Proverbs — Chapter 7
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1My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
2Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
5that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words.
6For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.
7I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
8crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,
9at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.
10Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
11She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
12Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
13She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
14“I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
15So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you.
16I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
18Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!
19For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
20He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”
21With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
22He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
23until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.
24Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
26For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
27Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.
1My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
1My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
2Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
8Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
9In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.
13So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
14Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
23Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.
1My child, devote yourself to my words and store up my commands inside yourself.
2Keep my commands so that you may live, and obey my instruction as your most prized possession.
3Bind them on your forearm; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding a close relative
5so that they may keep you from the adulterous woman, from the loose woman who has flattered you with her words.
6For at the window of my house through my window lattice I looked out,
7and I saw among the naive— I discerned among the youths— a young man who lacked sense.
8He was passing by the street near her corner, making his way along the road to her house
9in the twilight, the evening, in the dark of the night.
10Suddenly a woman came out to meet him! She was dressed like a prostitute and with secret intent.
11(She is loud and rebellious; she does not remain at home—
12at one time outside, at another in the wide plazas, and by every corner she lies in wait.)
13So she grabbed him and kissed him, and with a bold expression she said to him,
14“I have meat from my peace offerings at home; today I have fulfilled my vows!
15That is why I came out to meet you, to look for you, and I found you!
16I have spread my bed with elegant coverings, with richly colored fabric from Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning; let’s delight ourselves with love’s pleasures.
19For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a journey of some distance.
20He has taken a bag of money with him; he will not return until the end of the month.”
21She turned him aside with her persuasions; with her smooth talk she was enticing him along.
22Suddenly he was going after her like an ox that goes to the slaughter, like a stag prancing into a trapper’s snare
23till an arrow pierces his liver— like a bird hurrying into a trap, and he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24So now, sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words I speak.
25Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways— do not wander into her pathways;
26for she has brought down many fatally wounded, and all those she has slain are many.
27Her house is the way to the grave, going down to the chambers of death.
1My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14“Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
24Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the rooms of death.
Summary
The father urges his son to treasure his teaching as a guard against the seductive stranger, holding wisdom close like a sister to stay grounded (vv. 1-5). He then recounts watching from his window a naive young man wander toward a seductress's corner at twilight (vv. 6-9). She meets him dressed to entice, bold and restless, luring him with talk of fulfilled vows, a perfumed bed, and her husband's absence on a long trip (vv. 10-20). Smooth talk wins him over, and he follows her the way an ox walks to slaughter, unaware it will cost him his life (vv. 21-23). The father closes by begging his sons to avoid her paths, since she has brought down many strong men and her house leads straight to death (vv. 24-27).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Egypt (v.16): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.
Places on this map
- EgyptEgyptA ribbon of irrigated land along the Nile, ending in the Delta where Israel settled in Goshen. Rain-fed Canaan depended on weather; Egypt depended on a river that flooded on schedule, which made it the place everyone went when the harvest failed. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes that the young man's first mistake was location: "passing through the street near her corner" (v.8). He didn't fall suddenly — he positioned himself for failure gradually. Guzik notes the woman's use of religious language (v.14) to justify sin — she has "paid her vows" and now invites him to a feast of leftover fellowship offerings. Religion becomes the alibi. The animal imagery (vv.22-23) shows that the seduced man has lost his human dignity — he is reduced to a dumb animal being led to death.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Proverbs -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Location Sets You Up to Fall (v.8) — the young man's first mistake was simply being near her corner at night, before any words were exchanged. What places, apps, or situations are you putting yourself near that make temptation far easier than it needs to be?
- Sin Is Calculated, So Your Defense Must Be Too (vv.10-20) — the woman's approach is shown as deliberately staged, down to the bed, the perfume, and the timing. If temptation plans this carefully, what specific plan do you have in place before you're caught off guard?
- Smooth Words Can Override Good Sense (v.21) — persuasive speech and flattering lips are what finally lead the young man astray. What voices or messages are you letting shape your thinking that are quietly eroding convictions you know are right?
- No One Is Too Strong to Fall (v.26) — the chapter notes that many strong men have been struck down by this very path. Where are you relying on your own strength or track record instead of staying humbly dependent on God?
- The Path Ends in Death (v.27) — her house is described as the road down to the grave, with no ambiguity about the destination. What would it look like to count the real cost of a tempting path before taking even the first step?