Proverbs Chapter 7
The Story of Seduction
A. The Importance of Valuing Wisdom
(Proverbs 7:1–4)
“My son, keep my words, and treasure my commandments within thee. Keep my commandments, and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman.”
Solomon once again begins his instruction to his son with a plea to treasure and guard the wisdom of God’s Word. The repetition throughout Proverbs shows the urgency of this command. He pleads, “Keep my words,” meaning not merely to possess them but to live by them. Just as one would guard their eyesight as the most delicate and vital organ, the believer is to guard the law of God with equal care and reverence. To “treasure” God’s commandments is to prize them above personal pleasure or ambition, knowing that obedience to God’s law brings life and protection from sin.
The expression “as the apple of thine eye” refers to the pupil, the most sensitive part of the body, which instinctively flinches to preserve sight. In the same way, the believer must instinctively protect the truth of God’s Word from compromise, error, and neglect. To bind God’s commands “upon thy fingers” symbolizes constant remembrance in one’s actions and daily work. Writing them “upon the table of thine heart” represents internalizing Scripture so deeply that it shapes desires, motives, and moral reflexes.
Solomon urges his son to treat wisdom like a beloved sister and understanding like a close relative. This imagery conveys both affection and loyalty. A sister offers counsel, comfort, and moral protection. In the same way, wisdom provides a spiritual safeguard against the seductions of sin. Morgan noted that many men are preserved from moral corruption by their affection for a pure sister or godly female influence. Thus, the father counsels his son to cultivate that same intimacy with wisdom itself, allowing it to defend him from the snares of evil.
(Proverbs 7:5)
“That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.”
The practical benefit of treasuring God’s Word is moral preservation. The purpose of these commands is not merely intellectual but protective—“that they may keep thee from the strange woman.” The term “strange” refers to one who is foreign to the covenant community of God’s people, symbolizing all forms of moral and spiritual seduction. The Word of God acts as a moral shield, revealing the deceptive nature of sin, the tragic consequences of disobedience, and the surpassing blessings of purity and righteousness.
In every generation, the task of resisting sexual immorality has been a fierce battle. The culture around us—filled with permissiveness, pornography, and the glorification of lust—makes moral purity appear outdated or impossible. Yet God’s Word exposes these deceptions and offers the power to overcome them. Modern challenges such as easy divorce, social media anonymity, and delayed marriage have made temptation more accessible, but they also magnify the believer’s dependence on Scripture. True strength comes from the indwelling Word of God, which renews the mind and transforms the heart.
The “seductress who flattereth with her words” represents the persuasive nature of sin itself. Temptation always begins with words—flattering, enticing, and appealing to desire. Eve was first deceived by words, and so was Samson, and David’s fall began with a lingering glance that followed unguarded thought. The only defense against the seductive power of sin’s speech is the greater voice of God’s truth written on the heart. The believer who loves and obeys Scripture will recognize false allurements for what they are—bait on a deadly hook.
B. A Story of Seduction
(Proverbs 7:6–9)
“For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.”
Solomon begins this section as a wise observer, recounting what he saw from the window of his house. Like a seasoned teacher or father, he describes a scene that illustrates the tragedy of temptation. He beheld a young man among the simple, someone lacking the moral discernment and spiritual maturity necessary to recognize danger. The word “simple” does not refer to stupidity, but to gullibility and inexperience. It describes one whose mind is open to influence but without the ability to discern between good and evil. This young man, “void of understanding,” symbolizes the naïve soul that drifts toward temptation without realizing the peril ahead.
Youth often carries with it an energy and overconfidence that, when untamed by wisdom, leads to folly. The young man possesses vigor but lacks foresight, passion but not prudence. Though this lesson applies to all ages, Solomon’s focus on youth is deliberate, for the passions of young men burn intensely and can easily overcome reason. Even the desire for moral purity can be overwhelmed by immaturity, pride, and the pull of peers or culture. Among the greatest dangers for the young are carelessness, moral independence without spiritual foundation, and the deception of thinking sin will have no lasting consequences.
