Commentary Upon Proverbs, Chapter 7
THE VII. CHAPTER.
1 My ſonne, obſerue my wordes, and lay vp my preceptes within thee.
2 Keepe my preceptes and thou ſhalt liue, and my doctrine, as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them to thy fingers, write them on the table of thine hart.
4 Say vntounto wiſedome, thou art my ſister, and call prudence thy kinſwoman.
5 That ſhe may preſerue thee from the ſtrange woman, from the adultereſſe who flattereth with her lippes.
THis Chapter, wherein Salomon ſtill intreateth of adulterie, conſiſteth of a Preface contained in theſe verſes, and a parable, which firſt is propoūded, thē applied in the reſt of the Chapter. After what maner we are to receaue the word of God, the wiſe king ſheweth firſt in theſe ſpeeches, My ſonne obſerue my wordes &c. If a man hauehave iewels he will not caſt them in eueryevery place, but he will keepe thē as ſafe as he can, vnderunder locke and key. Such carefulnes would the holy Ghoſt hauehave vsus alſo vſe, in hiding and keeping good inſtructions in our hearts. Keepe my preceptes and thou ſhalt liue, and my doctrine as the apple of thine eye. The inſtruction of the word is the ſame to the ſoule, which the eye is to the body. For as the body without the ſight of the eyes, runneth vpō many things that hurt it, and falleth at eueryevery litle ſtumbling blocke. So the ſoule moſt fearefully ruſheth into ſinnes, if it wāt the light and direction of the word. As therefore we are moſt carefull to keepe our eyes from hurt, ſo ſhould we be as charie and warie, to preſerue the admonitions of the Scripture. When Nahaſh the Ammonit offred to make a conenant of peace with the children of Iſraell vponupon condition that they would pull out their right eyes, albeit they were in great diſtreſſe, yet would they not yeeld thereunto. In like manner then, let vsus not for any thing in the world, part with the good inſtructiōs which once we hauehave receaued, yea let vsus ſooner part from our eyes, thē from them. Let vsus rather (as is added) bind them to our fingers, and write them on the tables of our harts, let vsus hauehave them (I ſay) at our fingers ends, neuer ſuffring thē to vaniſh or to periſh. To this end eueryevery one is admoniſhed in the laſt place, to ſay vntounto wiſedome thou art my ſiſter &c. The louelove betweene brethren ſiſters and kinsfolke is very naturall, and againe their familiaritie verie great. They often feaſt one another as did Iobs children and they liue louingly together as did Marie, Martha and Lazarus. In like ſort then, we are not to be ſtrangers in the word, but we muſt be dayly conuerſant therein, louing it moſt dearely and following it moſt carefully. Thus if thou embraceſt and entertaineſt prudence, then, ſhe will preſerue thee frō the ſtrange woman. The ſumme of theſe words is, that for as much as no man by himſelfe is able inough to take heede of the harlot, and the word of God is an onelyonly ſoueraigne preſeruatiue againſt this euill: therefore it is with all diligence to be kept and regarded.
6 For as I looked through the window of mine houſe out of a caſement,
7 I ſawe among the fooles, I marked among the lads, a witleſſe youth,
8 Who paſſing through the street neare vntounto her corner, wēt the way toward her houſe,
9 In the twilight, at euening ryde, in thē blackneſſe of the night, and the darkneſſe.
Now, the wiſe king beginneth to propounde his parable, deſcribing in theſe verſes the fooliſh and wā ton yong man, which was drawen at laſt to commit folly with the naughtie woman. As I looked through the window of mine houſe. They that wil ſtand in their chā bers or looke out of the windows of their houſes, may heare and ſee many ſuch things done and ſayd, as here are ſpoken of. But Salomon through the window of his mind did view and behold the cuſtomes & behauiour of wantons. I ſaw among the fooles &c. He conſidered and found by obſeruation, that ſome raſh and vngodly youth with whom God is angrie for former ſinnes, falleth through his owne corruption, into the deepe pit of the mouth of the harlot at the laſt. Who paſſing through the ſtreete neare vntounto her corner. Here he wold giuegive vsus to vnderſtand, that the vaine yong man by going the way where the harlot dwelt, was brought at laſt to commit whoredome. In the twilight, at euening tide, in the blackneſſe of the night and the darkeneſſe. He cō ſidered what was done & ſayd, from euening to morning, and all night long, as alſo how the adulterer is wont to ſtray abrode when it is darke.
10 Now behold a woman came foorth to meete him, in whoriſh attire, and ſubtill in hart.
11 She is a babler [and] ſtubburne, her feet abide not within her houſe,
12 Now ſhe is without, now in the ſtreetes, and ſhe lyeth in wayte at eueryevery corner.
The wiſe king hauing deſcribed the wanton youth, proceedeth to paint out the naughtie woman in her colours, Now (ſaith he) behold a woman came foorth to meete him &c. An vnmodeſt ſtrumpet, light in her apparell, and cunning as well to hide her craft as to deceiue, ſpying the wantō youth out of her houſe, tooke this occaſion to tempt him vntounto follie. She is a babler and stubburne, &c. She hath theſe three ill properties: firſt, ſhe is not ſparing of words, but very talkatiue. Secondly, ſhe is not of a meeke ſpirit, but diſobediēt to God and her husband, yea very ſtout. Laſt of all, ſhe is not an houſe-doue, but a gadder to and fro. Now ſhe is without, now in the ſtreets. She hath this propertie alſo, to lye in wayt for the chaſtitie of men in euerie place, as Thamar did when ſhe ſate in the high way, to tempt Iudah vntounto whoredome.
