American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Proverbs 7
1
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 22:9
Word
Proverbs 1:8
Revelation 1:3
Luke 11:28
John 14:23
Job 22:22
Proverbs 3:1
John 15:20
Luke 8:15
2
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of your eye.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 17:8
Leviticus 18:5
John 15:14
Isaiah 55:3
Proverbs 4:13
Word
Proverbs 4:4
John 14:21
3
Bind them on your fingers, write them on the table of your heart.
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 3:3
Isaiah 30:8
Jeremiah 31:33
2 Corinthians 3:3
Proverbs 6:21
Jeremiah 17:1
4
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; and call understanding your kinswoman:
5
That they may keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger which flatters with her words.
Reference
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,
Reference
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:
13
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 39:12
15
Therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.
16
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
Reference
17
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 45:8
18
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19
For the manager is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
Reference
Good
Matthew 20:11
20
He has 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.
Reference
22
He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
Reference
Parallel theme
Job 13:27
23
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.
Reference
26
For she has cast down many wounded: yes, many strong men have been slain by her.
Reference
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 13:26
Summary of Proverbs 7
Proverbs 7 gives one of the Bible's most detailed descriptions of how temptation works. The chapter focuses on sexual immorality, but its broader lesson is about recognizing dangerous situations before they become destructive.
The chapter begins with the father telling his son to keep his commandments close to his heart. Wisdom is described almost like a family member. The son should treat wisdom as a close companion because wisdom can protect him when temptation appears.
The father then describes something he has observed.
He sees a young man who lacks good judgment. Instead of staying away from danger, the young man walks near the house of an immoral woman. The timing is also significant: it is evening, and darkness is approaching.
The young man has already made a poor decision before the woman even speaks to him.
He has placed himself in the wrong environment.
The woman then approaches him.
She is described as confident, attractive, persuasive, and deliberate. She uses physical affection, flattering words, religious language, promises of pleasure, luxurious surroundings, and the reassurance that her husband is away.
Everything is designed to make the situation appear safe.
This is one of the chapter's most important lessons:
Temptation rarely presents itself by announcing its consequences.
Guard your heart, stay away from situations that encourage temptation, do not allow flattering words to control your judgment, and think about the final destination before taking the first step. What looks attractive for a moment can lead to consequences that last far longer than the pleasure.
The chapter begins with the father telling his son to keep his commandments close to his heart. Wisdom is described almost like a family member. The son should treat wisdom as a close companion because wisdom can protect him when temptation appears.
The father then describes something he has observed.
He sees a young man who lacks good judgment. Instead of staying away from danger, the young man walks near the house of an immoral woman. The timing is also significant: it is evening, and darkness is approaching.
The young man has already made a poor decision before the woman even speaks to him.
He has placed himself in the wrong environment.
The woman then approaches him.
She is described as confident, attractive, persuasive, and deliberate. She uses physical affection, flattering words, religious language, promises of pleasure, luxurious surroundings, and the reassurance that her husband is away.
Everything is designed to make the situation appear safe.
This is one of the chapter's most important lessons:
Temptation rarely presents itself by announcing its consequences.
Guard your heart, stay away from situations that encourage temptation, do not allow flattering words to control your judgment, and think about the final destination before taking the first step. What looks attractive for a moment can lead to consequences that last far longer than the pleasure.