Proverbs 9 · Verse 18

Proverbs 9:18

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

Proverbs 9:18 in other translations

BSBBut they do not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
WEBBut he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
ASVBut he knoweth not that the dead are there; That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
YLTAnd he hath not known that Rephaim are there, In deep places of Sheol her invited ones!
DARBYBut he knoweth not that the dead are there; that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
BBEBut he does not see that the dead are there, that her guests are in the deep places of the underworld.
WebsterBut he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

What does Proverbs 9:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. (Compare Pr 2:18, 19; 7:27).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there - See on Pro 2:18 (note). He does not know that it was in this way the first apostates from God and truth walked. רפאים rephaim; gigantev, the Giants - Septuagint. The sons of men, the earth-born, to distinguish them from the sons of God, those who were born from above. See the notes on Gen 6:1, etc. Her guests are in the depths of hell - Those who have been drawn out of the way of understanding by profligacy have in general lost their lives, if not their souls, by their folly. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic make a long addition to this verse: "But draw thou back, that thou mayest not die in this place; neither fix thy eyes upon her; so shalt thou pass by those strange waters. But abstain thou from strange waters, and drink not of another's fountain, that thou mayest live a long time, and that years may be added to thy life." Of this addition there is nothing in the Hebrew, the Chaldee, or the Vulgate, as now printed: but in the editio princeps are the following words: Qui enim applicabitur illi descendet ad inferos; nam qui abscesserit ab ea salvabitur. These words were in the copy from which my old MS. Bible has been made, as the following version proves: Who forsoth schal ben joyned to hir, schal falle doun on to hell: for whi he that goth awai fro hir, schal be saved. Three of my own MSS. have the same reading.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Proverbs 9:13-18

How diligent the tempter is, to seduce unwary souls into sin! Carnal, sensual pleasure, stupifies conscience, and puts out the sparks of conviction. This tempter has no solid reason to offer; and where she gets dominion in a soul, all knowledge of holy things is lost and forgotten. She is very violent and pressing. We need to seek and pray for true wisdom, for Satan has many ways to withdraw our souls from Christ…

Read the full comment on Proverbs 9:13-18 →

Proverbs 9:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְֽלֹא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
יָ֭דַעYa.da'he knowsH3045
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
רְפָאִ֣יםre.fa.'Im[the] shadesH7496
שָׁ֑םSham[are] thereH8033
בְּעִמְקֵ֖יbe.'im.Kei[are] in [the] depths ofH6012
שְׁא֣וֹלshe.'olSheolH7585
קְרֻאֶֽיהָ\׃\ \פke.ru.'Ei.hainvited [ones] herH7121

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 9:18

  • Proverbs 7:27

    Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

  • Proverbs 2:18-19

    For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

  • Proverbs 5:5

    Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

  • Psalms 82:5

    They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

  • Proverbs 1:7

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

  • Proverbs 6:26

    For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he.
1:7; Ps 82:5; 2Pe 3:5
the dead.
2:18,19; 5:5; 6:26; 7:27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 9:17

    Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

  • Proverbs 9:18

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

Read all of Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y no saben que allí están los muertos; que sus convidados están en los profundos de la sepultura.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il ne sait pas que les trépassés sont là, et que ses conviés sont dans les profondeurs du shéol.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er weiß nicht, daß dort die Schatten sind, in den Tiefen des Scheols ihre Geladenen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ignoravit quod ibi sint gigantes, et in profundis inferni convivæ ejus.