INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 7 The sum of this chapter is to exhort men to attend to the doctrines and precepts of Wisdom, in order to avoid the adulterous woman; the exhortation to keep them with care, affection, and delight, in order to answer the end, is in Proverbs 7:1. A story is told, of Solomon'... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SON, KEEP MY WORDS,.... Doctrines and instructions; which, as a father to a son, or a master to his scholars, he had delivered; these he would have him observe and attend to; AND LAY UP MY COMMANDMENTS WITH THEE: as a treasure in his heart, to be brought out upon occasion; to be kept as valuable... [ Continue Reading ]
KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS AND LIVE,.... Not the commandments of the law only, but the commandments of Christ; and even the doctrines of Christ are so called, as faith in him, and love to the saints, 1 John 3:23; which is the way to live comfortably, peaceably, pleasantly, and honourably; AND MY LAW AS T... [ Continue Reading ]
BIND THEM UPON THY FINGERS,.... Let the above words and doctrines be as ready and familiar as if they were at the fingers' ends; or let them be always fresh in memory, as a piece of thread is tied about the fingers, to put in mind of anything to be done; or let them be as rings upon the fingers, bot... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY UNTO WISDOM, THOU ART [MY] SISTER,.... Intimately acquainted, greatly beloved, and highly delighted in: this may be understood both of the Gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery, which men should be conversant with, be strongly affected to, and take delight and pleasure in; and of Christ, the es... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY MAY KEEP THEE FROM THE STRANGE WOMAN,.... Nothing has a greater tendency than Christ and his Gospel, and an intimate acquaintance with them, and a retention of them, to keep from all sin, from all fleshly lusts, from the sin of uncleanness; and also from all the errors, heresies, idolatry,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AT THE WINDOW OF MY HOUSE,.... This is either an historical account of a matter of fact known to Solomon, or a parable made by him, setting forth the cunning artifices of an harlot, the folly and weakness of a young man ensnared, and the ruin he is brought into by her. As Solomon was a public ma... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHELD AMONG THE SIMPLE ONES,.... Such as are easily persuaded and drawn into sin; simple and foolish in things moral and spiritual, and not arrived to any ripeness of understanding in things natural and civil; have seen but little of the world, and know less of religion, and are easily imposed... [ Continue Reading ]
PASSING THROUGH THE STREET NEAR HER CORNER,.... The house of the harlot that stood in a corner to take in persons that came both ways; to come near which is dangerous; this was putting himself in the way of temptation; or the corner of the street where she stood to pick up young men; it could be wit... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TWILIGHT, IN THE EVENING, IN THE BLACK AND DARK NIGHT. Which is the usual time adulterers take to commit their works of darkness in, by which they think to conceal them; they being such as they themselves do not care should be seen and known, Job 24:15; their works will not bear the sun and d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, THERE MET HIM A WOMAN,.... A married woman, and an adulteress, as the following account of her shows; as soon as ever she discerned the young man before described, who she knew, by his air, walk, and dress, was a fit person for her turn, she at once set out from her house, or the corner... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE [IS] LOUD AND STUBBORN,.... "Loud"; not that her voice may be heard, and so be found by those that seek her in the dark, as Aben Ezra interprets it; but rather clamorous, noisy, and talkative, when she has got her gallant with her; pouring out foolish and unchaste words to allure and entice him;... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW [IS SHE] WITHOUT,.... The word for whore is sometimes rendered in the Targum i one that goes abroad, or without her house; sitting or standing at the door of it, in an idle posture, and in order to invite her lovers in; and if she can get none this way, or quickly, grows impatient: she is NOW I... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SHE CAUGHT HIM, AND KISSED HIM,.... The young man that went near her corner where she was plying, or in the way to her house, where she was sitting, or standing, waiting and watching for such an opportunity, for such a person, as a prey to fasten on; and no sooner she saw him, and come up to him,... [ Continue Reading ]
