Proverbs 5:9

Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
– Proverbs 5:9

This verse provides the alternative to keeping far away from the strange woman and her door. Honor means beauty and majesty. It could mean vigor, but the context seems to point to a loss of integrity and good reputation. The giving of years refers to losing them in some way. The cruel could refer to slave masters that a man is subjected to through loss of wealth and respect. As Solomon continues to count the losses, it is clear a man has much more to lose than could ever be gained this way.

Listen to the Proverbs sermon series