizes or omits this intention of the seductress to make her lovers die. For example:

adultery will cost him all he has (Good News Translation)
-or-
sleeping with another man’s wife may cost you your very life (New Living Translation (1996))

These versions probably translate this way in order to focus on the high cost of the action rather than the intention of the woman. However, the woman’s role is clearly in focus, so it is recommended that your translation make this clear. Some ways to make the woman’s role explicit without using a metaphor are:

but an adulteress will cause you to die
-or-
because of the immoral wife, you will lose your life

(New Revised Standard Version) a man’s very life: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “the precious soul.” It means that the man’s life is very valuable. This is well expressed by the New Jerusalem Bible:

a married woman aims to snare a precious life (New Jerusalem Bible)

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