Proverbs 7

King James Version

Full text for Proverbs Chapter 7

1¶ My 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.

6¶ For 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,

14[I 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.

24¶ Hearken 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The father admonishes his son to embrace wisdom and keep his commandments, thereby guarding against the allure of the "strange woman." He recounts observing a naive youth who, despite warnings, is enticed by a harlot's flattering words and promises of illicit pleasure. The chapter concludes with a solemn caution that her path leads to destruction and death for those who yield to her temptations.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with a father's earnest plea to his son to cherish his words and commandments, likening them to the apple of his eye and urging him to bind them upon his heart. He advises his son to embrace wisdom and understanding as kin, for they will protect him from the "strange woman" and her deceptive flattery. The father then describes an observation of a young man, lacking discretion, who wanders near the harlot's dwelling in the evening. This woman, adorned as a harlot and subtle of heart, is portrayed as loud, restless, and actively seeking prey in the streets. She accosts the youth with an impudent face, tempting him with promises of a perfumed bed, peace offerings, and the assurance that her husband is absent. Through her much fair speech and flattering lips, she compels the young man to follow her, leading him to his ruin. The father concludes with a stark warning that her house is the way to hell and the chambers of death, having brought down many strong men.

Long Summary

Proverbs chapter 7 begins with a father's fervent instruction to his son, urging him to keep his words and commandments diligently, even as the apple of his eye, and to inscribe them upon his heart. He counsels his son to cultivate wisdom as a sister and understanding as a kinswoman, emphasizing that these virtues serve as a vital safeguard against the seductive influence of the "strange woman" and her flattering speech. The narrative then shifts to an illustrative warning, as the father recounts observing from his window a simple youth, devoid of understanding, passing through the street near the harlot's corner in the dim light of evening. This woman is vividly described as having the attire of a harlot and a subtle heart, characterized by her loud and stubborn nature, her inability to remain at home, and her constant lurking in the streets and at every corner. She boldly intercepts the young man, kissing him with an impudent face and employing cunning words to entice him. She claims to have peace offerings and to have paid her vows, using this as a pretext for seeking him out. Further, she paints a picture of sensual delight, describing her bed adorned with fine linens, tapestry, and perfumes of myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. She invites him to indulge in love until the morning, assuring him that her husband is away on a long journey with money and will not return until a distant appointed day. Through her much fair speech and the flattery of her lips, she successfully causes the unsuspecting youth to yield to her advances. The young man follows her "straightway," depicted with the stark imagery of an ox going to the slaughter or a bird hastening to a snare, utterly unaware that his life is at stake. The chapter culminates in a powerful and urgent exhortation from the father to all children to heed his words and not let their hearts stray into her destructive paths. He warns that she has brought down many wounded and slain many strong men, unequivocally stating that her house is the way to hell, leading down to the chambers of death.

Core Concepts

  • Parental InstructionThe chapter opens with a father's earnest exhortation to his son to keep his words and commandments, emphasizing their importance for life and protection.
  • The Value of WisdomWisdom and understanding are presented as essential safeguards, to be embraced as family, protecting one from the allure and deception of the "strange woman."
  • The Simple YouthA young man "void of understanding" is depicted as an easy target, wandering aimlessly and unknowingly into the path of temptation.
  • The Strange Woman's DeceitThe "strange woman" is characterized by her harlot's attire, subtle heart, loud and restless nature, and her use of flattering words and false promises to ensnare men.
  • Seduction and EnticementShe employs a calculated strategy of verbal flattery, physical proximity, and sensual descriptions of her home to lure the naive youth into illicit relations.
  • Consequences of FollyThe young man's yielding is likened to an ox going to slaughter or a bird to a snare, illustrating the fatal and irreversible destruction that awaits those who follow her path.
  • Path to DestructionThe chapter concludes with a severe warning that the strange woman's house is not merely a place of sin, but "the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death."