Proverbs 5:3

For the lips ¹  of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her seductive words ²  are smoother than olive oil,

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey And smoother than oil is her speech;

The lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil.

The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet, her soft words are oh so smooth.

For honey is dropping from the lips of the strange woman, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

For the lips of a loose woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;

For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil;

For the lips ¹  of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her seductive words ²  are smoother than olive oil,

¹ sn “Lips” is a metonymy of cause, referring to her words. Dripping honey is an implied comparison between the product and her words, which are flattering and smooth (cf. Song 4:11). See M. Dahood, “Honey That Drips. Notes on Proverbs 5:2-3,” Bib 54 (1973): 65-66.

² tn Heb “her palate.” The word חֵךְ (khekh, “palate; roof of the mouth; gums”) is a metonymy of cause (= organ of speech) for what is said (= her seductive speech). The present translation clarifies this metonymy with the phrase “her seductive words.”