Proverbs 7
Proverbs 7 begins in the form of a father urging his son, teaching him wisdom (verses 1-5). Then it describes the temptation of the adulterous woman as if it were a real story, explaining in detail how a young man gets drawn into it (verses 6-23). In the final verses, it warns that the outcome of such temptation is not the way to life and urges the reader again to follow wisdom (verses 24-27).
Overall, this chapter emphasizes repeatedly that one must protect wisdom and choose the path of a right life. In particular, the story helps you understand the lesson in a concrete and practical way.
1verseMy son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2verseKeep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3verseBind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4verseTell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5versethat they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6verseFor at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7verseI saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8versepassing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9versein the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10verseBehold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11verseShe is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12verseNow she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13verseSo she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14verse“Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15verseTherefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16verseI have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17verseI have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18verseCome, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19verseFor my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20verseHe has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21verseWith persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22verseHe followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23verseUntil an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
24verseNow therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25verseDon’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26versefor she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27verseHer house is the way to Sheol, going down to the rooms of death.
Explanation of the Main Content
- Verses 1-5: The father emphasizes that the son should accept his words as commands and keep them in his heart. He advises the reader to internalize wisdom and keep it close, like an intimate relationship (with a sister or relatives).
- Verses 6-23: Through the story of the adulterous woman’s temptation, it shows how temptation comes into everyday life and with what words and methods people are lured. It addresses the process by which the young man falls into temptation in detail, suggesting that the danger of being deceived is not sudden but approaches gradually. Ultimately, his being led to ruin is expressed metaphorically.
- Verses 24-27: In conclusion, it makes it clear that this path of temptation is the way to death, and it urges you to imprint this lesson on your heart and use it as a lesson that prevents you from repeating the mistake.
Meditation Points
- Let’s think about how we can internalize wisdom in daily life and apply it to our lives.
- Let’s remember that temptation may not come suddenly, but can approach us quietly and in a familiar way.
- Through the warning in Proverbs, we can take another look at whether we keep our hearts on what matters when facing important choices in life.
Apply It to Me
- In my life, let’s check what specific efforts I am making to draw near to “wisdom.”
- Let’s look back on ourselves and search for things we can be careful about and keep away from—temptations or wrong habits that are easy to accept carelessly in everyday life.
- No matter what decision I make today, let’s ask myself whether that choice is guided by wisdom toward the right path.
