Pro 6:32-35 | NET2full | STEP | A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense ; whoever does it destroys his own life .

‏ Proverbs 6:32-35

32 A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense; ^{▼▼tn The term לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) here represents thinking by means of metonymy (i.e., the mind stands for what the mind does). The overstatement, “lacking the ability to think,” means lacking discernment, wisdom, good sense. Cf. NAB “is a fool”; NIV84 “lacks judgment”; NKJV “lacks understanding”; NCV, NRSV, NIV11 “has no sense.”}
whoever does it destroys his own life. ^{▼▼tn Heb “soul.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) functions as a metonymy of association for “life” (BDB 659 s.v. 3.c).}
33 He will be beaten and despised, ^{▼▼tn Heb “He will find (or obtain) a wound and contempt.”}
and his reproach will not be wiped away; ^{▼▼sn Even though the text has said that the man caught in adultery ruins his life, it does not mean that he was put to death, although that could have happened. He seems to live on in ignominy, destroyed socially and spiritually. He might receive blows and wounds from the husband and shame and disgrace from the spiritual community. D. Kidner observes that in a morally healthy society the adulterer would be a social outcast (Proverbs [TOTC], 75).}
34 for jealousy kindles ^{▼▼tn The word “kindles” was supplied in the translation; both “rage” and “jealousy” have meanings connected to heat.} a husband’s ^{▼▼tn Heb “a man’s.”} rage,
and he will not show mercy ^{▼▼tn The verb חָמַל (khamal) means “to show mercy; to show compassion; to show pity,” usually with the outcome of sparing or delivering someone. The idea here is that the husband will not spare the guilty man any of the punishment (cf. NRSV “he shows no restraint”).} when he takes revenge.
35 He will not consider ^{▼▼tn Heb “lift up the face of,” meaning “regard.”} any compensation; ^{▼▼tc The MT’s “he will not lift the face of all of compensation” is probably a case of wrong word division. If the two letters of the word כֹל (kol, “all”) are divided and joined to the previous and following words, the text reads לֹא יִשָּׂא פָנֶיךָ לְכֹפֶר (loʾ yissaʾ faneka lekofer) “he will not lift your face for [any] compensation.”} ^{▼▼tn The word rendered “compensation” is כֹּפֶר (kofer); it is essentially a ransom price, a sum to be paid to deliver another from debt, bondage, or crime. The husband cannot accept payment as a ransom for a life, since what has happened cannot be undone so easily.}
he will not be willing, even if you multiply the compensation. ^{▼▼tn BDB 1005 s.v. שֹׁחַד suggests that this term means “hush money” or “bribe” (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT). C. H. Toy takes it as legal compensation (Proverbs [ICC], 142).}