Proverbs7

The father admonishes his son to embrace wisdom and keep his commandments, thereby guarding against the allure of the "strange woman." He recounts observing a naive youth who, despite warnings, is enticed by a harlot's flattering words and promises of illicit pleasure. The chapter concludes with a solemn caution that her path leads to destruction and death for those who yield to her temptations.

Hold Fast to Wisdom

My son, keep my words, store up my commands with you.

Obey my commands, and live; guard my teaching like the pupil of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom, "You are my sister"; call understanding your kinswoman;

so that they can keep you from unknown women, from loose women with their seductive talk.

The Observation of the Simple Youth

For I was at the window of my house, glancing out through the lattice,

when I saw among the young men there, among those who don't think for themselves, a young fellow devoid of all sense.

He crosses the street near her corner and continues on toward her house.

Dusk turns into evening, and finally night, dark and black.

Then a woman approaches him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.

She's the coarse, impulsive type, whose feet don't stay at home;

rather, she stalks the streets and squares, lurking at every streetcorner.

She grabs him, gives him a kiss, and, brazen-faced, she says to him,

"I had to offer peace sacrifices, and I fulfilled my vows today.

This is why I came out to meet you, to look for you; now I've found you.

I've spread quilts on my couch made of colored Egyptian linen.

I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

Come on, let's make love till morning; we'll enjoy making love.

My husband isn't at home, he's gone on a long trip;

he took a bag of money with him and won't be back till the moon is full."

With all her sweet talk she convinces him, enticing him with her seductive words.

At once he follows her like an ox on its way to be slaughtered; like a fool to be punished in the stocks;

or like a bird rushing into a trap, not knowing its life is at stake till an arrow pierces its liver.

Final Warning Against Immorality

So now, children, listen to me; pay attention to what I am saying.

Don't let your heart turn to her ways; don't stray onto her paths.

For many are those she has struck down dead, numerous those she has killed.

Her house is the way to Sh'ol; it leads down to the halls of death.

Study Notes for Proverbs 7

Verse 1

Proverbs 7 continues the father's urgent appeal from chapters 1–6, framing moral instruction as the key to a flourishing life.

Verse 2

“Keep my commandments, and live” connects obedience directly to the covenant promise of life (Deuteronomy 30:19–20). To guard the law 'as the apple of thine eye' means protecting it with the utmost vigilance.

Verse 3

Binding the law on the fingers and heart are metaphors for complete internalization and constant remembrance, ensuring that the commands are always present in action and motivation.

Verse 5

The 'strange woman' (Hebrew: *zarah*) is typically an outsider or an adulteress who threatens the stability of the family and the covenant community through illicit sex.

Verse 6

The teacher shifts from direct command to a vivid, cautionary narrative, illustrating how moral failure occurs through a series of small, avoidable steps.

Verse 7

The youth is 'void of understanding' (*ḥăsar-lēḇ*), indicating a lack of moral discernment and practical wisdom, making him highly susceptible to temptation.

Verse 9

The description of the time—twilight and darkness—symbolizes the secrecy and moral obscurity that sin requires, highlighting the deliberate nature of the youth's approach.

Verse 10

The woman is described by her 'attire of an harlot' and her 'subtil of heart,' indicating that her external appearance is provocative and her internal motivation is deceitful and calculated.

Verse 12

Her restless, public behavior contrasts sharply with the ideal of the virtuous wife found elsewhere in Proverbs; she is actively seeking prey rather than managing her home.

Verse 14

She manipulates religious piety by claiming to have just offered peace offerings (*shelamim*). This implies she is pious, and also that she has plenty of sacrificial meat for a celebratory feast, lending a veneer of respectability to the encounter.

Verse 16

The luxurious description of the bed appeals directly to the youth’s sensual desires, creating a fantasy of comfort and illicit pleasure.

Verse 21

The power of temptation is centered on 'fair speech' and 'flattering,' emphasizing that sin often succeeds through calculated lies and persuasive appeals rather than through force.

Verse 22

The imagery of the ox going to slaughter illustrates the victim's blindness and the inevitability of ruin once the path of sin is embraced.

Verse 23

The 'dart strike through his liver' is a graphic image of fatal judgment. The liver was believed by ancient Hebrews to be the seat of life and deep emotion, signifying ultimate death.

Verse 24

The teacher concludes the narrative with an immediate call for attention, applying the lesson directly to the audience.

Verse 26

This verse warns that the danger is universal; even 'many strong men' (those confident in their control or standing) have been brought down by sexual sin, demonstrating its destructive reach.

Verse 27

The house of the adulteress is explicitly equated with 'Sheol' and the 'chambers of death,' underscoring the theological point that this sin leads ultimately to spiritual and physical destruction.

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Proverbs7

Hold Fast to Wisdom

The Observation of the Simple Youth

Final Warning Against Immorality

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