Preface:

Whereas, Chapter 6 warned of the financial and social loss from being seduced into adultery, here we will see the seductive tactics used by the adulteress wife.

Matthew Henry: The scope of this chapter is...to warn young men against the lusts of the flesh.

J. Vernon McGee: This chapter continues the subject...beware of a woman with easy morals.

The Teachers’ Bible Commentary: This chapter describes the way of an adulteress, contrasting with Proverbs 8 which sets forth the way of wisdom. It features an eye-witness account of the seduction of a young man by an adulteress. The account is realistic and needs only brief interpretation.

However, more important than this, is, this adulterous woman represents false doctrine, cosmic thinking and human viewpoint; and how they draw a young man into their realm.

This should be the most extensive examination of Proverbs 7 available, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text.

Quotations:

 

J. Vernon McGee: This young man is taking a walk down the wrong street.

 

Henry Scougal: Youth is a time of life wherein we have too much pride to be governed by others, and too little wisdom to govern ourselves.

 

Unknown: Flattery is like chewing gum—enjoy it briefly, but don’t swallow it! Flattery is the art of telling a person exactly what he thinks of himself. The one who flatters is like a bee which has honey in his mouth and a sting in his tail.

 

Thomas Brooks: Flattery is the devil's invisible net.

 

Enter the Bible: Illicit sex has severe consequences.

 

Joseph B. Wirthlin: Men and women who decide to flirt with adultery just once can become enmeshed in misery and unhappiness for themselves and their precious families.

 

Samuel Butler: Christ and The Church: If he were to apply for a divorce on the grounds of cruelty, adultery and desertion, he would probably get one. If I were to make a guess, I bet that Butler does not realize that this is a great theme of both the Old and New Testaments.

 

Garcelle Beauvais: Adultery is the ultimate deal-breaker for me. I would rather be alone than in a relationship that doesn't honor me.

 

Julian Lennon: Dad could talk about peace and love out loud to the world, but he could never show it to the people who supposedly meant the most to him: his wife and son. How can you talk about peace and love and have a family in bits and pieces - no communication, adultery, divorce? You can't do it, not if you're being true and honest with yourself.

 

Quote from James Nicodem (a graphic); from Blog Thru Da Bible; accessed October 25, 2015.

 

Lane: Solomon’s remedy for promiscuity is to know and obey the word of God. However out-dated and simplistic this may seem, the same is true in our age, where those being advocated – sex education, contraception, free love, etc. – have all failed.

 

Joe Haldeman: Bad books on writing tell you to "WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW", a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery.

 

Dennis P. Hollinger, The Meaning of Sex: The heart of the moral wrong of adultery is that a covenant, a sacred commitment, has been broken. The one-flesh union which set this relationship apart from all others has been torn asunder by one of the spouses and by a third party that has now entered into the oneness of the relationship.

 

Dennis P. Hollinger: When adultery occurs, three of the Ten Commandments are broken: you shall not commit adultery, not lie, and not covet your neighbor's spouse.

 

Prov. 6:32–33 He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. (ESV)

 

Gill: [These foolish ones] are easily persuaded and drawn into sin; simple and foolish in things moral and spiritual, and not arrived to any ripeness of understanding in things natural and civil; [they] have seen but little of the world, and know less of religion, and are easily imposed upon and carried away with the company they keep.

 

Kukis: There is a parallel narrative [in this chapter], where this woman represents human viewpoint; she represents the thinking of society; and every verse tells us how we are tempted to abandon divine viewpoint (vv. 1–4, 24) for the lies and vanity of the cosmic system.

Outline of Chapter 7:

Preface

Introduction

         vv.     1–5           Warning to Focus Upon Wisdom to Avoid the Immoral Woman

         vv.     6–23         What David Has Observed

         vv.         6–9                The Victim

         vv.        10–12             The Immoral Woman

         vv.        13–20             The Inducements

         vv.        21–23             The Foolish Young Man is Taken in

         vv.    24–27         David’s Final Warning: Following This Woman Will Lead to Death

Addendum

Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines:

         Preface               Quotations

         Preface               Quote from James Nicodem (a graphic)

         Introduction         Proverbs 7 Graphic

         Introduction         The Principals of Proverbs 7

         Introduction         The Prequel of Proverbs 7

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Proverbs 7 by the New American Bible

         Introduction         Bridgeway Bible Commentary’s Synopsis of Proverbs 7

         Introduction         Matthew Henry Outlines Proverbs 7

         Introduction         James Rickard’s Division of Proverbs 7

         Introduction         Peter Pett’s Division of Proverbs 7

         v.       1              Chiasmos of Proverbs 7:1–5 from Peter Pett

         v.       1              Proverbs 7:2 from The Messianic Aleph Tav Scriptures Paleo-Hebrew Study Bible

         v.       1              Graphic of Operation Z

         v.       1              The God-ward and Man-ward Sides of the Edification Complex

         v.       1              Why didn’t God just give us a simple list of what to do and what not to do?

         v.       2              Proverbs 7:2 (a graphic)

         v.       3              Proverbs 7:2–3 (a graphic)

         v.       4              Proverbs 7:4 (the Message) (a graphic)

         v.       5              Proverbs 7:4–5 (a graphic)

         v.       5              Rickard on why the believer needs Bible doctrine in his soul

         v.       5              Stuart Wolfe Summarizes Proverbs 7:1–5

         v.       6              Chiasmos of Proverbs 7:6–23 from Peter Pett

         v.       6              David, as the Omniscient Observer (from James Rickard)

         v.       6              Commentators on Ancient Windows

         v.       7              J. Thain Davidson on the Warnings to the Young Man

         v.       7              A Beacon to Young Men, from J. Burns

         v.       7              Bob Deffinbaugh on, Simplicity is an Aliment of the Young

         v.       7              The Homilist on The young man void of understanding

         v.       7              D. Johnson on A simple youth, void of understanding

         v.       7              John N. Norton on A young man void of understanding

         v.       8              Commentators and the Temptation of This Simple Young Man

         v.       9              The Young Man Out at Night (Several Commentators)

         v.       9              Stuart Wolfe Summarizes Proverbs 7:6–9

         v.      10              The Adulteress of Proverbs 7, Dressed like a Prostitute (a graphic)

         v.      11              Dear Girls Graphic

         v.      12              Commentators on this Wandering, Adulterous Woman

         v.      12              The Significance of the Strange Woman

         v.      13              The Metaphorical Use of War-like Language (Jones/Waltke)

         v.      14              Commentators on why the woman spoke of these sacrifices of peace-offerings

         v.      14              Commentators on, this woman’s appeal to religion

         v.      15              Proverbs 7:10–15 (a graphic)

         v.      17              Commentators on the Spices of the Woman’s Bed

         v.      17              Keil and Delitzsch, Easton, Fausset and Kukis on Myrrh

         v.      18              Commentators on Love Versus Sex

         v.      18              The Rape of Tamar, from Joe Guglielmo

         v.      19              The Doctrine of Adultery (mostly by R. B. Thieme, Jr.)

