Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Proverbs 7:2
The Wiles of a Harlot
7:1-5 The problem of immorality does have a solution: Keep my commands… as the apple of your eye. People should guard wise words as instinctively as they protect the pupil of eye. God cares for His people with the same diligence (Deut. 32:10).
1 My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, 5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words.
7:6-10 The young man who gives in to the immoral woman is described as simple, a term that pegs him as naïve, inexperienced, and devoid of understanding. He has no idea how foolish he is. He thinks he makes his way to the woman, but she in fact seduces him.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, 7 And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding, 8 Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house 9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night. 10 And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
7:14-20 All the adulteress does is perverse. She audaciously begins her proposition by talking about her supposedly righteous actions that day. Since the offerings she presented to the Lord were fellowship or peace offerings, she could bring part of them home for a feast before the Lord. But here she presents the offering as a feast for the young man she plans to entrap. Her preparations and her words of invitation might pass between a wife and husband and be honored by God. But in her mouth these words become evil. She overcomes her target’s fear by assuring him that her husgand will not come home and discover them together.
14 “I have peace offerings with me; Today I have paid my vows. 15 So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you. 16 I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. 17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day.”
7:22, 23 The passage here uses several unflattering metaphors to describe how a young fool falls into immorality. The phrase as a fool to the correction of the stocks could be translated “as “a stag prances into captivity.” The idea is that the young man is oblivious to his fate. Such a fool has no idea how foolish he is.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, 23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.
** Sounds like the modern Christian churches embracing false doctrines (e.g. ecumenism). See Dave Hunt’s Seduction of Christianity. Both as an individual and as a church, we should not make immoral choices that violates God’s instructions. Don’t be seduced by a strange woman. The husband is coming soon. Then it will be too late.
7 1 My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, 5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words. 6 For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, 7 And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding, 8 Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house 9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night. 10 And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. 11 She was loud and rebellious, Her feet would not stay at home. 12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square, Lurking at every corner. 13 So she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him: 14 “I have peace offerings with me; Today I have paid my vows. 15 So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you. 16 I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. 17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day.” 21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. 22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, 23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life. 24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; 26 For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. 27 Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death.