The world tells young men to “enjoy life while you can,” to sow wild oats before settling down. Yet this advice is poison disguised as pleasure. God’s wisdom is designed to spare men from the lifelong consequences of such rebellion. Sin binds the soul through experience; every surrender to temptation strengthens sinful habits and weakens resistance. Each act of indulgence leaves a spiritual scar, reshaping desires and building patterns that are increasingly difficult to break. The Lord, however, provides deliverance through His Word, as written in Psalm 119:9: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
The young fool, driven by impulse, “passed through the street near her corner.” He did not stumble upon temptation accidentally but deliberately placed himself in its path. The danger of sin is often compounded not by ignorance, but by presumption. Under the cover of “the black and dark night,” he thought his actions would go unseen. Yet as Trapp observed, “Foolish men think to hide themselves from God, by hiding God from themselves.” The one who seeks darkness to sin has already turned his face from the light of God’s truth. By choosing the path to her house, he symbolically chose the path to destruction, illustrating how temptation lures the unwise step by step until the fall is complete.
(Proverbs 7:10–12)
“And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)”
Before the young man could even reach her door, the seductress met him halfway. She was not a prostitute by trade but carried herself with the same appearance and intention. Her “attire of an harlot” and her “subtil heart” revealed the dual nature of temptation—bold in appearance and deceitful in purpose. She dressed to attract and ensnare, using her appearance as bait for the unwary. As Waltke notes, her clothing was a signal that she had cast off shame; her appearance promised pleasure but concealed manipulation. Kidner likewise observes that while her outward dress seems to offer herself freely, her guarded heart reveals selfish motives—she takes but never gives.
Her character was as corrupt as her clothing. She was “loud and stubborn,” unrestrained and rebellious. Her heart was far from the domestic virtues God commends in a godly woman. Rather than finding joy and fulfillment in her home, she prowled the streets, restless and defiant, seeking attention and conquest. Her rebellion was not only against morality but against the divine design of womanhood. Waltke remarks that the Hebrew root of “stubborn” is the same used for an unbroken cow—she refuses the yoke of restraint, casting off every boundary of propriety and decency.
The text says she “lieth in wait at every corner.” Her availability and boldness make her a symbol of the ever-present nature of temptation. She does not need to be sought; she appears where lust is entertained. Like sin itself, she pursues the fool who is already halfway to destruction. Clarke observed, “She is continually exposing herself, and showing by her gait and gestures what she is, and what she wants.” The seductive woman here represents all temptation that parades itself openly, appealing to the flesh. The man who falls quickly in the presence of such opportunity reveals that his purity was external only. True holiness is not the absence of opportunity but the presence of inner strength rooted in the fear of God.
(Proverbs 7:13–18)
“So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.”
The seductress now takes full control of the encounter. “She caught him and kissed him,” showing both her boldness and his spiritual weakness. She ensnared him, and though he was flattered to be caught, the snare would soon close upon him. Sin often begins with pleasure and pride before it ends in shame and bondage. The kiss was not affection but a calculated act of conquest, the mark of a hunter taking hold of prey.
Her “impudent face” displays a hardened shamelessness. The immoral woman, like sin itself, has no blush left. She is defiant and unrestrained, flaunting rebellion as if it were freedom. The same spirit that tempts men and women today carries this defiance—a bold disregard for God’s law and the deceitful pursuit of self-gratification.
When she said, “I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows,” she cloaked her sin with religious pretense. This woman is not irreligious; she is hypocritical. She honors God with her lips while her heart is far from Him. Many throughout history have deceived themselves the same way, supposing that acts of worship can compensate for moral rebellion. As Trapp observed, “She pretends religion to her filthy practices.” By performing her vows and peace offerings, she numbs her conscience and quiets conviction. Gurnall noted that she “played the hypocrite with God before she played the harlot with man.” Her hypocrisy shows that false religion often becomes the companion of immorality.
The peace offering (Leviticus 3) involved sharing food with others. Thus, her statement implied that she had an abundance of good food waiting, adding hospitality to her seduction. Poole remarked that this was part of her lure, for peace offerings provided the best meat for feasting. Her religion, pleasure, and hospitality combined to create a powerful illusion—sin disguised as satisfaction, rebellion dressed in refinement.
