1 My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding `thy' kinswoman:
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, `And' with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as `one in' fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Now therefore, `my' sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 7
Commentary on Proverbs 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
Pr 7:1-27. The subject continued, by a delineation of the arts of strange women, as a caution to the unwary.
1-4. Similar calls (Pr 3:1-3; 4:10, &c.).
2. apple … eye—pupil of eye, a custody (Pr 4:23) of special value.
3. Bind … fingers—as inscriptions on rings.
5. The design of the teaching (compare Pr 2:16; 6:24).
6. For—or, "Since," introducing an example to illustrate the warning, which, whether a narrative or a parable, is equally pertinent.
window—or, "opening"
looked—literally, "watched earnestly" (Jud 5:28).
casement—or, "lattice."
7. simple—as in Pr 1:4.
void of, &c.—(Compare Pr 6:32).
8. her corner—where she was usually found.
went … house—implying, perhaps, confidence in himself by his manner, as denoted in the word
went—literally, "tread pompously."
9. The time, twilight, ending in darkness.
black … night—literally, "pupil," or, "eye," that is, middle of night.
10. attire—that of harlots was sometimes peculiar.
subtile—or, "wary," "cunning."
11, 12. loud—or, "noisy," "bustling."
stubborn—not submissive.
without … streets, … corner—(Compare 1Ti 5:13; Tit 2:5).
13-15. The preparations for a feast do not necessarily imply peculiar religious professions. The offerer retained part of the victim for a feast (Le 3:9, &c.). This feast she professes was prepared for him whom she boldly addresses as one sought specially to partake of it.
16, 17. my bed—or, "couch," adorned in the costliest manner.
17. bed—a place for sleeping.
18-20. There is no fear of discovery.
20. the day appointed—perhaps, literally, "a full moon," that is, a fortnight's time (compare Pr 7:19).
21. caused … yield—or, "inclines."
flattering—(Compare Pr 5:3).
forced him—by persuasion overcoming his scruples.
22. straightway—quickly, either as ignorant of danger, or incapable of resistance.
23. Till—He is now caught (Pr 6:26).
24. The inferential admonition is followed (Pr 7:26, 27), by a more general allegation of the evils of this vice.
26, 27. Even the mightiest fail to resist her deathly allurements.