Proverbs 23:28
New International Version
Like a bandit she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

New Living Translation
She hides and waits like a robber, eager to make more men unfaithful.

English Standard Version
She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.

Berean Standard Bible
Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.

King James Bible
She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

New King James Version
She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men.

New American Standard Bible
Certainly she lurks as a robber, And increases the treacherous among mankind.

NASB 1995
Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

NASB 1977
Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

Legacy Standard Bible
Surely she lies in wait as a robber, And adds to the treacherous among men.

Amplified Bible
She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey], And she increases the faithless among men.

Christian Standard Bible
indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber and increases the number of unfaithful people.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber and increases those among men who are unfaithful.

American Standard Version
Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, And increaseth the treacherous among men.

Contemporary English Version
they are waiting to attack you like a gang of robbers with victim after victim.

English Revised Version
Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
She is like a robber, lying in ambush. She spreads unfaithfulness throughout society.

Good News Translation
They wait for you like robbers and cause many men to be unfaithful.

International Standard Version
Surely she lies in wait like a bandit, increasing those who are faithless among mankind.

Majority Standard Bible
Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.

NET Bible
Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

New Heart English Bible
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

Webster's Bible Translation
She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

World English Bible
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
She also, as catching prey, lies in wait, "" And she increases the treacherous among men.

Young's Literal Translation
She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.

Smith's Literal Translation
She also will lie in wait as for prey, and she will add those transgressing among men.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
She lieth in wait in the way as a robber, and him whom she shall see unwary, she will kill.

Catholic Public Domain Version
She lies in wait along the way like a robber. And the incautious one whom she sees, she will put to death.

New American Bible
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the number of the faithless.

New Revised Standard Version
She lies in wait like a robber and increases the number of the faithless.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
She destroys men suddenly, and increases iniquity among men.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
She destroys suddenly and many evil men multiply.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
She also lieth in wait as a robber, And increaseth the faithless among men.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For such a one shall perish suddenly; and every transgressor shall be cut off.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
True Riches
27For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well. 28Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men. 29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?…

Cross References
Proverbs 7:10-12
Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart. / She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home. / Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.

Proverbs 6:24-26
to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. / Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. / For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

Proverbs 2:16-19
It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words / who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. / For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits. ...

Proverbs 5:3-6
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil, / in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. / Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol. ...

Proverbs 9:13-18
The woman named Folly is loud; she is naive and knows nothing. / She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city, / calling out to those who pass by, who make their paths straight. ...

Proverbs 22:14
The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.

Ecclesiastes 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.

Judges 16:4-21
Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. / The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.” / So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” ...

Genesis 39:7-12
and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” / But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care. / No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” ...

Jeremiah 3:2-3
“Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. / Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.

Matthew 5:28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

2 Peter 2:14
Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.


Treasury of Scripture

She also lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.

as for a prey or as a robber

Proverbs 2:16-19
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; …

Proverbs 7:12,22-27
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) …

Proverbs 9:18
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

increaseth

Numbers 25:1
And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

Hosea 4:11
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

1 Corinthians 10:8
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

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Bandit Beast Catching Deceit Faithless Food Increased Increases Increaseth Lies Multiplies Prey Robber Secretly Surely Transgressors Unfaithful Wait Waiting
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Bandit Beast Catching Deceit Faithless Food Increased Increases Increaseth Lies Multiplies Prey Robber Secretly Surely Transgressors Unfaithful Wait Waiting
Proverbs 23
1. Consider carefully what is before you














Like a robber she lies in wait
This phrase suggests a sense of danger and deceit, akin to a thief who ambushes unsuspecting victims. In biblical times, robbers often hid along roadsides or in secluded areas to attack travelers, reflecting the perilous nature of ancient travel. This imagery is used to describe the seductive and destructive nature of certain temptations, particularly those related to immorality. The comparison to a robber highlights the stealth and cunning involved, as well as the potential for spiritual and moral harm. This aligns with other biblical warnings against deceit and temptation, such as in Proverbs 7:12, where the adulteress is described as lurking at every corner.

and multiplies the faithless among men
This part of the verse emphasizes the corrupting influence of such temptations, leading many to stray from faithfulness. The term "faithless" refers to those who abandon their commitments, whether to God, family, or community. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, faithfulness was a core value, integral to one's relationship with God and others. The multiplication of the faithless suggests a widespread impact, where one person's fall can lead to a ripple effect, influencing others to follow suit. This is reminiscent of the warnings in 1 Corinthians 15:33, which cautions that bad company corrupts good character. The verse serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and the potential consequences of moral compromise.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Seductress
This verse personifies the seductress as a dangerous figure, akin to a robber, who lies in wait to ensnare the unsuspecting. She represents temptation and moral corruption.

2. The Victims
The "faithless among men" refers to those who fall prey to her allure, leading them away from righteousness and fidelity.

3. The Setting
The imagery of lying in wait suggests a hidden or secretive place, emphasizing the stealth and deceit involved in temptation.
Teaching Points
Vigilance Against Temptation
Just as a robber lies in wait, temptation often comes when we least expect it. Christians must remain vigilant and guard their hearts against moral pitfalls.

The Consequences of Infidelity
Falling into temptation can lead to a life of faithlessness, damaging relationships with God and others. Recognize the long-term consequences of short-term indulgence.

The Importance of Wisdom
Proverbs consistently emphasizes the value of wisdom. Seek God's wisdom to discern and avoid the traps set by the seductress.

Accountability and Community
Surround yourself with a community of believers who can provide support and accountability, helping you to stay on the path of righteousness.

Relying on God's Strength
In moments of temptation, rely on God's strength and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to overcome and choose faithfulness.(28) Increaseth the transgressors (faithless) among men.--This vice being the fruitful source of faithlessness both towards man and God.

Verse 28. - She also lieth in wait as for a prey. "Yea, she [Proverbs 22:19] lieth in wait," as is graphically described in ch. 7. (comp. Jeremiah 3:2). Chetheph is better taken, not as "prey," but in a concrete sense as the person who snatches it, the robber. Vulgate, Insidiatur in via quasi latro (comp. Psalm 10:9). And increaseth the transgressors among men. The Greek and Latin versions have taken רוסִיפ as meaning "kills," "destroys." But the verb yasaph always means "to add," here "to multiply." The special transgression indicated is treachery or faithlessness. The harlot leads her victim to be faithless to his God, his wife, his parents, his tutor, his master. Septuagint, "For he shall perish suddenly, and every transgressor shall be destroyed."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Like a robber
כְּחֶ֣תֶף (kə·ḥe·ṯep̄)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2863: Rapine, robbery

she
הִ֭יא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

lies in wait
תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב (te·’ĕ·rōḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 693: To lie in wait

and multiplies
תּוֹסִֽף׃ (tō·w·sip̄)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment

the faithless
וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים (ū·ḇō·wḡ·ḏîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

among men.
בְּאָדָ֥ם (bə·’ā·ḏām)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 23:28 Yes she lies in wait like (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 23:27
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