         v.      20              Proverbs 7:13–20 (a graphic)

         v.      20              The Husband as Type of Christ

         v.      22              Commentators on, an ox goes to the slaughter

         v.      22              Commentators on, And just as ankle restraints chastise the fool,...

         v.      22              James Rickard Translates and Explains Proverbs 7:22b

         v.      23              A Summary of Proverbs 7 (a graphic)

         v.      23              Proverbs 7:21–23 (a graphic)

         v.      23              Current Risks of Sexual Abandon, from Joe Guglielmo

         v.      23              Parent’s Pornography Chart

         v.      23              Sexual Exposure Map from Chastity.com

         v.      23              Commentators Summarize Proverbs 7:21–23

         v.      23              Stuart Wolfe Summarizes Proverbs 7:10–23

         v.      24              Proverbs 7:1–5 and 24–27; and 5:1–6

         v.      24              Chiasmos of Proverbs 7:24–27 from Peter Pett

         v.      24              W. Dodd on Impurity

         v.      25              Proverbs 7:25 (a graphic)

         v.      26              Rickard on Nâphal

         v.      26              Commentators on those slain by this woman

         v.      26              James Rickard on those slain by this woman

         v.      27              James Rickard on Sheol

         v.      27              Stuart Wolfe Summarizes Proverbs 7:24–27

         v.      27              J. Vernon McGee on the Cults and -Isms of his Day

         Addendum          James Rickard and Mattoon’s Short Summary of Proverbs 7

         Addendum          A Parallel Interpretation of Proverbs 7

         Addendum          Why Proverbs 7 is in the Word of God

         Addendum          What We Learn from Proverbs 7

         Addendum          The 4 Lessons in Proverbs on Adultery

         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Proverbs 7

         Addendum          Word Cloud from a Reasonably Literal Paraphrase of Proverbs 7

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Proverbs 7

——————————

An Introduction to Proverbs 7

I ntroduction: Whereas Prov. 6 covered a variety of topics, Proverbs 7 will thematically deal with the immoral woman and with the adulteress woman. David begins by telling Solomon (and, presumably, to his other sons) to pay attention to his teaching and not to be drawn to the immoral woman. He can heed sound instruction or he can be drawn away by the flattery of the woman with questionable virtue.

Then David describes what he has seen himself—a man hanging out with his pinhead friends, and then, once it is dark, venturing over to the home of a married woman. This woman is loud and obnoxious, emphasizing her physical attributes over her thinking (she does not reveal her actual thinking to this young man).

She tempts him with promises of a home where her husband is gone, where there are pillows on her couch, and nice, perfumed bed sheets awaiting him.

She embraces him and kisses him, promising more to come in her home, and leads him to her house, where he enters like a bird into a trap, unaware of the danger. Going to her house is the pathway to Sheol (the grave).

Proverbs 7 Graphic from Hope Help Healing; accessed October 25, 2015.

Although I believed that this understanding was possibly original with me, it is apparently not:

Barnes: The harlot adulteress of an Eastern city is contrasted with the true feminine ideal of the Wisdom who is to be the “sister” and “kinswoman” (Prov. 7:4) of the young man as he goes on his way through life. See Prov. 8. James Rickard (and many others) take the very same approach.

Even though there is undoubtedly a chapter warning us against giving into our fleshly lusts, this is this other dimension to it as well which ought not be ignored.

Now, just in case you are the least bit hesitant to agree to this overlain interpretation, read this: Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. (Prov. 8:1–11; ESV) Wisdom is clearly personified as a woman in Prov. 8; so having the opposite of wisdom being personified in Prov. 7 (and earlier) is not a great theological leap.

In dividing up the first chapters of Proverbs as per the words my son or O sons, we find the 16^th and 17^th lectures in this chapter (vv. 1 and 24). Others, like Peter Pett, look upon this chapter as the 8^th discourse.

Peter Pett: This is the fourth reference to the dangers of the ‘strange woman’. In Proverbs 2:16-19 the emphasis was on her betrayal of both man and God; in Proverbs 5:1-23 there was an emphasis on the financial and social loss involved in consorting with the strange woman and the encouragement to look rather to a true wife; in Proverbs 6:20-35 the emphasis was on the resultant anger of the husband which can only be assuaged by extreme judgment; here the emphasis is on the details of the seduction of the young man in preparation for the contrast with the activity of Ms Wisdom.

In this chapter, the focus will be on the willfulness and the seduction by the strange woman, the lack of knowledge in the soul of her victim, and the personal destruction that results from such a relationship.

Keil and Delitzsch: The fearful desolation which adultery, and in general the sin of uncleanness, occasions in the life of the individual who is guilty of it, as well as in society, does not suffer the author of this discourse, directed to youth, to abandon his theme, which he has already treated of under different aspects. He takes up his warning once more, strengthens it by an example he himself had witnessed of one who fell a sacrifice to this sin, and gives it a very impressive conclusion.

If you have an interest in adulterous women, this is the most lengthy Bible exposition of that particular topic.

Arno Gaebelein: The entire chapter is a continuation of the strange woman and the warning against her. The Word and the law of the Lord will keep the obedient son from her. If Solomon had obeyed the Word of God, not to multiply wives (Deuteronomy 17:17) his end would not have been spent in the degrading fellowship with the harlots of other nations. The description is very graphic. What the word pictures is as prominent in the great centers of Christendom as it was thousands of years ago in Babylon and Egypt.

Enter the Bible: Once again the wisdom teachers provide a lesson dealing with sexual behavior. This time the instruction takes the form of a story, clearly and dramatically told. Note that the seduction takes place in the evening (v. 9). The woman is "loud" (v. 11; also 9:13) and thus quite the opposite of the ideal woman portrayed in chapter 31 (note vv. 25-26). She piously claims to be returning from worship services (v. 14). She is married and her husband is away on a long business trip (vv. 19-20). The willing young man is pictured as a pitiful creature unwittingly headed for a trap (vv. 22-23). And the penalty? "It will cost him his life" (v. 23; see also v. 27).