13 Then ſhe taking hold on him, kiſſed him, and hardening her face, ſayd vntounto him,
I hauehave at home ſacrifices of thankeſgiuings, this day hauehave I payed my vowes:
15 For this cauſe I am come foorth to meet thee, whileſt earneſtly I ſeeke thy face, in good time I find thee.
Thoſe ſpeeches of the harlot are here ſet downe, wherein ſhe intreateth him to ſup with her. Then ſhe taking hold on him kiſſed him. The whoriſh woman ſaluteth the young man in a moſt bold and wanton manner, not with an holy but with a filthie kiſſe. As Potiphars wife laid hold on Ioſeph to ſtay him, ſo ſhe layeth hold on the yong mā, to draw him toward her houſe. I hauehave at home ſacrifices of thankeſgiuing. Sith I hauehave very good fare at home (ſaith ſhe) I pray thee come and ſup with me. God commanded in his law, that when any offred peace offrings for their proſperitie, part of thoſe ſacrifices ſhould be burnt, part giuen to the Prieſt, part reſerued to be eaten by thē who brought the ſame. Of this part then ſhe ſpeaketh in this place. For this cauſe I am come foorth to meete thee, &c. Here is great good will pretended, but this louelove was not true louelove in deed, becauſe none can louelove his neighbour aright, but he which loueth God as he ought. The ſenſe of theſe words is as if ſhe ſhould hauehave ſayd, Becauſe I beare thee moſt entire good will, I hauehave not ſent a meſſenger for thee but come my ſelfe, & what good lucke is this that I meete with thee?
16 I hauehave decked my bedſted with couerlits, with ſundry picture workes, with curtaines of Egypt.
17 I hauehave perfumed my bed, with mirrhe, aloes, and cynamome.
The harlot in theſe words intreateth the yong man hauing now ſupped with her, to ſtay and lodge in her houſe all night. The reaſon which ſhe bringeth to this intent, is taken from the ornaments and furniture of her bedding: I hauehave princely lodging for thee (ſaith ſhe) therefore I pray thee refuſe not to ſtay with me all night.
Come thy way let vsus take our fill of louelove vntill the morning, let vsus delite our ſelues with amorous ioyes.
19 For mine huſband is not at home, he is gone a farre iourney,
20 He tooke in his hand a bag of money, at the day appointed he will returne home.
The naughtie woman in theſe verſes entiſeth the young man, vntounto the verie act of adulterie. To this ende ſhe bringeth two reaſons, whereof the one is pleaſure, (a ſubtill bayte to take the young manby,) the other is ſecuritie, telling him that her husband is gone a farre iourney, which long abſence of her huſband, is confirmed by two fignes thereof, the great bag of money which he tooke with him, and the ſet day, wherein he appointed to returne.
21 She drew him by *or The ſtore of her craft.her great craft, by the flatterie of her lips ſhe prold him on.
22 He followeth her forthwith: as an oxe goeth to the ſlaughter, Ce gneces el muſar, euil, I turn theſe words as Druſius doth, who thus rēdreth them in Latin Sicut ſtultus ad caſtigationem compedis. Pro. claſſ. 1. lib. 4.and as a foole to the correction of the fetters,
23 Vntill a ſharpe pointed weapon cleaueth his liuer: like as a bird haſteneth to the ſnare, not knowing that it is ſet for her life.
The force or iſſue of the ſtraunge womans oratiō, is declared in theſe verſes. Firſt of all, herein ſhe is reſembled to a ſchoole-miſtreſſe, which leadeth and draweth her nouices and ſcholers, to follow her and do what ſhe preſcribeth or perſwadeth. Secondly, he (the young man I meane) is reſembled, firſt, to an oxe which followeth rhe drouer to the ſhambles, where he is knockt on the head. For indeed in like maner the wanton youth followeth the harlot to her houſe, where the good man comming in at vnawares reuengeth him. In the next place, the young man is compared to a fooliſh malefactor, led to the priſon, there to be kept in chaines vntill the day of execution, at which time the executioner thruſteth him through with ſome ſharpe pointed ſword,That the executioners in thoſe times vſed with the ſword to thruſt through or kill malefactors, may appeare 1. Kings 2.25. & other places of Scripture. to the end that his heart or liuer being cleft or cut in ſunder, his life may quite be taken away. For after this maner it fareth with the witleſſe youth, who either by the harlots husband or the publike magiſtrate, is at laſt takē and put to death. Laſt of all, the young man is likened to a bird, which flying greedily toward the lure, is caught in the ſnare to her deſtruction. For he committing folly with the naughtie woman, is by one meanes or other plagued and reuenged.
24 Now therefore (ô ſonnes) liſten vntounto me, and hearken to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy ſoule go aſtray toward her wayes, wander not aſide toward her paths,
26 For ſhe hath wounded and ſtrucke downe many, and mightie men of all ſorts hauehave bene ſlaine by her.
27 The wayes to her houſe [are the wayes] to the graue, going dovvne to the ſecret vautes of death.
In this concluſion of the chapter, Salomon cometh to apply the former parable. Firſt, he ſheweth the remedies of adulterie, one whereof is the hearing of the word, another, the flying of the place where the harlot keepeth. Secondly, he declareth the ruines which the adultereſſe hath wrought in the world, whereof one is, that ſhe hath ſlaine innumerable people, as may appeare in the deſtruction of the old world: the plaguing of the Iſraelites for their wantonneſſe, and the warres betweene the Grecians and Troians: another is, that the mightie potentates of the world hauehave alſo by her meanes bene brought to miſerie or death, as Sampſon, Dauid, this our Salomon with infinite other.