Proverbs 7:21- 27

Today we are going to finish chapter 7 and this current discussion on adultery. The bulk of this chapter, as we have seen, is written as a sort of “play” that portrays the seduction of a “foolish” young man by an adulterous wife whose husband is away on a business trip. The young man was out in the evening (dark) and sort of “looking for trouble,” and this woman was using all of the five senses to cause “the lusts of the flesh” to rise up within him. Now let’s look at today’s verses.

Proverbs 7:21- 27 (NKJV)

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,
(Footnote: some versions read: as a dog to bonds,

while another reads: as a lamb . . . to bonds—)

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, [Sheol]

Descending to the chambers of death.

As we see in verse 21, her seduction has worked, and he has followed her. Verse 22 tells us that he has followed her “as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks.” The next verse lets us know that this young man’s foolishness would cost him his very life.

The last four verses of the chapter expound on the moral of this story that has been told by a parent to their child. The young one is told to “pay attention” and “Don’t GO there…” Even “strong men” have been destroyed by this method.

Venereal diseases were just as rampant back then as they are now, and several of the kings of the Bible expired from them. Spiritually speaking, this was also one of the ten commandments and breaking it would ultimately send the foolish young person to hell.

I praise God that our sins have been covered and we can ask for forgiveness if we have fallen into this trap somewhere in our lives. God can heal both our physical and our spiritual infidelities and bring us redemption and freedom from their penalties through the work of Jesus, His son, if we make Him the Lord of our lives.

Note: Picture by Linda Brewer

Proverbs 7:1 - 20

Today, we start our study in Chapter 7 of Proverbs. The Bible discussion continues on the subject of adultery. In THIS chapter, it is written almost like a “Theatrical Play.” and again, warns young people against listening to her. Today, we will look at the first 20 verses, which gives an example of HOW the adulteress seduces a young, foolish man that is ALREADY looking for trouble.

I feel, that since we have studied this area already, at least 3 separate times, that I should just post the verses, for the most part, so that we can read through them, with only a few comments.

As I have said before, if GOD puts something down over and over again, then that subject must be VERY important to HIM. Since the whole point of this study is to seek HIS wisdom, then I don’t want to skip any of His words, but I also don’t want to beat them into the ground either.

NOTE: For those of you who may have missed some of the past studies on this subject, you can click on the post tag of “adultery” and I believe that will take you to the past studies where this subject has been gone over in detail. (Prov. 2:16-19, Prov. 5 –all-, Prov. 6:20-35)

Proverbs 7: 1-20 (NKJV)

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.

The Crafty Harlot
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.”

Verses 1-5 admonish us, again, to listen to the wise teachings of our elders… parents… mentors. We should take them into our heart and soul. Verses 6-9 paint a picture of a foolish young man who is looking for trouble. We can see this because he is doing it in secret… “And he took the path to her house 9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night.”

Verses 10-20 describe a wealthy wife, who is bored because her husband is gone and she is out to ensnare foolish young men by dressing and acting the part of the harlot, or prostitute. Verses 10 – 12 describe her attitude and cunningness, while verses 13-18 give details of the ways she seduces the foolish young man.

She draws him in with her seductive nature and kisses, then builds him up with flattery by saying that HE is exactly who she was looking for and wants (Vs. 15.) She further entices him by describing how nice (tempting) her bed is with it’s soft coverings and perfumes, and then she enflames his passions by describing what they can do together.

Notice she uses his eyes - with her dress and actions, his mouth – with her kisses, and his ears and senses of touch and smell – by telling him things he wants to hear and describing the bedding and perfume, etc. In other words, she is playing on all five senses and filling them with “lusts of the flesh.”

She goes on to tell him that he will be safe from discovery because her husband is gone on an extended business trip. Next time, we will cover the next part of this story or “play.”

Proverbs 6: 30 - 35

Today we will finish up chapter 6 of Proverbs. The last verses of this chapter continue the discussion on adultery. First, lets go over the verses…

Proverbs 6: 30 - 35 (NIV)

30 Men do not despise a thief

if he steals to satisfy his hunger

when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,

though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment;

whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,

and his shame will never be wiped away;
34 for jealousy arouses a husband's fury,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation;

he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

Verses 30 and 31 tell us that even if we can understand why a person commits a sin, he still must pay the penalty for that sin. In this case the example is given of a person stealing because he is starving, not just hungry. Even though that can be understood, if the thief is caught, he would have to pay the penalty, which in this case, is seven times the amount stolen. Verse 31 goes on to say that the thief must pay the penalty, even if “it costs him ALL the wealth of his house.” This would be a problem for his family as well as himself.

