Bede — Commentary on Scripture

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

Bind them on your fingers, etc. On your fingers, means in actions; on the tablets of your heart, in the breadth of thought. Indeed, another translation says: Inscribe it on the breadth of your heart.

Proverbs 7:4

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

Say to wisdom, You are my sister, etc. Join the wisdom of ecclesiastical doctrine to you with fraternal love; so that it may preserve you from heretical defilement, which is proven to be foreign to the chastity of the Church.

Proverbs 7:6 · 2 passages

For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

For from the window of my house I looked through the lattice, etc. Aptly, however, does Solomon say he looked from the window of his house through the lattice, to judge the deeds of the little ones. For one who looks from a window through the lattice can fully consider what is done outside, yet those outside cannot see the one looking within. For this is what the Apostle says: The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself judged by no one (1 Cor. I). From the window therefore, and so on. It is clear according to the letter, that the gaze of wise teachers diligently observes the actions of the weak and the strong; but the eternal wisdom of God looks from heaven, and sees all the sons of men.

Uncircumcised in smell and touch are those who are steeped in ointment and various odors, who pursue the embraces of a harlot, sprinkling their bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

Proverbs 7:7

And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

I observed among the youth, etc. He calls the adulterer a youth, not because of virtue, but because of instability. Who passes through the street, because he has abandoned the narrow way that leads to life. Near the corner, because he deviates from rectitude.

Proverbs 7:8

Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

And walks towards her house. He who has turned from the way of truth, rightly appropriates the way to the house of the harlot or heretic; which is fittingly placed, as we have explained, both in the street and near the corner.

Proverbs 7:9

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

In the twilight, in the evening of the day, etc. Because such a one, through the blindness of the heart, hastens to the darkness, both of sin and damnation.

Proverbs 7:10

And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

And behold, a woman meets him in the attire of a harlot, etc. These all clearly relate to the literal sense of harlotry; however, heretical doctrine attempts to deceive anyone it finds careless and foolish. It indeed appears in harlot's attire, because it shines with unclean eloquence. It is prepared to capture souls, for it spiritually kills whomever it can associate with it.

Proverbs 7:11 · 2 passages

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

Unable to remain at home with her feet. There is no heresy content with its first disciples: for they are its house, but it always seeks new ones to deceive.

Loud and wayward, etc. Desiring to disturb the peace of the Church.

Proverbs 7:12

Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

Now in the streets, now in the squares, etc. Outside, it seizes the pagans; in the streets, the voluptuous; by the corners, other heretics.

Proverbs 7:13 · 2 passages

So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

And with a shameless face, it flatters, saying, etc. According to the letter, the understanding is evident, because the harlot confesses that she has prepared a magnificent feast. But the heretics in all that they do boast and rejoice that they sacrifice the victims of their salvation to God. For the Lord also said to the disciples: But the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think that he is offering service to God.

And having seized the young man, it kisses him. With the flattery of deceitful words, it tempts the unstable.

Proverbs 7:16

I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

I have woven my bed with cords, etc. Beds that are woven with cords, or according to another translation, with withes, are usually softer than those made of wood, leather, or any other material. Therefore, with a bed woven with cords, the harlot designates the softness of resting. And on carpets embroidered from Egypt, she also tempts the allurements of the eyes, with which, by a nefarious sight, she more easily penetrates to seduce the mind’s secrets. But since by the name of cords divine precepts are sometimes figured, which restrain us from our pleasures binding us with religion, the heretics promise their listeners that they are preparing a beneficial bedding with the weaving of heavenly words, in which they may rest with a free heart from the tumults of vices. But in truth, they construct with those cords a pit of perdition, where their feet and hands being perpetually bound, they are condemned. Concerning which the Lord says in the Apocalypse: And I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her fornication. Behold, I throw her into a bed, and those who commit…

I have woven my bed with cords, etc. Beds that are woven with cords, or according to another translation, with withes, are usually softer than those made of wood, leather, or any other material. Therefore, with a bed woven with cords, the harlot designates the softness of resting. And on carpets embroidered from Egypt, she also tempts the allurements of the eyes, with which, by a nefarious sight, she more easily penetrates to seduce the mind’s secrets. But since by the name of cords divine precepts are sometimes figured, which restrain us from our pleasures binding us with religion, the heretics promise their listeners that they are preparing a beneficial bedding with the weaving of heavenly words, in which they may rest with a free heart from the tumults of vices. But in truth, they construct with those cords a pit of perdition, where their feet and hands being perpetually bound, they are condemned. Concerning which the Lord says in the Apocalypse: And I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her fornication. Behold, I throw her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her will be in great tribulation (Apoc. II). On those embroidered carpets from Egypt are understood the ornament of eloquence and the cunning of dialectic art, which took its origin from the pagans, through which the heretical mind boasts that it has woven the fabric of its evil deed as a harlot.

Proverbs 7:17

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

I have scented my bed with myrrh, etc. They promise that they have such fragrances of heavenly virtues, by which they consecrate their hearts and those of their followers as if in beautiful bedchambers; so that they may say with the Apostle: For we are the pleasant fragrance of Christ to God (II Cor. II).

Proverbs 7:18

Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

Come, let us be drunk with love, etc. The heretics boast that they are sated with each other with the cups of holy doctrine and joined by the grace of virtues until their deeds are followed by eternal light.

Proverbs 7:19

For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

There is no husband in the house, he has gone, etc. He says, Christ is not bodily in the Church. For having risen from the dead, He ascended to heaven and left us the ministry of governing the Church, namely His house.

Proverbs 7:20 · 2 passages

He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

He has taken a purse of money with him. He took with him the glory of the resurrection and the honor of immortality, by which He might gladden and enrich the citizens of that homeland.

He will return to his house on the day of the full moon. When the Church of His elect has completed its number, He will return for judgment.

Proverbs 7:22

He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

Immediately he follows her, etc. That is, as if a foolish person, not knowing, he himself is led to destruction.