When she said, “I came out to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee,” she appealed directly to his pride. By suggesting she had sought him above all others, she fed his ego. The trap was emotional before it was physical. Many are seduced not first by lust, but by the intoxicating feeling of being desired. Wiersbe observed that she made him believe he was special, that she would offer herself to no one else. The simple man, starved for affirmation, mistook flattery for love and attention for intimacy.
Then her speech became sensual and vivid: “I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.” She enticed him by stimulating the imagination. The mention of tapestry and Egyptian linen speaks of wealth, comfort, and luxury. The senses—sight, touch, and smell—were all employed in her seduction. “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon,” she said, creating an atmosphere of irresistible sensuality. Poole explains that this was meant to inflame his passion, and Waltke notes that these same perfumes are mentioned in the Song of Solomon as symbols of romantic love. Yet Trapp insightfully comments that these same spices were used to prepare the dead for burial—a fitting reminder that sin’s pleasures always carry the scent of death.
Her final appeal was direct and unashamed: “Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.” Her invitation masked lust as love, indulgence as delight. The language of love was used to sanctify sin, just as it is in modern times when immorality is defended in the name of personal freedom or emotional authenticity. Clarke notes that the Hebrew expression is so coarse that translators softened it, but its rawness fits the mouth of a woman who has abandoned all restraint. This is the nature of sin—it speaks boldly, promising pleasure, yet its promises rot into regret.
(Proverbs 7:19–21)
“For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: he hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.”
The woman now removes any lingering fear of consequence. Her words reveal that she is not a prostitute, but a married woman—an adulteress betraying both her husband and her God. “For the goodman is not at home,” she says, deliberately avoiding the title “husband” so as not to prick the conscience of her target. Waltke notes her careful phrasing: she speaks of “the man” rather than “my husband,” depersonalizing her marriage and reducing her sin to a secret affair.
Her argument was simple: the act was safe. “He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.” The husband was far away, with no chance of discovery. This lie—“no one will find out”—has ensnared countless souls. When the fear of exposure is gone, those whose morality rests on reputation rather than conviction fall quickly. True purity must be internal, grounded in the fear of the Lord, not in the fear of being caught.
Finally, “with her much fair speech she caused him to yield.” Her seduction was complete. The once-hesitant youth surrendered under the weight of her words. What began with curiosity ended in compromise. Sin rarely demands immediate surrender; it persuades step by step, patiently weakening the will until the soul no longer resists. The immoral woman’s “flattering lips” are the voice of temptation itself—always alluring, always deceptive, and always deadly.
Her strategy of seduction followed a clear pattern, one that is timeless:
She identified a vulnerable target—“a young man void of understanding” (Proverbs 7:7).
She made herself available—meeting him “in the way to her house” (Proverbs 7:8, 10).
She provoked with appearance—“the attire of an harlot” (Proverbs 7:10).
She displayed rebellion—“loud and stubborn” (Proverbs 7:11).
She acted boldly—“she caught him” (Proverbs 7:13).
She initiated physical affection—“and kissed him” (Proverbs 7:13).
She cloaked her sin in religion—“I have peace offerings with me” (Proverbs 7:14).
She appealed to his ego—“I came out to meet thee” (Proverbs 7:15).
She promised sensory pleasure—“I have perfumed my bed” (Proverbs 7:16–17).
She invited indulgence—“let us take our fill of love until the morning” (Proverbs 7:18).
She assured safety—“my husband is not at home” (Proverbs 7:19).
Step by step, she dismantled his defenses until “she caused him to yield.” Every element of the story is a warning of how temptation operates—methodical, patient, and deceptive.
(Proverbs 7:22–23)
“He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.”
The scene now shifts from temptation to tragedy. The moment of choice comes, and the young man, driven by lust and stripped of reason, goes “immediately” after her. There is no hesitation, no pause for reflection, no thought of consequence. He who played with temptation now becomes its slave. The phrase “immediately” reveals that his decision was not the product of deliberation but of instinct corrupted by passion. Waltke rightly observes that he “allowed his glands to do his thinking for him.” The simple man did not fall by surprise; he fell by neglect—by failing to guard his heart long before this moment.