Verse 32 states that a “lack of [good] judgment is shown by someone who commits adultery BECAUSE he destroys “himself.” As we studied back in Proverbs 5:22, and in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 the adulterer causes problems for themselves.

Verses 33 through 35 goes further in this discussion on adultery than our other studies, because they add the reaction of the husband that finds out about the affair. They describe the anger and fury that jealousy arouses in the husband, and the consequences to the man that has been caught… how he is liable to be beaten up and will be shown “no mercy.” In this example, not even a great amount of money will be accepted as “compensation.”

I think that the verses from Corinthians do the best job of explaining God’s feelings on the subject, so I will, again, close with them: 18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Proverbs 6: 20 – 29

Today’s verses are another warning to young men about committing adultery. From the repetition that the Bible uses in this area, God must really think it is one of the most important things a young person can learn about, as we have discussed in prior studies. Here are today’s verses:

Proverbs 6: 20 - 29 (NIV)
Warning Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father's commands
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them upon your heart forever;

fasten them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you;

when you sleep, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

23 For these commands are a lamp,

this teaching is a light,

and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,

24 keeping you from the immoral woman,

from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes,
26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread,

and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap

without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals

without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

The first four of today’s verses remind us that our “father’s commands” and “mother’s teaching”… the lessons a good parent would continually impart to a young person throughout their youth (spiritual or physical) IF REMEMBERED and ACTED upon, will shine for others to see, guide them throughout their lives, give them comfort so they can sleep peacefully, etc. They also remind us, in verse 23, that “the corrections of discipline are the way to life…” As we have seen in other studies in this area, proper “discipline,” done in a wise way, is to be expected to keep us on the right path. If we listen the first time, we don’t have to have a harsher discipline later on.

Verses 24 thru 29 cover this chapter’s warnings on adultery. The first verses we looked at tie together with these, as we see in verse 24. Both types of adultery are mentioned in this verse… a man turning to a prostitute or immoral woman, and a man having an affair with a “wayward wife.”

NOTE: During Bible times, “prostitutes” and prostitution was often a form of Temple worship employed by many of the religions of that time, so this sin also often had spiritual implications involved that would, of course, be another problem as far as God was concerned.

Verse 25 talks about a “lust of the flesh” that is activated by the eyes in this case. Remember, our senses are wonderful gifts of God, but as with all of His gifts to us, we need to keep them under HIS control, and not ours.

Verse 26 tells us that to a prostitute, a person is simply a way to make money for food, etc. There is no love involved to feed that person’s soul. It goes on to say that getting involved in adultery can get you killed, as the penalty in this time period was death by stoning. Adultery also sucks the life out of people for it causes them to live a life of lies, and we have seen who the father of lies is in past verses.

The last three verses go on to give word pictures of what adultery is like, ending with another warning. It equates it with “scooping fire into his [a person’s] lap,” and “walking on hot coals.” Playing with fire WILL end up getting a person burned, and God says it will NOT go unpunished! ALL parties will be burned sooner or later...

Proverbs 5:15 - 23

First, I want to say that I am sorry that I’m late with this next study. My eldest son came from Florida to visit for Mother’s Day, and I was doing some major catch-up cleaning all this week. It is so nice to see him. He is the one that lost his wife this January, and I have been praying for him a lot. It is such a blessing to have him here for a few days.

This chapter’s first study set the scene of a parent teaching their young son about adultery and warning against it. The second section discussed the problems that this kind of sin can cause for the one who commits it. This section uses the symbolism of water for the young wife that the young man is engaged/ married to.