Paul Apple on the Big Idea: Sexual seduction attacks the naive at their point of vulnerability and sucks them into the path of destruction.

Even though the topic of adultery has been already covered in several previous chapters, there are many new wrinkles in this chapter; and many new words, not previously found in the book of Proverbs.

As in the previous chapters, I present this as King David is the teacher and Solomon is his primary student (although this teaching may have included, from time to time, Solomon’s brothers and other young people). Many of the quotations that I use will allude to Solomon as the writer of Proverbs.

Interestingly enough, the topic of this chapter is adultery. However, this word does not occur in the text of Prov. 7.

Admittedly, I got a little exhausted during this study and should have edited out easily 20 pages.

There are portions of vv. 22–23 which were very difficult to translate, and therefore, difficult to explain.

——————————

Warning to Focus Upon Wisdom to Avoid the Immoral Woman

Paul Apple summarizes vv. 1–5: The fortified defense: seductive enticements require strong defenses: Life and vitality are at stake; never lose sight of God’s standards; remain loyal to wisdom; seduction is rampant.

Today in the Word (Oct. 8, 2012): To resist words of temptation and wickedness, we need to store up words of wisdom and righteousness. As Proverbs advises, “Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye” Prov. 7:2). Treasuring God’s words and wisdom means pursuing and obeying them.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       Note: I compare the Hebrew text to English translations of the Latin, Syriac and Greek texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation ; George Lamsa’s translation, and Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s translation as revised and edited by Paul W. Esposito, respectively. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.). I often use the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible instead of Brenton’s translation, because it updates the English text.

The Septuagint was the earliest known translation of a book (circa 200 b.c.). Since this translation was made before the textual criticism had been developed into a science and because different books appear to be translated by different men, the Greek translation can sometimes be very uneven.

When there are serious disparities between my translation and Brenton’s (or the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible), I look at the Greek text of the Septuagint (the LXX) to see if a substantive difference actually exists (and I reflect these changes in the English rendering of the Greek text). I use the Greek LXX with Strong’s numbers and morphology available for e-sword. The only problem with this resource (which is a problem for similar resources) is, there is no way to further explore Greek verbs which are not found in the New Testament. Although I usually quote the Complete Apostles’ Bible here, I have begun to make changes in the translation when their translation conflicts with the Greek and note what those changes are.

The Masoretic text is the Hebrew text with all of the vowels (vowel points) inserted (the original Hebrew text lacked vowels). We take the Masoretic text to be the text closest to the original. However, differences between the Masoretic text and the Greek, Latin and Syriac are worth noting and, once in a great while, represent a more accurate text possessed by those other ancient translators.

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Bracketed portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are words, letters and phrases lost in the scroll due to various types of damage. Underlined words or phrases are those in the Dead Sea Scrolls but not in the Masoretic text.

I will only list the translation from the Dead Sea Scrolls if it exists and if it is different from the Masoretic text.

These Bibles often fall into more than one category; I placed them where I believed them to have the best fit.

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        My son, keep my words, and my commandments, treasure up with you. Keep my commandments and live; and my teachings as a pupil of your [two] eyes. Bind them upon your fingers; write them upon a tablet of your heart.

Latin Vulgate                          My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with you. Son, Keep my commandments, and you will live: and my law as the apple of your eye: Bind it upon your fingers, write it upon the tables of your heart.

Plain English Aramaic Bible   My son, keep my words and hide my commandments in your heart.

Keep my commandments and live, and my law like the pupil of the eye.

Tie them on your neck and write them upon the tablets of your heart.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    MY son, keep my words and hide my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the pupil of your eye. Bind them about your neck; write them upon the tablets of your heart.

Septuagint (Greek)                My son, keep my words, and hide my commandments with you. ^(7:2) My son, honor the Lord, and you shall be strong; and fear none but Him. ^7:2 Keep my commandments, and you shall live; and keep my words as the pupils of your eyes. ^7:3 And bind them on your fingers, and write them on the table of your heart.

Significant differences:           One version of the Aramaic has the word heart in the second phrase. This is not found in the Hebrew (or in any of the other ancient translations). The Greek inserts an additional verse between vv. 1 and 2; but one that probably does not belong.

In v. 3, the Aramaic has neck rather than fingers.

Limited Vocabulary Bibles:

Bible in Basic English             My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.

Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;

Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.

Easy English                          My son, keep my words safely!

Remember my commands!

You will live if you obey my commands.

Protect these instructions as carefully as you protect your eyes!

Tie my words on your fingers!

Keep my words in your heart!

Easy-to-Read Version            My son, remember my words. Don’t forget the commands I give you.

Obey my commands and you will have life. Make my teaching the most important thing in your life.

{Keep my commands and teachings with you always.} Tie them around your fingers. Write them on your heart.

God’s Word™                         My son,

pay attention to my words.

Treasure my commands that are within you.

Obey my commands so that you may live.

Follow my teachings just as you protect the pupil of your eye.

Tie them on your fingers.

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Good News Bible (TEV)         My child, remember what I say and never forget what I tell you to do.

Do what I say, and you will live. Be as careful to follow my teaching as you are to protect your eyes.

Keep my teaching with you all the time; write it on your heart.

The Message                         Dressed to Seduce

Dear friend, do what I tell you;

treasure my careful instructions.

Do what I say and you’ll live well.

My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!

Write it out on the back of your hands;

etch it on the chambers of your heart.

NIRV                                      A Warning Against a Woman Who Commits Adultery

My son, obey my words.

Store up my commands inside you.

Obey my commands and you will live.

Guard my teachings as you would guard your own eyes.

Tie them on your fingers.

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           Avoid loose women

My son, keep my words;

store up my commands within you.

Keep my commands and live,

and my instruction like the pupil of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Contemporary English V.       My son, pay close attention and don't forget what I tell you to do. Obey me, and you will live! Let my instructions be your greatest treasure. Keep them at your fingertips and write them in your mind.

The Living Bible                     Follow my advice, my son; always keep it in mind and stick to it. Obey me and live! Guard my words as your most precious possession. Write them down [Write them down, literally, “Bind them upon your fingers.”], and also keep them deep within your heart.