[I HAVE] PEACE OFFERINGS WITH ME,.... Meaning at her house. These peace offerings were of the eucharistic kind; they were offered by way of thanksgiving for favours received; the greatest part of which, all excepting the fat on the kidneys, the rump of the sheep, the breast and right shoulder, which... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE CAME I FORTH TO MEET THEE,.... Having so much good cheer at home, and none to eat of it with her; and having so fond and affectionate a regard to this young man, as she pretended; he being the only person in her thoughts, whom she hoped to meet with, and whose company she desired, and his... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE DECKED MY BED WITH COVERINGS OF TAPESTRY,.... Made use of by the ancients o for bed clothes: beautiful ornaments, as Gersom; and precious garments, as Jarchi. She had adorned her bed with curtains and clothes, very delightful to the eye, and inviting; and had well corded it, as some interpret... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE PERFUMED MY BED,.... As she had made it entertaining to the senses of seeing and feeling, it being showy and gaudy, soft and easy; so to the sense of smelling; and all to provoke lust, and draw into her embraces; by censing it with incense, as Donesh in Jarchi; or by sprinkling s a liquor, ma... [ Continue Reading ]
COME, LET US TAKE OUR FILL OF LOVE UNTIL THE MORNING,.... Taking him by the hand, and pulling him along, she says, "come"; let us not stand here in the streets, but let us go within, and after supper to bed; and there enjoy ourselves, till "inebriated" with love, as the word w signifies: so the poet... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE GOOD MAN [IS] NOT AT HOME,.... Or, "for the man is not in his house" y. She does not say, "my man", or "my husband"; though the Septuagint. Syriac, and Arabic versions so render it; lest this should throw some difficulty in the young man's way, or remind herself of her conjugal obligation; b... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH TAKEN A BAG OF MONEY WITH HIM,.... Or, "in his hand" a; either for merchandise, as Gersom; or for defraying: the charges of his journey; and both suppose length of time: if for merchandise, it required time to purchase goods, and see them packed up and sent away; or if for his journey, since... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH HER MUCH FAIR SPEECH SHE CAUSED HIM TO YIELD,.... Or, "to decline" from the right way: or, "inclined him" d; his ear to listen to her, and his heart to go after her and along with her. This she did, by using a great many words, by her prolixity, and by some taking and striking expressions; lewd... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GOETH AFTER HER STRAIGHTWAY,.... Or "suddenly" g; and inconsiderately, giving himself no time to think of what would be the sad consequences of it; AS AN OX GOETH TO THE SLAUGHTER; as senseless and stupid as that; and as ignorant of the issue as that is, led by the butcher, as if it was going to... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL A DART STRIKE THROUGH HIS LIVER,.... The fountain of blood, and so of life; which, being pierced through and poured out, is certain death, Lamentations 2:11; the meaning is, till he is slain either by the hand of God, or by the civil magistrate, or by the jealous husband; and be thrust through... [ Continue Reading ]
HEARKEN UNTO ME NOW THEREFORE, O YE CHILDREN,.... The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, read, in the singular number, "my son", in the same manner as the chapter begins; but it is in the plural number in the Hebrew text; and so read the Targum and Syriac version, "children", the childr... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NOT THINE HEART DECLINE TO HER WAYS,.... Or turn not aside from the right way, the path of truth and holiness, to those of the whorish woman, that lead to ruin and destruction; do not so much as think of going out of the one into the other; let there not be the least wandering thought, affection... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR SHE HATH CAST DOWN MANY WOUNDED,.... Wounded in their name, character, and reputation; in their bodies by diseases; and in their souls by guilt, shame, and horror, through a compliance with her sinful lusts: these she "cast down" from the honours they were possessed of, from the health they enjo... [ Continue Reading ]
HER HOUSE IS THE WAY TO HELL,.... Or "ways" p; the broad highway to it; either to the grave, as "sheol" often signifies; or to hell itself, the place of the damned: to go into her house, and commit wickedness with her, is to take a step to destruction, a large stride towards hell; and, if grace prev... [ Continue Reading ]