Proverbs 7: The Seductive Woman and the Simple Youth
A father urges his son to treasure wisdom and warns him with a vivid scene of seduction and ruin.
Proverbs 7 (WEB)
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8 passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. This day I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21 With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the rooms of death.
Proverbs 7 (KJV)
1 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.
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:
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.
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.
24 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.
Proverbs 7 (ASV)
1 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 tablet of thy heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understandingthy kinswoman:
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 And I 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 of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 (She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, Andwith an impudent face she said unto him:
14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn 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 man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or asone infetters to the correction of the fool;
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Now therefore, mysons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.
Summary
The father pleads with his son to keep his commandments as the apple of his eye, binding them on his fingers and heart, and to embrace wisdom as a beloved sister who guards him from the seductive woman. From his window the teacher watches a young man void of understanding wander toward her corner at twilight. A woman dressed like a prostitute meets him with crafty intent, kisses him boldly, and entices him with talk of peace offerings, a perfumed bed, and a husband away on a long journey. With persuasive, flattering words she leads him astray, and he follows like an ox to slaughter, not knowing it will cost his life. The father closes by calling all his sons to listen, refuse her paths, and recognize that her house is the road to death.
Main Characters
- The father (teacher) — The instructor who urges his son to cherish wisdom and warns him against the seductive woman's deadly path.
- The simple young man — A youth void of understanding who wanders toward temptation at night and is led astray to his ruin.
- The seductive woman — A boldly dressed temptress whose flattering, persuasive words lure the naive youth toward death.
Key Verse
Proverbs 7:2 (WEB)
Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Lessons Learned
- Treasuring God's word inwardly is our best defense against subtle temptation.
- Sin often advances through flattery and persuasion rather than open force.
- Drifting toward temptation without watchfulness leads steadily toward ruin.
- Wisdom embraced like a close family member keeps us from destructive paths.
- God's word must be treasured, not merely heard. The father tells his son to keep his commandments and live, guarding his teaching as the apple of his eye (Proverbs 7:2, WEB).
- Wisdom is meant to be intimately embraced. He urges his son to call wisdom 'my sister' and understanding a near relative, so she will keep him from the strange woman (Proverbs 7:4-5, WEB).
- Spiritual carelessness sets us up for a fall. The youth is a young man void of understanding, wandering near her corner in the twilight, exposing himself to needless danger (Proverbs 7:7-9, WEB).
- Temptation often works through flattery, not force. With persuasive words she leads him astray, and with the flattering of her lips she seduces him (Proverbs 7:21, WEB).
- Yielding to sin blinds us to its true cost. He follows her like an ox going to the slaughter, not knowing it will cost his life (Proverbs 7:22-23, WEB).
- The path of immorality ends in death. The father warns that her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the rooms of death (Proverbs 7:27, WEB).
- How does the father describe the way his son should hold his commandments (Proverbs 7:1-3)?
- What makes the young man vulnerable as he passes near her corner (Proverbs 7:7-9)?
- What tactics does the woman use to lead the youth astray (Proverbs 7:13-21)?
- Where in your own life do you tend to wander toward temptation rather than away from it?
- How can treasuring Scripture in your heart practically guard you against flattering, persuasive enticements?
- The father tells him to lay up the commandments within him, bind them on his fingers, and write them on the tablet of his heart (7:1-3); wisdom is to be internalized so completely that it shapes his daily choices and reflexes.
- He is among the simple, void of understanding, and he wanders near her corner in the dark of night (7:7-9); his vulnerability comes from aimlessness, lack of discernment, and placing himself near temptation rather than fleeing it.
- She meets him dressed seductively, kisses him boldly, claims religious devotion, describes a perfumed bed, and assures him her husband is far away; she overwhelms him with flattery and persuasion until he yields (7:13-21).
- Personal: invite members to identify the 'corners' they linger near. Encourage honesty about situations, screens, or relationships where they drift toward temptation rather than deliberately turning away.
- Personal: encourage members to memorize and meditate on Scripture so God's truth answers the voice of flattery. Suggest practical guardrails and accountability that keep them from the path in the first place.