New Berkeley Version           My son, keep my words and store up my precepts within you. Keep my precepts and live and my teaching as the pupil of your eye. Bind them upon your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

New Century Version             The Woman of Adultery

My son, remember what I say, and treasure my commands.

Obey my commands, and you will live.

Guard my teachings as you would your own eyes.

Remind yourself of them;

write them on your heart as if on a tablet.

New Life Bible                        My son, keep my words, and hold together my teachings within you. Keep my words and live. Keep my teachings as you would your own eye. Tie them upon your fingers. Write them upon your heart.

New Living Translation           Another Warning about Immoral Women

Follow my advice, my son;

always treasure my commands.

Obey my commands and live!

Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.[a]

Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.

Write them deep within your heart.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          O son; Keep my words and commandments. Hide them inside yourself! Have deep respect for Jehovah, and He will make you grow stronger. In addition to Him, fear no other! Keep His commands and you'll live [a long] life. Like the pupil of your eye, guard His words...wrap them around all your fingers, and inscribe them in the depths of your heart.

Beck’s American Translation The Prostitute

My son, keep my word, and treasure my instruction. Do as I order you and live; guard my teachings like the pupil of your eyes. Tie them on your fingers, write them on the table of your heart.

International Standard V        On Avoiding the Immoral Woman

My son, guard what I say

and treasure my commands.

Keep my commands and you’ll live.

Guard [The Heb. lacks Guard] my teaching as you do your eyesight.

Strap them to your fingers

and engrave them on the tablet of your heart.

New Advent (Knox)Bible        My son, do not forget these warnings; let this charge of mine be an heirloom, kept jealously, as thou lovest thy own life; precious to thee as the apple of thy eye be the teaching I give thee. Bind it fast about thy fingers, write it, as upon a tablet, on thy heart;...

Translation for Translators     My son, heed my advice,

and guard my instructions as you would [MET] guard a treasure.

Obey my commands,

and as a result you will live a good life.

Consider the things that I teach you to be very precious to you;

guard them, just like you protect your eyes.

Tie my commands around your fingers in order that they will remind you to obey them.

Keep them in your inner being [MET].

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Ancient Roots Translinear      My son, keep my sayings, and smuggle my commandments with you.

Keep my commandments, and live with my Torah as a twinkle in your eye.

Tie them over your fingers, write them over the tablet of your heart.

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                ‘ My son, give regard to my words, Lay up with yourself my commands; Regard my commandments,·-and live, And my rules like the ball of your eye. Let them girdle your fingers around, Inscribe on the book of your heart ;...

Lexham English Bible            Warning Against the Strange Woman

My child, guard my sayings; store my commandments with you.

Keep my commands and live, and my teaching like [the] {apple of your eye}.

Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

NIV – UK                                Warning against the adulterous woman

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.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)  My son, keep my words and remain faithful to my com mands.

Hold fast to my instruction and you will have life; treasure my teachings as the apple of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablets of your heart.

The Heritage Bible                 My son, hedge about my sayings, and hide my commandments with you. Hedge about my commandments, and live, and my law as the little man of your eye. Bind them upon your fingers; write them upon the tablet of your heart.

New American Bible (2011)              The Seduction

My son, keep my words,

and treasure my commands.

Keep my commands and live [Live: here as elsewhere (Gn 20:7; 42:18; 2 Kgs 18:32; Jer 27:12, 17; Ez 18:32), the imperative (“Live!”) is uttered against the danger of death, e.g., “Do such and such and you will live (= survive the danger); why should you die?”],

and my teaching as the apple of your eye;

Bind them on your fingers,

write them on the tablet of your heart [Dt 6:8.]. Verses 1–3 are artistically constructed. “Keep” in v. 1a recurs in v. 2a; “commands” in v. 1b recurs in v. 2a; the imperative verb “live” occurs in the very center of the three lines; v. 3, on preserving the teaching upon one’s very person, matches vv. 1–2, on preserving the teaching internally by memorizing it

New Jerusalem Bible             My child, keep my words, and treasure my precepts,

keep my precepts and you will live, keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.

Bind these to your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Revised English Bible            My son, keep my words; store up my commands in your mind.

Keep my commands if you would live, and treasure my teaching as the apple of your eye.

Wear them like a ring on your finger; inscribe them on the tablet of your memory.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Proverbs 7:2 (a graphic) from The Messianic Aleph Tav Scriptures Paleo-Hebrew Study Bible; from My Daily Bread; accessed October 25, 2015. This is the first time that I have heard of this translation. This translation seems to be very similar to the Hebrew Roots Version (also new to me).

Complete Jewish Bible           My son, keep my words, store up my commands with you. Obey my commands, and live; guard my teaching like the pupil of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

exeGeses companion Bible   My son, guard my sayings

and treasure my misvoth with you:

guard my misvoth and live;

and my torah as the pupil of your eye:

bind them on your fingers;

inscribe them on the table of your heart:...

The Messianic Aleph Tav S.  My son, keep My words and lay up My commandments with you. Keep My commandments and live, and My Torah as the apple of your eye. Bind them upon your fingers; write them upon the tablet of your heart.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           Beni (my son), be shomer over my words, and treasure up my mitzvot with thee.

Be shomer over my mitzvot, and live, and over my torah as the apple of thine eye.

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the luach (tablet) of thine lev.

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                The Wiles of the Prostitute

My son, keep my words

And treasure my commandments within you [so they are readily available to guide you].

Keep my commandments and live,

And keep my teaching and law as the apple of your eye.

Bind them [securely] on your fingers;

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

The Expanded Bible              The Woman of Adultery

My son, ·remember what I say [guard my speech], and ·treasure [store/hide in you] my commands.

·Obey [Guard] my commands, and you will live.

Guard my ·teachings [instructions] ·as you would your own [^Llike the apple of your] eyes.

·Remind yourself of them [^LBind them on your fingers];

write them on your heart as if on a tablet.

Kretzmann’s Commentary    Condemnation of Fornication and Adultery.

On account of the terrible devastation wrought by sins of adultery and by every gratification of sexual desires outside of holy wedlock, affecting not only the sinners themselves, but the entire social body, Solomon continues his warning in this entire chapter in a very concrete and effective manner, the subject being introduced with the usual impressive admonitions to heed and follow true wisdom.

My son, keep my words, observing his sayings, and lay up my commandments with thee, like a precious treasure, to be used with discretion.

Keep my commandments and live, true life following the exercise of true wisdom, and my law as the apple of thine eye, literally, "as the little man of thine eye," emblem of a very precious possession, guarded with the greatest care.

Bind them upon thy fingers, like an ornament or ring, to serve as a constant reminder; write them upon the table of thine heart, for the remembering was to be not only in the mind, but in the heart, in true and eager love.

NET Bible®                             Admonition to Avoid the Wiles of the Adulteress [The chapter begins with the important teaching of the father (1-5), then it focuses on the seduction: first of the victim (6-9), then the temptress (10-12), then the seduction (13-20), and the capitulation (21-23); the chapter concludes with the deadly results of consorting (24-27).]

My child [Heb “my son.”], keep my words

and treasure up my commands in your own keeping [Heb “within you” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, ASV, NRSV “with you.” BDB 860 s.v. צָפַן Qal.1 suggests that “within you” means “in your own keeping.”].

Keep my commands so that you may live,

and obey [The term “obey” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied for the sake of clarity and smoothness. Some English versions, in light of the second line of v. 1, supply “guard” (e.g., NIV, NCV, NLT).] my instruction as your most prized possession [Heb “the little man in your eye.” Traditionally this Hebrew idiom is translated into English as “the apple of your eye” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); a more contemporary rendering would be “as your most prized possession.” The word for “man” has the diminutive ending on it. It refers to the pupil, where the object focused on – a man – is reflected in miniature. The point is that the teaching must be the central focus of the disciple’s vision and attention.].

Bind them on your forearm [Heb “fingers” (so KJV and many other English versions). In light of Deut 6:8, “fingers” appears to be a metonymy for the lower part of the arm.];

write them on the tablet of your heart. When it comes to making an actual material change to the text, the NET Bible® is pretty good about indicating this. Since most of these corrections will be clear in the more literal translations below and within the Hebrew exegesis itself, I will not continue to list every NET Bible® footnote. Language footnotes will be placed in the Hebrew exegesis. Some footnotes will quoted elsewhere in this document.

The Voice                               My son, live according to what I am telling you;

guard my instructions as you would a treasure deep within you.

Stay true to my directives, and they will serve you well;

make my teachings the lens through which you see life.

Bind cords around your fingers to remind you of them;

meditate on them, and you’ll engrave them upon your heart.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard V. – UK       Warning Against the Adulteress

My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

keep my commandments and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

NASB                                     The Wiles of the Harlot

My son, keep my words

And treasure my commandments within you.

Keep my commandments and live,

And my teaching [Or law] as the apple [Lit pupil] of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers;

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

New European Version          Beware of the Adulteress

My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Stuart Wolf                             My son, guard/keep my words, and my commandments, store up/treasure with you. Guard/keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the pupil of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, cut/write them on the tablet of your heart.

Webster’s Bible Translation  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thy eye.

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.

Young’s Updated LT             My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with you. Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

The gist of this passage:     Listen to and preserve the instruction which is given.

Translation: My son, keep my words... What David is teaching Solomon is of utmost importance. He needs to think about what David is teaching and to carry these precepts with him everywhere.

Here, Solomon is told to keep David’s words. He is to keep them, guard them, preserve them, and protect them. That means he needs to remember all the David says and he needs to keep these words uncontaminated by human viewpoint thinking.

Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (ESV; capitalized)

The words of the father stand in contrast to the words of the adulteress looking to seduce the young man in Prov. 7:5, 13–20. The young men who are being taught will each one day (or on many occasions) choose between the words of their father here, or the words of the wanton woman. This fits in rather nicely with the parallel between this woman and cosmic thinking. You choose to listen to Bible doctrine or you choose to listen to that which is false.

Translation: ...and treasure up with you my commandments. Solomon is to place David’s teaching into storage; he is to treasure it up. The idea is, to place these commandments in a safe place; as you would the money that you earn.

Operation Z

Learning and preserving the teaching of one’s parents involved two things: (1) physically recording these teachings and preserving them (that is, in the Book of Proverbs); and (2) learning this information and storing it in your soul.

R. B. Thieme, Jr. used the illustration of Operation Z. The heart is part of the essence of the soul; it is the thinking, reasoning part. It is designed to dominate the soul. Therefore, it must be the target for doctrinal teaching, 1Kings 3:9,12 Psalm 119:11 19:14. Bible doctrine begins in the soul of the pastor teacher; he teaches Bible doctrine, the believer hears what is taught. However, this is not enough. The believer much transfer this teaching by faith into his soul. He believes what he hears and the Holy Spirit stores this information in the human spirit. (See the Doctrine of Operation Z.)

Graphic of Operation Z, taken from Bible Doctrine Resources, but it is not original with them. R. B. Thieme, Jr. developed this concept and did the first graphics for it. This particular graphic may have come from Jim Oliver. See Country Bible Church for a similar graphic. All of these are accessed September 29, 2014.

There is another illustration of R. B. Thieme, Jr. which I have appended, called the edification complex. We look at the soul and the human spirit as an empty building. Every believer has a soul and a human spirit (unbelievers do not possess a human spirit). Some of us have had the experience of moving into a new apartment, a new office building, a new house, but there is no furniture there. It is unlivable. There is no place to eat your meals; there is no place to cook your meals; you lack soap, towels, etc. There is no couch and tv; there is no bed to sleep on. Lacking furniture and possession is like having a soul and human spirit bereft of Bible doctrine. As you fill your home with furnishings, you can enjoy living there; and as you fill up your soul with Bible doctrine, placed there by means of operation Z, you learn to be at peace in your soul. Jesus Christ is also at home in your body.

Recall from the previous chapter that a father often sets the limits for his children. He tells them what they cannot do. He gives them prohibitions and then he enforces these prohibitions.

John Piper: I believe that the Bible teaches us to memorize scripture the way an ant gathers food in summer: because it is so valuable and will be needed in the winter months. “[The ant] prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:8). Memorizing scripture is not a discipline for its own sake. It is because the scriptures are a treasure and will be needed before the day is done to help you escape a sinful attitude and live a life that glorifies God.

Translation: Keep my commandments and live;... There are two imperatives here, but the second imperative appears more to be a consequence of keeping the first imperative. Solomon is to keep (obey, follow, guard) the commandments (prohibitions, limitations) that David teaches him. As a result, Solomon will live a full and happy life.

When David tells his son Solomon live; this does not mean that Solomon was physically or even spiritually dead, and David is yelling at him. It is a command which is fulfilled by keeping David’s commandments.

The prohibitions of a father are not designed to limit the life of his son, but to improve and guide him through this world. “Don’t go swimming in that pond filled with alligators” is not a command intended to keep one from swimming; it is to guarantee that he will be able to swim for many years to come. Obviously, I have used an absurd example; but a correct example would be, focus on your right woman. Marry her, cherish her, and be exclusive to her. This is where you will find your happiness with another human being. David is not preventing Solomon from having fun; David is specifying what the correct limits are in order for Solomon to have the most fun.

We have limits and rules for every institution. In football, there are things the players can and cannot do. If 3 players stepped over the line and beat the hell out of someone that they did not like with brass knuckles, you would be upset, because this is outside of the limits of the game. A very recent example had to do with the amount of air in a football (known as, deflategate); and some people were concerned that some footballs used to play with were a few cubic mm of air short. The person with the ball could better grasp the ball if it were slightly less full. This was a major controversy in 2015. There was a great public concern over cyclists taking performance enhancing drugs when cycling the Tour de France.

Who has not watched a game of basketball or football, seen a foul, and then yelled, “C’mon, ref, didn’t you see that?“ It is in our nature to expect the rules of the game to be followed. Having these agreed-upon limitations sets up reasonable boundaries for both teams to operate in.

The big problem in these incidents was, there were sets of rules and regulations in place and agreed to, and there was concern that someone had gone out of bounds. For people closely associated with these events (or emotionally driven to jump up and down and shout when certain teams are playing football), these were great problems. To be best enjoyed, there needs to be limits and regulations and rules.

I used these as illustrations; not to denigrate anyone accused of functioning outside the bounds of the sports mentioned. When it comes to relationships between men and women, we are designed to spend our lives with one other person. So, David is not trying to keep Solomon from having fun. He is simply telling him what the limits are so that he can best enjoy marriage and a lifetime friendship with one woman.

Solomon preserves this information in the book of Proverbs; but in his own personal life, he went his own way, and was miserable. Even with 1000 wives and mistresses, Solomon was always on the prowl for another new woman (which is what the Song of Solomon is about).

The final verses in this chapter present the alternative to keeping the words of the father/teacher. Prov. 7:24 And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

This is the very spiritual battle which we all face. When it comes to salvation, we either keep the words of Jesus Christ ("For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” — John 3:16–17, ESV; capitalized) or we allow ourselves to be seduced by this world (there is no God; Jesus was only a man, if indeed He did exist).

When it comes to the spiritual life, we either learn from the words of our Father (Bible doctrine) or we allow ourselves to be taken in by the seductive murmurings of cosmic thinking and human viewpoint. By following God, we live and our lives are abundant; by following the teachings of this world, our lives become miserable and seemingly hopeless. For many, this could result in the sin unto death.

Translation: ...and [keep] my teachings before you [lit., as the pupil of your eyes]. This literally reads, and [keep] my sayings as the pupil of your eyes. You do not carry around commandments and put them in front of your eyes; and you cannot place commandments where your pupils are. So, David is not telling Solomon to literally do this; and Solomon, even as a young lad, is not confused about what David is telling him to do. He is to keep David’s teachings in the forefront of his mind; he is to think about them. When he encounters this or that situation, what David has taught him should be right in front of him, guiding him through the dangerous paths of life.

Proverbs 7:2 (a graphic); from Seeds 2 Sow; accessed October 25, 2015.

Everything is to be understood, interpreted and acted upon using the wisdom of divine viewpoint. R. B. Thieme, Jr. coined the phrase, living life in the light of eternity (I’ve seen many books with this name, but all appear to have been written after Thieme used this phrase).

Robert Dean does a short 4 lesson series with this theme.

Translation: Bind them to your fingers... The previous verse suggests that we should not understand this literally. Solomon is not to write down David’s commandments on some parchment, and then use rubber bands to hold them onto his fingers. The fingers represent what we do. We think and plan what we are going to do, and then we use our fingers (or hands) to actually carry out our intentions. Bible doctrine, what David is teaching Solomon throughout the book of Proverbs, is what needs to circulate in Solomon’s thinking, and then be clearly revealed in the things which he did.

There are two false interpretations of this: (1) let these doctrines be like ornamental rings on your fingers, like wedding rings indicating your marriage to God. That is simply too much of a stretch. Nothing is said about rings; and nothing is, therefore, said about wedding rings. (2)  doctrine should be as familiar to us as our fingers and should always be at our fingertips. Again, reading too much into what is being said. Hands carry out what we do; so what we do should be guided by Bible doctrine. The doctrine needs to be in our souls.

Deut. 11:18–21 "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. See also Deut. 6:6–8.

The most common false interpretation of this was that Jews actually made tiny physical boxes and put verses into them, written on parchment, and carried them around. That was not the point.

The Pulpit Commentary: 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. (see Ex. 13:1–10 11–16 Deut. 6:4–9 11:13–21) The box was attached to a leather strap wound seven times round the arm three times round the middle finger, and the remainder passed round the hand.

This would be like us carrying a Bible with us everywhere that we go. The Bible means nothing unless we read it. Even reading it means very little unless the doctrines of the Bible are in our soul. The key is Operation Z, spoken of previously, resulting in an edification complex structure in the soul (which is illustrative).

So, again, what David is teaching, Solomon needs to keep in his brain, and to act with this commandments in mind.

On the other hand, portions of Deut. 11 could be taken literally. Writing various passages on the doorposts, etc. would be a good place to put them, so that everyone in the family is reminded of those words.

Translation: ...and write them on the tablet of your heart. Just like before, this is not to be taken literally. You cannot cut open a heart and inside the heart, there is this notepad to write on. Solomon is to think about what David is teaching him; Solomon is to remember what David is teaching him; Solomon is to classify and organize this information and place it into this thinking.

The word heart in the Old and New Testaments refers to a person’s thinking.

Proverbs 7:2–3 (a graphic); from Pinterest; accessed October 25, 2015.

Writing these things on the tablet of one’s heart is Operation Z, mentioned previously. The end result of writing these things upon one’s heart is the edification complex.