Solomon compares him first to “an ox that goeth to the slaughter.” The ox walks quietly, unaware that the path before him ends in death. In the same way, the young man walks toward destruction believing he is heading toward pleasure. The imagery captures the dull blindness of sin—its victims often perish willingly, even cheerfully, under the delusion of fulfillment. The fool “goes to the correction of the stocks,” a reference to public punishment. He imagines a night of delight, but his end will be shame and bondage. As Bridges explains, “As the ox dreams of pasture, or the fool laughs on his way to the stocks, so does this deluded youth rush onward to ruin.”
Then Solomon deepens the image: “Till a dart strike through his liver.” In Hebrew thought, the liver represented the seat of emotion and vitality. To be pierced there signifies not merely death, but torment, guilt, and the internal anguish of sin’s aftermath. Ross notes that this may symbolize the pangs of conscience and the inevitable ruin—both spiritual and physical—that follow immoral acts. The young man thought he would satisfy his desires; instead, he wounded his soul.
“As a bird hasteth to the snare” completes the picture. The bird sees the bait but not the trap. The same principle governs all sin—it promises freedom but ends in captivity. Wiersbe reminds us that God calls His people to be sheep under the Shepherd’s care, not animals driven by appetite. The man who rejects divine wisdom reduces himself to a beast without reason or restraint. He “did not know that it would cost his life.” This is the final and most tragic line. The young fool entered thinking of pleasure, not price. He saw the moment, not the eternity that followed. Sin blinds its victim to the cost until the snare is sprung and freedom is lost.
As Waltke observes, the temptress promises unrestrained love, yet offers only emptiness and ruin. True love requires covenant, commitment, and the giving of oneself in faithfulness. Her so-called “love” demanded no commitment but cost the ultimate price—his life. Every act of sin exacts a cost, and when one despises God’s Word, that cost is far greater than imagined.
(Proverbs 7:24–27)
“Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”
Having completed the story, Solomon now turns from narration to exhortation. The fatherly tone returns: “Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children.” This warning is not only for one son but for all who will listen. The voice of wisdom pleads with urgency, for the lesson is costly to ignore. He urges, “Attend to the words of my mouth.” The repetition underscores the gravity of the danger—this is not a trivial moral tale but a divine safeguard against destruction.
“Let not thine heart decline to her ways.” Solomon identifies the true battlefield—the heart. Sexual sin, like all sin, begins not in the body but in misplaced desire. When the heart turns from God toward pleasure, it soon leads the feet astray. To prevent sin in the life, one must guard the affections of the heart. The man who loves the Lord will not easily love sin, for two masters cannot rule the same soul. Jesus confirmed this truth when He said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).
“Go not astray in her paths.” The warning moves from inward affection to outward action. If the heart strays, the body will follow. Therefore, it is not enough to avoid the act; one must also avoid the path that leads to it. The godly man draws the line at the first step, not the last. Solomon warns against proximity to temptation, echoing the wisdom of Job, who declared, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1).
“For she hath cast down many wounded.” This is not a rare danger but a well-worn battlefield strewn with casualties. The word “wounded” implies more than injury; it means slain or defeated. Many have fallen—reputations ruined, families broken, health destroyed, and souls lost. “Many strong men have been slain by her.” Strength of will, intellect, or position does not safeguard against temptation. Clarke noted that even “heroes who conquered nations have been vanquished by their vices.” Trapp likewise remarked, “The valour of man hath oft been slain by the wiles of a woman.” The mighty Samson, the wise Solomon, and the brave David all bear witness to this truth: none are so strong that they cannot fall.
Finally, Solomon unveils the true nature of the seductress’s home: “Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.” What she presents as a sanctuary of pleasure is, in reality, a gateway to perdition. The Hebrew term “Sheol” refers to the grave or the realm of the dead, but in this context, it foreshadows eternal ruin. Gemser writes that “her bedroom is no ballroom, but a battlefield where corpses lie about.” The end of her path is not love but loss—not joy but judgment.
Morgan’s words fittingly summarize the wisdom of this passage: “In the hour of sin’s glamour, it is good for the soul to look through to the end which is in Sheol and the chambers of death. When the voice of the siren is heard, it is good to pause and listen to the moan of the breakers on the shore of darkness and death, for to that shore the way of impurity assuredly leads.”
True wisdom sees beyond the present moment to the eternal consequence. The fear of the Lord—reverence for His holiness and trust in His Word—is the only power that can deliver from this deadly snare.
