But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

PROVERBS 6:32KJV
Know the Bible

Proverbs 6:32 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 6:32 mean?

Proverbs 6:32 warns that anyone who commits adultery with a woman is showing a lack of sense and is bringing harm to himself. The verse says that such a person is destroying his own soul, meaning he is causing deep personal damage, not just making a mistake.

This proverb is part of a section where a father is giving practical warnings to his son about the dangers of adultery. The focus is on the self-destructive nature of this choice, stressing that the real harm falls on the person who commits the act, not just on those around him. The language is direct, highlighting the seriousness of the consequences.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 6:32

  • "adultery" (נָאַף, na’af): This word specifically refers to sexual unfaithfulness, usually involving someone who is married. The original term makes clear that the warning is about breaking a committed relationship.
  • "lacketh" (חֲסַר, chasar): This word means to be without or to lack something important. Here, it emphasizes that the person is missing good judgment or sense.
  • "understanding" (לֵב, lev): Literally meaning "heart," this word often refers to the mind or inner understanding in Hebrew thought. The verse is saying the person lacks inner wisdom or discernment.
  • "destroyeth" (שָׁחַת, shachat): This word means to ruin, corrupt, or destroy. It stresses that the act of adultery is not just a mistake but something that deeply damages the person’s own life or soul.

Why Proverbs 6:32 matters

  • Proverbs 6:32 clarifies that the consequences of adultery are not only external (like social shame or broken relationships) but also deeply personal, affecting a person’s own well-being and character.
  • The verse shifts the focus from blaming others to personal responsibility, making it clear that the real loss is to the person who chooses this path.
  • In the wider context of Proverbs 6, this warning fits into a series of practical teachings about wise living, showing that moral choices have real and lasting effects on a person’s life.

Where else these words appear

“lacketh” Hebrew H2638 · used in 19 verses

  • 1 Samuel 21:15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
  • Proverbs 9:16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
  • Proverbs 15:21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

“adultery” Hebrew H5003 · used in 26 verses

  • Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
  • Jeremiah 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
  • Ezekiel 16:38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

“destroyeth” Hebrew H7843 · used in 136 verses

  • Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
  • 2 Samuel 1:14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?
  • Jeremiah 6:5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.