Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

PROVERBS 5:19KJV
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Proverbs 5:19 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 5:19 mean?

Proverbs 5:19 encourages a husband to find joy, satisfaction, and delight in his wife, using the imagery of a loving deer and graceful doe. The verse urges him to be continually captivated by her love and physical affection, emphasizing faithfulness and deep emotional connection in marriage.

In Proverbs 5, a father is warning his son about the dangers of unfaithfulness and the allure of adultery. This verse stands out as a positive instruction, painting marital love as something beautiful and fulfilling. The language is vivid and affectionate, showing that the Bible values not just loyalty but also genuine delight and intimacy within marriage.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 5:19

  • "Loving" (אָהֵב, 'ahev, H158) describes the deer as affectionate or beloved, highlighting the emotional warmth and gentleness meant to characterize the wife.
  • "Satisfy" (רָוָה, ravah, H7301) means to be filled or abundantly satisfied, suggesting that the husband's needs—emotional and physical—should be met within marriage.
  • "Ravished" (שָׁגָה, shagah, H7686) literally means "to be intoxicated" or "carried away," emphasizing the idea of being deeply and continually captivated by the wife's love, not just in a fleeting way.

Why Proverbs 5:19 matters

  • Proverbs 5:19 clears up the misconception that the Bible is cold or restrictive about marital affection; instead, it celebrates joy and passion within marriage.
  • The verse highlights that faithfulness is not just about avoiding wrongdoing but about actively cherishing and delighting in one’s spouse.
  • In the context of Proverbs 5, this verse contrasts the dangers of forbidden relationships with the safety and fulfillment found in a loving, committed marriage.

Where else these words appear

“loving” Hebrew H158 · used in 2 verses

  • Hosea 8:9 For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

“hind” Hebrew H365 · used in 3 verses

  • Psalms 22:1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
  • Jeremiah 14:5 Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.

“breasts” Hebrew H1717 · used in 4 verses

  • Ezekiel 23:3 And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
  • Ezekiel 23:8 Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
  • Ezekiel 23:21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.

“satisfy” Hebrew H7301 · used in 14 verses

  • Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
  • Isaiah 16:9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.
  • Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: