“My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
Keep my commandments and live,
And my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’
And call understanding your intimate friend;
That they may keep you from an adulteress,
From the foreign woman who flatters with her words.”

“For at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice,
And I saw among the naive,
And discerned among the youths,
A young man lacking sense,
Passing through the street near her corner;
And he walks along the way to her house,
In the twilight, in the evening,
In the middle of the night and the darkness.”

“And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
Dressed as a prostitute and cunning of heart.
She is boisterous and rebellious,
Her feet do not remain at home;
She is now in the streets, now in the squares,
And lurks by every corner.”

“So she seizes him and kisses him,
And with a brazen face she says to him:
‘I was due to offer peace offerings;
Today I have paid my vows.
Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.
I have spread my couch with coverings,
With colored linens of Egypt.
I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning;
Let’s delight ourselves with caresses.
For my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
He has taken a bag of money with him;
At the full moon he will come home.’”

“With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her flattering lips she seduces him.
Suddenly he follows her,
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as one in shackles to the discipline of a fool,
Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a bird hurries to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.”

“Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.
For many are the victims she has brought to ruin,
And numerous are all those slaughtered by her.
Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.”

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Context and Meaning

Proverbs 7 gives us one of the most dramatic moral lessons in Scripture — the story of temptation observed through Solomon’s window.

The chapter personifies sin as a seductive woman, skilled in deceit, dressed in allure, and waiting for the unguarded heart.
The young man here is not evil — he is naïve — and his downfall comes not from deliberate rebellion, but from carelessness.

This passage reveals how temptation operates:

1. It appeals to desire (beauty, pleasure, excitement).
2. It speaks to emotion (flattery and false intimacy).
3. It blinds reason until destruction is inevitable.

At its core, Proverbs 7 is not just about sexual sin — it’s about spiritual adultery: the betrayal of God for the fleeting pleasures of this world.

Key Themes:

1. The Power of God’s Word: Keep His commands close — they protect your life (v. 1–3).
2. Wisdom as a Companion: Treat wisdom like a beloved family member (v. 4).
3. The Danger of Temptation: Sin is subtle, persistent, and well-disguised (v. 5–12).
4. The Pattern of Seduction: Sin flatters before it destroys (v. 13–21).
5. The Suddenness of Judgment: The one who follows temptation walks to his own ruin (v. 22–23).
6. The Final Warning: Temptation leads to death, but wisdom preserves life (v. 24–27).

Reflection and Impact

Proverbs 7 exposes how temptation works so that we can guard our hearts against it.
It begins with curiosity, grows through compromise, and ends in captivity.

• Keep God’s Word close – “Treasure my commandments within you” (v. 1) aligns with Psalm 119:11: I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
• Guard the heart early – “Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways” (v. 25) echoes James 1:14–15: desire gives birth to sin, and sin brings forth death.
• Temptation disguises itself as pleasure – “Her speech is smoother than oil” (v. 5) mirrors 2 Corinthians 11:14: even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
• Sin always takes more than it gives – “It will cost him his life” (v. 23) connects with Romans 6:23: the wages of sin is death.
• Wisdom guards the soul – “Say to wisdom, you are my sister” (v. 4) reminds us of John 14:26: the Spirit teaches and reminds us of all things.

Application

• Guard Your Heart Before the Battle: Don’t reason with temptation—resist it from the start.
• Keep God’s Word Alive Within You: Scripture is both shield and sword in moments of weakness.
• Watch Where You Walk: Avoid paths and places where sin lurks.
• Recognize the Pattern of Temptation: Flattery, secrecy, and compromise are its steps.
• Seek Accountability: Godly community strengthens moral resolve.
• Remember the End: Every seduction hides a snare; every compromise steals peace.

Closing Thought

Temptation promises pleasure but delivers pain.
Wisdom calls us to love what is true, guard what is pure, and walk with eyes wide open in the light of God’s truth.

“Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways…
Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.”