Proverbs 7:12-22

12 For at one time she wanders without, and at time she lies in wait in the streets, at every corner.
13 Then she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,
14 I have a peace-offering; today I pay my vows:
15 therefore I came forth to meet thee, desiring thy face; I have found thee.
16 I have spread my bed with sheets, and I have covered it with double tapestry from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my couch with saffron, and my house with cinnamon.
18 Come, and let us enjoy love until the morning; come, and let us embrace in love.
19 For my husband is not at home, but is gone on a long journey,
20 having taken in his hand a bundle of money: after many days he will return to his house.
21 So with much converse she prevailed on him to go astray, and with the snares of her lips forced him from .
22 And he followed her, being gently led on, and as an ox is led to the slaughter, and as a dog to bonds, or as a hart shot in the liver with an arrow:

Proverbs 7:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 7

The sum of this chapter is to exhort men to attend to the doctrines and precepts of Wisdom, in order to avoid the adulterous woman; the exhortation to keep them with care, affection, and delight, in order to answer the end, is in Pr 7:1-5. A story is told, of Solomon's own knowledge, of a young man ensnared and ruined by a lewd woman; it begins Pr 7:6. The young man is described as foolish, and as throwing himself in the way of temptation, Pr 7:7-9; the harlot that met him is described by her attire, her subtlety, her voice, her inconstancy, her impudence, and pretensions to piety, Pr 7:10-14. The arguments she made use of to prevail upon him to go with her are taken partly from the elegance of her bed, the softness of it, and its sweet perfume, and satiety of love to be enjoyed in it, Pr 7:15-18; and partly from the absence of her husband, who was gone a long journey, and had made provision for it for a certain time, Pr 7:19,20. By which arguments she prevailed upon him to his utter ruin: which is illustrated by the similes of an ox going to the slaughter, a fool to the stocks, and a bird to the snare, Pr 7:21-23. And the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to hearken to the words of Wisdom, and to avoid the ways and paths of the harlot, by which many and mighty persons have been ruined; they being the direct road to hell and death, Pr 7:24-27.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.