Proverbs 5:23 Commentary and Bible Study

The word here translated folly, refers to foolishness which is just utterly, inexplicably silly. There are four chief words in the Hebrew Old Testament that are translated fool in our Bibles. There are more than this, but essentially there are four different types of fool in the Old Testament, different types of foolishness. This one is the worst of all: the silly person. There was no decision to take; there was no choice in the matter, and yet in his folly he made the wrong choice.There was the wonderful blessing of God. Oh, come to the Lord, a gracious God who would be your Saviour, but must one day be your Judge, if you reject him. He is the God of all love and kindness, the God of great power, the God of grace, who will freely forgive you all your sins, a Saviour who suffered and died to take the punishment himself. He is the God who will renew your life and convert you, and be like the tender bride, your loving God, your lifelong companion, your friend, your elder brother. He will see you through and take you to glory, make himself known to you, strengthen you and bless you.There is the choice between God and the world, a depraved world, a failed world, a fickle world, a changeable world, a world on the run from God, a world that can only sell you pleasures at great expense, that lasts for a moment and often makes you sick. A world that will only dish out to you pleasures in short bursts, a world that is painful, a world which leads to doom. Oh, says Solomon, anybody who would have that will die in the greatness of his silliness, his folly.