Adultery and the deceitful harlot
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¶ My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: 5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. |
1 -
My son Most of the preceding chapters begin this way. Compare v25.
2 - Keep ... and live We don't earn salvation by obedience but the commands are warnings to avoid the ways of death. If we want to worship other gods or be unfaithful in marriage our home will not be in heaven. 2 - Apple of thine eye Or the eye pupil. That is, very precious. 3 - Bind them The hand is seen as the instrument of action ec0910, de0608. The heart is the seat of understanding or emotions. 4 - Wisdom Why consider wisdom as a sister? The next verse explains. Compare ru0201, ru0302. 5 - Keep thee from ... As we concluded for verse 2. |
| 6 ¶ For at the window
of my house I looked through my casement,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, 8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: 9 - In the twilight, in the middle of the night and in the darkness. NASB. |
6 -
Window of my house Solomon, still speaking to his son hoping for
him to identify with the "young man void of understanding." The "casement"
was a lattice perhaps in the role of the old shutters.
8 - Near her corner His error. We may expect protection from temptation lu1104 as we avoid the places of temptation. 2ti0222, co0221. 9 - Evening, in the black and dark of night Literally, "in the pupil [of the eye] of the night." |
| 10 And, behold, there
met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. 15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. 16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. |
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- With the attire of an harlot At this point he knew where his feet
were going. This was his moment of escape 2co1005.
11 - Loud ... feet ... every corner Describing the strong and pervasive character of temptation. 16 - Decked The evil one covers temptation with seemingly good things. Compare mt2327. 18 - Take our fill In trapping victims in sin, Satan gives them the impression that they must have what it takes to satisfy their craving (for alcohol, nicotine, drugs, sexual stimulation, appetite, etc.), and he tells them that they are too weak to resist. Both are lies like Eve accepted ge0306. 18 - Love It was infatuation. 19 - Goodman Or "head of the house," the woman's husband. |
| 21 With her much fair
speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced
him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; .23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. |
23 - Dart through his liver He is caught pr0626. |
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¶ Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the
words of my mouth.
25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. 27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. |
24 - Children Solomon's intended readers are more than just his son v1. |
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