A more relaxed translation of vv. 1–3: My son, guard these words and hide my commandments in your thinking. If you keep my commandments, you will live a good life; therefore, keep my teachings before you at all times. Consider my instruction in all that you do and make them fundamental in all that you think. No matter what the situation; no matter where you are in life, you put Bible doctrine at the forefront of your life, and everything will fall into its proper place. For the unbeliever, these are the Laws of Divine Establishment (HTML) (PDF) (WPD); and for the believer, this is Living the Spiritual Life (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) (of which, the laws of divine establishment are a subset) and The Basic Mechanics of the Christian Life (aka, The Christian Life for Dummies) (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). For this reason, David tells Solomon over and over again, “The key is the doctrine which I am teaching you. Get that into your human spirit.”

Prov. 3:1–4 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. (ESV) Prov. 4:10–13 Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. (ESV)

——————————

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        Say to wisdom, “My sister you,” and a kinsman to understanding, you will call; to keep from a strange woman; from a harlot her words she has flattered.

Latin Vulgate                          Say to wisdom: You are my sister: and call prudence your friend, That she may keep you from the woman that is not yours, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.

Plain English Aramaic Bible   Say to wisdom, " You are my sister", and to understanding, "My expounder of knowledge". For it will keep you from the estranged woman whose words are seductive.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    Say to wisdom, You are my sister; and to understanding, You are my counselor That they may keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger that flatters with her words.

Septuagint (Greek)                Say that wisdom is your sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for yourself; that she may keep you from the strange and wicked woman, if she should assail you with flattering words.

Significant differences:           In the second phrase, you will call appears to be missing from the Aramaic. There appears to be another phrase there instead in the Aramaic.

In the final phrase, the Latin as sweetens her words instead of flattery.

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:

So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.

Easy English                          Wisdom is like your sister.

These lessons are like your closest friend.

Wisdom will protect you from another man’s wife.

Wisdom will save you from the woman who tempts you.

Easy-to-Read Version            Treat wisdom like a sister. Treat understanding like a part of your family [Or, "Make wisdom your lover and understanding your closest relative."]. Then they will protect you from the “other women.” They will protect you from their nice words that can lead you into sin.

Good News Bible (TEV)         Treat wisdom as your sister, and insight as your closest friend. They will keep you away from other men's wives, from women with seductive words.

The Message                         Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.

Treat Insight as your companion.

They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—

that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

Names of God Bible               Say to wisdom, “You are my sister.”

Give the name “my relative” to understanding

in order to guard yourself from an adulterous woman,

from a loose woman with her smooth talk.

NIRV                                      Say to wisdom, “You are my sister.”

Say to understanding, “You are a member of my family.”

They will keep you from a woman who commits adultery.

They will keep you from the smooth talk of a sinful wife.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           Say to wisdom, “You are my sister”;

call understanding “friend,”

so she might guard you against the mysterious woman,

from the foreign woman who flatters you.

Contemporary English V.       Let wisdom be your sister and make common sense your closest friend. They will protect you from the flattering words of someone else's wife.

The Living Bible                     Love wisdom like a sweetheart; make her a beloved member of your family. Let her hold you back from affairs with other women—from listening to their flattery.

New Century Version             Treat wisdom as a sister,

and make understanding your closest friend.

Wisdom and understanding will keep you away from adultery,

away from the unfaithful wife and her pleasing words.

New Living Translation           Love wisdom like a sister;

make insight a beloved member of your family.

Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,

from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          Take wisdom as your own sister, and intelligence as your best friend, so they'll keep you away from strange women, as well as from all that is wicked, so good things will be said about you.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       ...give to wisdom a sister’s welcome, and hail discernment as thy friend.

So wilt thou learn to shun the temptress with her honeyed words, the wife that is no wife of thine.

Today’s NIV                          Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and to insight, "You are my relative." They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

Translation for Translators     Love wisdom like you love your sister.

Understand what is wise,

and let that be as dear to you as members of your family.

If you are wise and if you understand what is wise [PRS], you will not sleep with an immoral woman;

you will not listen to a woman who tries to entice you to sleep with her by what she says.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Ancient Roots Translinear      Say to Wisdom, "My sister!" And call Understanding your kinfolk.

Keep from the common woman and the foreigner with smooth sayings.

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                Say to Wisdom, ‘ My sister are you ’ ; And Discernment address as your friend, Who will guard you from women depraved; From the stranger with slippery tongue.

Lexham English Bible            Say to wisdom, "you are my sister," and you shall call insight, "{intimate friend}." [In order] to guard yourself from {an adulteress}, from the foreigner who {makes her words smooth}.

NIV – UK                                Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’

and to insight, ‘You are my relative.’

They will keep you from the adulterous woman,

from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)  Let wisdom be your sister and knowledge your friend,

so that you will be saved from the adulterous woman, from the stranger with her enticing words.

The Heritage Bible                 Say to wisdom, You are my sister, and call understanding your kinswoman, That they may hedge you about from the adulterous woman, from the smooth sayings of the stranger,...

New American Bible (2011)   Say to Wisdom, “You are my sister!”*

Call Understanding, “Friend!”

That they may keep you from a stranger,

from the foreign woman with her smooth words. Prv 2:16; 6:24.

New Jerusalem Bible             Say to Wisdom, 'You are my sister!' Call Understanding your relation,

to save yourself from the woman that belongs to another, from the stranger, with her seductive words.

New RSV                               Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister’,

and call insight your intimate friend,

that they may keep you from the loose [Heb strange] woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words.

Revised English Bible            Call wisdom your sister, greet understanding as a familiar friend;

then they will save you from the adulteress, from the loose woman with her seductive words.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           Say to wisdom, "You are my sister"; call understanding your kinswoman; so that they can keep you from unknown women, from loose women with their seductive talk.

exeGeses companion Bible   ...say to wisdom, You are my sister;

and call discernment your kin

to guard you from the strange woman

- from the stranger

who smoothes it over with her sayings.

JPS (Tanakh—1985)               Say to Wisdom, “You are my sister,”

And call Understanding a kinswoman.

She will guard you from a forbidden woman;

From an alien woman whose talk is smooth.

Judaica Press Complete T.    Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and you shall call understanding a kinsman; to guard you from a strange woman, from an alien woman who talks smoothly.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           Say unto chochmah, Thou art my achot; and call binah (understanding) thy kinsman;

That they may be shomer over thee and keep thee from the zarah, from the nokhriyah with her smooth words.

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                Say to [skillful and godly] wisdom, “You are my sister,”

And regard understanding and intelligent insight as your intimate friends;

That they may keep you from the immoral woman,

From the foreigner [who does not observe God’s laws and] who flatters with her [smooth] words.

