Proverbs 7, The Seductress

We return to an earlier topic, the dangers of sexual infidelity. This topic has been briefly discussed in prior sections and this continues the teaching in Proverbs 6:20-35. Here, however, we have a lengthy narrative chapter devoted to the topic, a chapter that, says Alter, "is the closest to a sustained narrative that one finds in Proverbs."

Proverbs 7:1-5, Remember to keep my teachings!

 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.

 Keep my commands and you will live; 

guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

 Bind them on your fingers; 

write them on the tablet of your heart.

 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," 

and call understanding your kinsman;

 they will keep you from the adulteress,

 from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

The bindings of wisdom on one's heart and fingers repeats a theme from Proverbs 3:1-4 and Proverbs 6:20-22.

The phrase translated by the NIV, "apple of your eye", is literally "black" of the eye or "dark part" of the eye. The Hebrew word ishon represents the dark part of the eye; that word will be used later to describe the dark part of the evening.

Proverbs 7:6-12, View from a lattice

 At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice.

 I saw among the simple, 

I noticed among the young men, 

a youth who lacked judgment.

 He was going down the street near her corner, 

walking along in the direction of her house

 at twilight, as the day was fading, 

as the dark of night set in.

 Then out came a woman to meet him, 

dressed like a prostitute 

and with crafty intent.

 (She is loud and defiant, 

her feet never stay at home;

 now in the street, 

now in the squares, 

at every corner she lurks.)

The victim is a "youth", a simpleton, lacking in judgment; he isone who has not listened to wisdom. He is headed (consciously or unconsciously) down the path to the woman's house, as twilight fades to dusk. She is waiting for him, which suggests a previous tryst or flirtation. I see a hint that both are bored, seeking diversion. In modern terms, the youth is "cruising."

The "dark" of the night is verse 9 is the "ishon" of the night, repeating the word translated earlier as "apple" or "pupil." Alter says that a characteristic of Hebrew poetry is "to repeat the same word with a different meaning...."

Proverbs 7:13-17, "I have fulfilled my vows! Now I want you!"

 She took hold of him and kissed him 

and with a brazen face she said:

 "I have fellowship offerings at home; 

today I fulfilled my vows.

 So I came out to meet you; 

I looked for you and have found you!

 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.

 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

The woman has made pious religious offerings that include (says Alter) a portion brought home for a feast.  She callously connects her religious vows with a feast where she intends to break her marriage vows.

Proverbs 7:18-20, My husband is gone for a long time

 Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; 

let's enjoy ourselves with love!

 My husband is not at home; 

he has gone on a long journey.

 He took his purse filled with money 

and will not be home till full moon."

Alter argues that the word translated "My husband" in verse 19 is a variant on ish ("man") and he translates the woman's statement as "the man is not in his house", which Alter sees as "vaguely contemptuous." The woman makes no claim that the husband is "her man".

The husband, who is apparently prosperous and has provided the woman with many things ("colored linens from Egypt," for example), is gone on a long trip and so the woman can comfortably spend time with her lover.

Proverbs 7:21-23, Ox led to slaughter

 With persuasive words she led him astray; 

she seduced him with her smooth talk.

 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter,

 like a deer stepping into a noose

 till an arrow pierces his liver, 

like a bird darting into a snare, 

little knowing it will cost him his life.

The man is portrayed as a mindless dumb animal, unaware of the rope leading him to slaughter. The typical parallelism turns into five lines. "like an ox..., a deer..., an arrow..., a bird..., his life."

Proverbs 7:24-27, The way to the grave

 Now then, my sons, listen to me; 

pay attention to what I say.

 Do not let your heart turn to her ways 

or stray into her paths.

 Many are the victims she has brought down; 

her slain are a mighty throng.

 Her house is a highway to the grave,

 leading down to the chambers of death.

The terms "house" and "way" occur throughout this chapter, as the man walks along a way, led by the woman, to a night at her house (says Alter.) In this last verse, the dance of "way" and "house" ends with the house being the way downward into the "chambers of death."

Throughout Proverbs there is an emphasis on the damages caused by certain actions. Adultery, prohibited elsewhere by the Mosaic Law, is here condemned because it is damaging. In my experience, it is not sufficient to say, "That is wrong because God prohibits it!"; it is much more helpful to say, "Look at the damage this could cause." Christian author, James Dobson (before he went off the rails, seduced by politics), was a child psychologist with good advice for families. I recall his advice to husbands: if you fantasize about an affair with another woman, play the tape to the end. To the divorce, separation from children....  That advice fits the theme of chapter 7 and indeed, the "play it to the end" is the theme of Proverbs.