Proverbs chapter 7

Write Scripture on the tablet of your heart. Avoid the temptation of adultery.

 


 

WRITE SCRIPTURE ON THE TABLET OF YOUR HEART

 

VERSE 1. My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.

lay up my commandments within you. The Bible calls us to memorize Bible verses.

 

VERSE 2. Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.

NIV translation. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Proverbs and from the entire Bible.

as the apple of your eye. This means “cherished.”

We are to guard the Scriptures within us like a treasure.

 

VERSE 3. Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Bind them on thy fingers. This suggests writing Scripture Memory verses and always carrying them around. That way, we can review them at any time, wherever we’re at.

Deuteronomy 6:8. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (NIV translation)

write them on the table of your heart. As we memorize verses from the Bible, they become written on the tablet of our heart.

They become imprinted into our very being.

 

VERSE 4. Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,

 

VERSE 5. that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

The Book of Proverbs often reveals a deeply negative view of women. That probably reflects a misogynistic personality on the part of the men who wrote the book. Read more »

 

AVOID THE TEMPTATION OF ADULTERY

 

VERSE 6. For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.

I looked out. This section reads like an eyewitness account.

 

VERSE 7. I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,

void of understanding. The Hebrew word is ppetee. It means naive or gullible.

 

VERSE 8. passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,

he went the way to her house. He is walking directly toward temptation.

If you suspect you might be vulnerable to a particular sin, take steps to avoid it

Robert L. Alden, Proverbs: A Commentary on an Ancient Book of Timeless Advice, p. 63

 

VERSE 9. in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.

 

VERSE 10. Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.

the attire of a prostitute. This woman is is married, as we see in verse 19 below.

The Book of Proverbs often reveals a deeply negative view of women. That probably reflects a misogynistic personality on the part of the men who wrote the book. Read more »

 

VERSE 11. She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.

loud and defiant. These are not the descriptions of a godly person.

 

VERSE 12. Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.

 

VERSE 13. So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:

 

VERSE 14. “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.

peace offerings. This probably refers to meat left over from a sacrifice.

Leftover portions were taken home. Without refrigeration the meat needed to be consumed, so a feast usually accompanied the sacrifice.

Leviticus 7:16. But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a free will offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice. On the next day what remains of it shall be eaten

 

VERSE 15. Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.

to diligently seek your face. She is flattering him.

 

VERSE 16. I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

 

VERSE 17. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

 

VERSE 18. Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.

take our fill of loving. The Hebrew word is נִרְוֶ֣ה (“nir·weh”). It means to be saturated, to drink one’s fill.

Most translations render it “drink deeply of love.”

Proverbs 9:17. Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant.

 

VERSE 19. For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.

my husband. The woman is married.

 

VERSE 20. He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”

 

VERSE 21. With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.

she led him astray. Solomon blames the woman for the actions of the man.

However, the man has free will. He makes a choice. He is fully accountable for his own actions.

The Book of Proverbs often reveals a deeply negative view of women. That probably reflects a misogynistic personality on the part of the men who wrote the book. Read more »

 

VERSE 22. He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.

 

VERSE 23. Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.

it will cost his life. We saw this notion in the previous chapter:

Proverbs 6:32. He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

 

VERSE 24. Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.

 

VERSE 25. Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,

 

VERSE 26. for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.

 

VERSE 27. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the rooms of death.

 


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PROVERBS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

RESOURCES: SummaryOutline, Memorize, Sluggard, Tree of Life, Misogynism

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.