Proverbs 7:19-27

19 For the good-man [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 impelled him.
22 He goeth after her quickly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.
24 Now therefore hearken to me, O ye children, 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: yes, many strong [men] have been slain by her.
27 Her house [is] the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 7:19-27 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.

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