As we studied in Chapter 2, in old Jewish tradition, a child was “betrothed” (engaged… promised) at a very young age. A pact, legal promise, or “covenant” was made. The couple would grow to know each other as they grew up, and while the “groom” was building their house. When the father of the groom proclaimed the house ready, the young man would go and call to his bride (often at a time she didn’t know) and then they would have the marriage ceremony. (This also reminds us of Jesus promise and his return for his bride…)

In Chapter 2: 17-19, adultery was looked at from the side of the young woman that decided to be immoral, while in this chapter and verses, the warning against adultery is to the young man. Let’s read today’s verses:

Proverbs 5:15 - 23 (NKJV)
15 Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well. 16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.

20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. 22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. 23 He shall die for lack of instruction, (or “discipline” – NIV) And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Verse 15- 18 uses symbolism to warn the young man to satisfy his “thirst” (sexual urges) within his own marriage and home, and not by running around “in the streets.” The advice that is given, is for the young man not to stray, but to remain with the “wife of your [his] youth.”

Verse 19 reminds the young man of the beauty of his wife, and of their love when it was young, and urges him to “always be enraptured with her love.”

Verse 20-22 has the “father” reminding his son that everything that is done is seen by God, and thought about by Him. It is important for the son to keep this in mind as it will help him to resist the temptation to stray. Wicked men that don’t keep these things in their minds, will be “entrapped” by their own choices and caught in their sins. The picture is almost one of a spider’s web catching a curious bug…

The final verse of this chapter again warns that those that don’t listen to instruction or take heed of “discipline” will be led astray and can even die. Just as today there are so many STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases) that can kill your body, the same was true at that time also. Even more than that, as we have seen, sin can cause spiritual death as well, and sexual sin has a very strong attraction for many people.

I will finish this study with this scripture from 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 (NIV):
15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Proverbs 5:7 - 14

Today's study covers the next 8 verses of Chapter 5. These verses change from addressing a single son to addressing multiple children. This whole chapter deals with adultery and the warnings against it, and this section specifically discusses the problems that this kind of sin can cause for the one who commits this deed.

Proverbs 5:7 - 14 (NKJV)

7 Therefore hear me now, my children,

And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

8 Remove your way far from her,

And do not go near the door of her house,

9 Lest you give your honor to others,

And your years to the cruel one;

10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth,

And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;

11 And you mourn at last,

When your flesh and your body are consumed,

12 And say: “ How I have hated instruction,

And my heart despised correction!

13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,

Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!

14 I was on the verge of total ruin,

In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”


We have studied this allegory before in Chapter 2: 16-19 and I am going to put part of that post here to remind us of the way that God looks at adultery and why …

Throughout the Bible, an “adulterous woman” is used to portray other gods or things that would “seduce” us away from God in some form or another. God’s plan for marriage was for “two to become one,” heart, soul and mind. Marriage is the form He chose to use as an example, or symbol, of the relationship He wants us to have with Him.

He wants us to become “one with him”… to know Him intimately, as He knows us. Living in today’s world often makes it hard for people to understand the “perfect-ness” that a truly good marriage can be after years of intimacy… sharing the good times AND the hard times, and learning from them… learning to TRUST a partner that will never leave you nor forsake you.

THIS is why adultery is so horrendous in God’s sight. The breaking of a “trust” of this nature, is a cut to the very soul and heart of a person. It is like thrusting a sword into the heart to cut it and separate it back out from one, into two! God understands, because He keeps putting Himself out there for His people (both Old and New Testament followers and believers) and they have, so often, turned away from Him. He showed just what love and forgiveness can do to help reestablish trust in a relationship through the example of giving His son.

The first verses in this section are warnings to stay away from areas of our lives that we know are dangerous to us… things that separate us from God… things we put “above Him” or make into idols that we “worship” instead of keeping our eyes on Him and putting Him first.

Verse 9 warns that IF you do these things, and put other things in front of God and His ways, then you are “giving your years to the cruel one…” You have CHOSEN to take yourself out from under God’s protection and allow Satan to have reign in your life. This will result in the loss of wealth (not just physical wealth, but the gifts that are spiritual wealth) and you will end up working for others (and spiritually speaking, this would be for the spirits that are against God.) This kind of life leads to ruin and pain, both physically and spiritually.

Often when people have rejected God’s paths and instead have chosen this evil course for their lives, and then bad things happen, They tend to blame God instead of acknowledging their own part in where they have ended up. They don’t want to face the shame of the ruin they have allowed to happen in their lives… especially in front of others that are watching them: “In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”