My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Proverbs 7:1.-Prefatory exhortation to retaining firmly wisdom as the safeguard against the strange woman (Proverbs 7:1). Graphic picture of how she entraps the unwary youth (Proverbs 7:6). Concluding summary of warning against her ().... [ Continue Reading ]
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, AND LIVE - and so thou shalt live (Proverbs 4:4). AND MY LAW AS THE APPLE OF THINE EYE - literally, 'the blackness of the eye' [ 'iyshown (H380), from 'aashan, to be black: others take it as the diminuti... [ Continue Reading ]
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. BIND THEM UPON THY FINGERS - as a precious ring, designed to be before the eyes continually as a memorial of one whom thou lovest. WRITE THEM UPON THE TABLE OF THINE HEART - (note, ; .) As the fingers refer to having them be... [ Continue Reading ]
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: SAY UNTO WISDOM, THOU (ART) MY SISTER; AND CALL UNDERSTANDING (THY) KINSWOMAN. Associate wisdom most closely with thee. The same phrase occurs ; Song of Solomon 4:9, "Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse ... H... [ Continue Reading ]
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. THAT THEY MAY KEEP THEE FROM THE STRANGE WOMAN ... (WHICH) FLATTERETH WITH HER WORDS - (.) It is not human wisdom, but only divine, that can secure the young from lust; such is human frailty, and s... [ Continue Reading ]
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, FOR AT THE WINDOW OF MY HOUSE I LOOKED THROUGH MY CASEMENT - "the lattice" (), whence one could see what was going on in the street, without being seen by the passer by. Glass was not as yet used for windows. is translated by some glass,... [ Continue Reading ]
And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, AND BEHELD AMONG THE SIMPLE ONES, I DISCERNED AMONG THE YOUTHS, A YOUNG MAN VOID OF UNDERSTANDING - (.) Hot blood, strong passions, combined with weak judgment and inexperience, make the young a re... [ Continue Reading ]
Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, PASSING THROUGH THE STREET NEAR HER CORNER - in violation of the precept, "Pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away" (Proverbs 4:15; Proverbs 5:8). "Her corner" was in a place where two streets met, and therefore wa... [ Continue Reading ]
In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: IN THE TWILIGHT, IN THE EVENING - (Hebrew, in the evening of the day). IN THE BLACK AND DARK NIGHT - literally, 'in the blackness,' or 'pupil,' 'apple of the eye' (.), 'of night.' It was at the close of day, when, after twilight is pa... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. AND, BEHOLD, THERE MET HIM A WOMAN (WITH) THE ATTIRE OF AN HARLOT, AND SUBTIL OF HEART. How readily those meet who are akin in feelings and aims! As he seeks evil, so it "meets" him by God's just appointment. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: (Parenthetical description of the whorish woman's characteristics.) (SHE (IS) LOUD AND STUBBORN; HER FEET ABIDE NOT IN HER HOUSE. "Stubborn." The same word as is applied to Israel represented as an untamed and refractory heifer (). Havi... [ Continue Reading ]
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, SO SHE CAUGHT HIM, AND KISSED HIM - instead of waiting for him to make the first advance, as is the course of natural propriety. The Hebrew adage quaintly says, 'The man seeks what he has lost'-namely, the rib taken from... [ Continue Reading ]
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. (I HAVE) PEACE OFFERINGS WITH ME; THIS DAY HAVE I PAID MY VOWS - literally, 'Peace offerings (were) upon me.' It so happened that today I have been paying my vows by offering thank offerings, which were incumbent on me to offer, for p... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. THEREFORE CAME I FORTH TO MEET THEE, DILIGENTLY TO SEEK THY FACE, AND I HAVE FOUND THEE. She speaks as if he were pre-eminently and solely the object of her love. I want nothing but thee: so dear art thou to... [ Continue Reading ]
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I HAVE DECKED MY BED WITH COVERINGS OF TAPESTRY, WITH CARVED (WORKS), WITH FINE LINEN OF EGYPT. The history () especially mentions that "Solomon had ... brought out of Egypt ... linen yarn; the king's m... [ Continue Reading ]
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. I HAVE PERFUMED MY BED. She appeals to every sense. She allures his taste with meats; his eye with the sight of the richly ornamented tapestry and couch; his touch with the softness of the linen; his smell with the perfumes of the bed: all... [ Continue Reading ]
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. COME, LET US TAKE OUR FILL OF LOVE UNTIL THE MORNING; LET US SOLACE OURSELVES WITH LOVES. The first clause marks the insatiable lust and abundance of the loves; the second, their sweetness. The Hebrew for ... [ Continue Reading ]
For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: FOR THE GOODMAN (IS) NOT AT HOME, HE IS GONE A LONG JOURNEY. She thus removes any fear that the youth may feel. Instead of saying, 'my husband,' she contemptuously calls him "the goodman," as though he were unconnected with her.... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. HE HATH TAKEN A BAG OF MONEY WITH HIM - literally, in his hand. This shows he is gone a long journey, and for some time, or he would not need so much money. (AND) WILL COME HOME AT THE DAY APPOINTED - or else, at t... [ Continue Reading ]
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. WITH HER MUCH FAIR SPEECH SHE CAUSED HIM TO YIELD, WITH THE FLATTERING OF HER LIPS SHE FORCED HIM. "Her speech" - Hebrew, liqchaach (H3948), 'taking speech,' captivating speech. Though fear and con... [ Continue Reading ]
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; HE GOETH AFTER HER STRAIGHTWAY, AS AN OX GOETH TO THE SLAUGHTER, OR AS A FOOL TO THE CORRECTION OF THE HE GOETH AFTER HER STRAIGHTWAY, AS AN OX GOETH TO THE SLAUGHTER, OR AS A FOOL TO TH... [ Continue Reading ]
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. TILL A DART STRIKE THROUGH HIS LIVER; AS A BIRD HASTETH TO THE SNARE, AND KNOWETH NOT THAT IT (IS) FOR HIS LIFE. He knoweth not that his following her is at the cost of the present and... [ Continue Reading ]
Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. HEARKEN UNTO ME NOW THEREFORE, O YE CHILDREN, AND ATTEND TO THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH - which, though pungent, are nevertheless faithful and salutary: do not hearken to the "fair speech and flattering lips" () of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. LET NOT THINE HEART DECLINE TO HER WAYS, GO NOT ASTRAY IN HER PATHS. Neither err in heart (the first clause), nor in movements (the second clause). Suppress the thoughts, appetites, and first motions. "Decline" expresses the be... [ Continue Reading ]
For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. FOR SHE HATH CAST DOWN MANY WOUNDED; YEA, MANY STRONG (MEN) HAVE BEEN SLAIN BY HER - as Solomon himself subsequently was (Nehemiah 13:26). So Samson and David previously. It is better to learn by the awful example... [ Continue Reading ]
Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. HER HOUSE (IS) THE WAY TO HELL, GOING DOWN TO THE CHAMBERS OF DEATH - (; .)... [ Continue Reading ]