Proverbs 6:26 is notoriously difficult to translate. The Hebrew is compressed, and a verb is missing. Rendered word for word, it says something like this: “For … a prostitute … to a loaf of bread, but a man’s wife a precious life hunts.” Issues abound: does going to a prostitute reduce a man to the value of a loaf of bread, or can a prostitute be bought for the price of a loaf? Is the prostitute in the first phrase the same woman as the man’s wife in the second? No wonder scholars express confusion about this verse.
The two main interpretations seem to go something like this. Option A: Going to a prostitute can bring a man down to poverty, but going to another man’s wife can kill you. Option B: Going to a prostitute doesn’t cost much, but going to another man’s wife will cost you everything.
Either way, the message is clear: sin costs. The cost varies. All sin is serious, but some sins are more serious than others. Some sins, like adultery, have consequences that can’t be contained no matter how hard you try.
Of course, Proverbs isn’t endorsing prostitution. Proverbs 23:27 says, “A prostitute is a deep pit.” Proverbs 29:3 says, “A companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.” Proverbs 6:26 is only saying that prostitution will cost you less than adultery. Sex with a prostitute and sex with someone else’s wife look the same, but sex with someone else’s wife is much more deadly. The husband of that wife will take no compensation. He will decide the terms of punishment, and you can be sure of one thing: the cost will be severe.
If you think adultery is manageable, the writer is saying, you are catastrophically wrong. Adultery will cost you everything that matters to you. Sin promises joy, but robs you of what’s most precious to you. John Kitchen observes, “It can steal not only your material wealth, but also your integrity, fellowship with God, reputation, family, relationships, friends, and respect.”
Sin is the ultimate buy-now, pay-later scheme. That’s why it’s so enticing: sin always looks like a bargain. We get so much for so little. How could we turn down such a deal? But then the payment comes due, and it’s always more than we expect. What looked cheap ends up bankrupting us, and it also exacts a price from those around us.
Proverbs 6:26 is a difficult verse for two reasons. First, it’s hard to understand. Second, it’s a weighty verse that’s not pleasant to think about. Nevertheless, it’s a verse that’s worth meditation.
What will sin cost you? Sometimes we think we can contain the damage of our actions. But we’re not always good at seeing the cost of sin until it’s too late, and the consequences of some sins are so high that we could call them catastrophic.
Sin costs. Some sins cost a little, at least in comparison to others. But some sins will destroy you and everything important to you. Don’t wait until sin tempts you to learn this lesson. Count the cost, and you will see that these sins just aren’t worth it.