The Expanded Bible              ·Treat wisdom as a sister [^LSay to Wisdom, “You are my sister”; 1:20–33; 8:1—9:6],

and ·make understanding your closest friend [^Lcall Understanding “Friend”].

·Wisdom and understanding [^LShe] will ·keep you away [guard you] from ·adultery [^Lthe strange woman],

away from the ·unfaithful wife [^Lforeign woman] and her ·pleasing [flattering] words.

Kretzmann’s Commentary    Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, with whom he should be united in the bonds of confidential fellowship; and call understanding thy kinswoman, in order to enjoy her counsel always, no mere distant acquaintance being sufficient, but a familiarity of relationship which would be of real value, that they may keep thee from the strange woman, the harlots in Israel being originally foreigners, from the stranger which flattereth with her words, her object being to allure and seduce with smooth speeches. The author now brings an illustration from life in order to substantiate his argument.

NET Bible®                             Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

and call understanding a close relative,

so that they may keep you from the adulterous [Heb “strange” (so KJV, ASV).] woman,

from the loose woman who flatters you [The term “you” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.] with her words [Heb “she makes smooth her words.” This expression means “she flatters with her words.”].

The Voice                               Say to Lady Wisdom, “My sister”;

recognize that understanding is your best friend,

And they will keep you from the arms of another woman—

protect you from the enchantress who entices men into her bed.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Concordant Literal Version    Say to wisdom, You are my sister, And call understanding your near relative,

In order to keep you from the strange woman, From the foreign woman who makes her sayings slick."

Context Group Version          Say to wisdom, You are my sister; And call understanding [ your ] kinswoman:

That they may keep you from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flatters with her words.

Emphasized Bible                  Say unto wisdom, My sister, thou! and, an acquaintance, call thou, understanding: That thou mayest be kept, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who, with her speeches, doth flatter.

English Standard V. – UK       Say to wisdom, “You are my sister”,

and call insight your intimate friend,

to keep you from the forbidden [Hebrew strange] woman,

from the adulteress [Hebrew the foreign woman] with her smooth words.

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           Say unto wisdom: You are my sister, and call understanding your kinswoman: That she may keep you from the strange woman, and from the harlot which gives sweet words.

NASB                                     Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

And call understanding your intimate friend;

That they may keep you from an adulteress [Lit strange woman],

From the foreigner who flatters [Lit is smooth] with her words.

New European Version          Tell wisdom, You are my sister. Call understanding your relative, that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

New King James Version       Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

And call understanding your nearest kin,

That they may keep you from the immoral woman,

From the seductress who flatters with her words.

Stuart Wolf                             Say to Wisdom, “My sister you are”, and “Kinsman” to Understanding call. In order to guard/keep you from a strange woman, from a foreigner, her words she makes smooth.

Webster’s Bible Translation  Say to wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.

Young’s Updated LT             Say to wisdom, “My sister You are .” And cry to understanding, “Kinswoman!” To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made smooth her sayings.

The gist of this passage:     Solomon is to make wisdom a close confidant and this will keep him from the strange and immoral woman.

Translation: Say to wisdom, “You [are] my sister;”... Many verses are not literal, just as this one is not literal. Solomon is not being encouraged to take out his Bible and say, “You are my sister” to it. Solomon is to have a close and personal relationship with wisdom. Solomon is to consider wisdom to be very important to him.

All of these verses need to be studied and considered, so that we do not accidentally take one too literally (which is quite obvious here; but not everywhere).

Translation: ...and call understanding [or, discernment] your near acquaintance;... Understanding should be with Solomon often; it should be as an acquaintance to him; as a constant companion. This is done by having wisdom in your thinking. This would indicate that he is a discerning person.

Proverbs 7:4 (the Message) (a graphic); taken from Pinterest; accessed October 25, 2015.

Keith Simons summarizes vv. 1–4: Previously, Solomon told us to learn to be wise (Proverbs 2:2). Now, he tells us to keep wisdom in our hearts. Previously, Solomon told us to accept wisdom (Proverbs 2:1). Now he tells us that Wisdom is like our sister. (He is comparing wisdom to a woman.) Solomon’s lesson is a very personal lesson. Wisdom must be close to us. Wisdom must become part of us. Wisdom must be part of our lives. Wisdom must guide every decision.

V. 4 reads Call wisdom your sister and understanding your near acquaintance,... Wisdom and understanding need to be in your soul; they need to be a part of your thinking at all times. When you are thinking, saying or doing something, this should always be cross-checked with what you know to be true.

Translation: ...to keep away from the strange woman;... There are two ways that this is meant. Solomon is to avoid the strange woman, the adulteress, the unlawful woman.

Similarly, Solomon is to avoid false doctrine and human viewpoint and cosmic thinking. These things are represented by the strange woman, as opposed to the right woman, which is wisdom (Prov. 8).

Gill: Nothing has a greater tendency than Christ and his Gospel, and an intimate acquaintance with them, and a retention of them, to keep from all sin, from all fleshly lusts, from the sin of uncleanness; and also from all the errors, heresies, idolatry, superstition, and will worship, of the whore of Rome; a stranger to God and true godliness, to Christ and his truths.

James Rickard: Obeying our Father’s teaching and loving His wisdom will protect us from the temptation to indulge in extramarital immorality and inoculate us against the flattery that smoothes the way for our slide into sin.

Rickard continues: This woman (Satan’s Cosmic System) is a “stranger” and a “foreigner” to our betrothal – Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we need God’s Word to be resident within our souls and applied daily so that we do not give over to her temptations. The believer is to love “wisdom” rather than the world, Satan’s Cosmic System.

Translation:...[to keep] away from the harlot [who] flatters with her words. The harlot or foreign woman knows how to flatter a man, and she does in order to stroke his ego and to manipulate him.

Similarly, cosmic thinking strokes our ego, accepts all of our faults with no expectation of changing any of them, and flatters us, whether we deserve it or not. It is the self-esteem movement in our school system over the past 20 or more years.

Ironside: Satan’s most powerful weapon against the young is flattery. Wisdom and understanding can preserve the youth from this snare by teaching him to mistrust flatterers and to judge himself correctly. Then he can discern the lying words of any who would seek to ruin him by means of insincere praise.

Proverbs 7:4–5 (a graphic); taken from Pinterest; accessed October 25, 2015. This passage encourages a close relationship with the truth, with is the thinking of Jesus Christ, the mind of God.