Proverbs 7

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:1-27

A tragedy of temptation This is a fine piece of dramatic moral description, and there is no reason why it should not be made use of, handled with tact and delicacy, with an audience of young men. I. THE PROLOGUE . ( Proverbs 7:1-5 .) On Proverbs 7:1 , see Proverbs 1:8 ; Proverbs 2:1 ; Proverbs 6:20 . On Proverbs 6:2 , see on Proverbs 4:4 . Here an expression not before used occurs. "Keep my doctrine as thine eye apple;" literally, "the little man in thine eye." It is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:1-27

The two ways Here we have— I. THE WAY OF SIN AND DEATH . This is: 1 . The way of thoughtlessness. It is the "simple ones," the "young men void of understanding" ( Proverbs 7:7 ), those who go heedlessly "near the corner," "the way to the house" of the tempter or the temptress ( Proverbs 7:8 ). It is those who "do not consider," who do not think who they are, what they are here for, whither they go, what the end will be;—it is these who go astray and are found in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:2

Keep my commandments, and live (see on Proverbs 4:4 ). As the apple of thine eye ; literally, the little man ( ishon, diminutive of ish ) of the eye ; so called from the miniature reflection of objects seen in the pupil, specially of the person who looks into another's eye. It is a proverbial expression for anything particularly precious and liable to be injured unless guarded with scrupulous care (comp. Psalms 17:8 , Zechariah 2:8 ). Similarly the Greeks called this... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:3

Bind them upon thy fingers. Wear my precepts like a ring on thy finger, so that they may go with thee, whatever thou takest in hand. Others think that the so called tephillin, or phylacteries, are meant. These were worn both on the hand and the forehead, and consisted of a leather box containing strips of parchment, on which were written four texts, viz. Exodus 13:1-10 ; 11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ; Deuteronomy 11:13-21 . The box was attached to a leather strap wound seven times round... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:4

Say unto Wisdom, Thou art my sister. Wisdom is personified, and the connection with her indicated by the relationship which best expresses love, purity, confidence. In the Book of Wisdom 8. she is represented as wife. Christ calls those who do God's will his brother, and sister, and mother ( Matthew 12:50 ). Call Understanding thy kinswoman; moda , "familiar friend." Let prudence and sound sense be as dear to thee as a close friend. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:4-5

Proverbs 7:4 and Proverbs 7:5 contain earnest admonitions to the pursuit of Wisdom, which is worthy of the purest love. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:5

That they may keep thee from the strange woman (see on Proverbs 2:16 and Proverbs 6:24 ). When the heart is filled with the love of what is good, it is armed against the seductions of evil pleasure or whatever may entice the soul from God and duty. Septuagint, "That she (Wisdom) may keep thee from the strange and evil woman, if she should assail thee with gracious words." read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:6

For . The particle introduces the example. At the window of my house. He gives a graphic delineation of a scene witnessed outside his house. I looked through my casement; eshnab , "the lattice," which served the purpose of our Venetian blinds, excluding the sun, but letting the cool air pass into the room (comp. 5:28 ). A person within could see all that passed in the street without being himself visible from without (So Proverbs 2:9 ). The Septuagint reads the sentence as spoken... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:6-23

To show the greatness of the danger presented by the seductions of the temptress, the writer introduces no mere abstraction, no mere personification of a quality, but an actual example of what had passed before his own eyes. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 7:6-27

Profilgacy It would not, perhaps, be wise for any one to discuss this subject in the presence of a general congregation. The sin is so fearfully contaminating that it is scarcely possible to touch it in any way without contracting some defilement; and the few who might benefit by a public exposure of the evils of profligacy would be greatly outnumbered by the multitude of people, especially the young, to whom the direction of attention to it would be unwholesome. But on special... read more

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