Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Verſ. 1. MY ſon, keep my words, and lay up my commandements with thee.] See the Notes chap. 2.1, and 3.1, 2. and Pſal. 119.11.
Verſ. 2. Keep my commandements, and live; and my law, as the apple of thine eye.] That is, with all poſſible diligence, as eſteeming it of all things moſt dear to thee, & moſt neceſſary for thee, and as charily avoiding the leaſt ſin forbidden by the law, as men are watchfull to keep the leaſt mote out of their eyes.
Verſ. 3. Bind them upon thy fingers, &c.] That is, think continually of them, let them be alwaies in your eye and mind, as are thoſe things which men uſe to wear as memorials upon their fingers, ſee the Note Exod. 13.9. that you may by continuall meditation on them be ſo expert in them, that you may have them upon all occaſions, as we uſe to ſay at your fingers ends. And if that were truly ſo which ſome ſay, that in thoſe daies they uſed to have the names or pictures of thoſe they loved moſt dearly engraven upon their rings, (whereto there may ſeem to be an alluſion in that Jer. 22.24. As I live, ſaith the Lord, though Coniah, the ſon of Iehoiakim king of Iudah, were the ſignet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence) Solomon might alſo with reſpect hereto uſe this expreſſion: for wch, and for the following clauſe, write them upon the table of thine heart, ſee the Note ch. 3.3.
Verſ. 4. Say unto wiſdome, Thou art my ſiſter; and call underſtanding thy kinſwoman.] That is, Love her as thy ſiſter, & be familiarly acquainted with her as with thy kinſwoman. It may ſeem all one in effect as if he had ſaid, Since young men will have their Loves, their Ladies & Miſtreſſes, let me commend a Love to thee, my ſon, & that is wiſdome: There is none more honourable, rich, affable, beautifull & lovely then ſhe is; and therefore in ſtead of thoſe wantons that fooliſh youngſters hunt after to their own ruine, do thou ſet thy heart upon wiſdome, and ſo thy love ſhall be a pure and chaſt love, ſuch as may be between a brother and ſiſter, Say unto wiſdome, Thou art my ſiſter, &c. Some Expoſitours conceive that in reference to this place Chriſt uſed thoſe words, Matth. 12.50. Whoſoever shall doe the will of my father which is in heaven, the ſame is my brother, and ſiſter, and mother.
Verſ. 6. For at the window of my houſe I looked through my caſement.] To wit, that I might the more clearly ſee what was done in the ſtreets. Whether this were really done by Solomon, as is here related, or whether he only propounds it in the way of a parable, is not evident from any thing in the Text, neither is it indeed much materiall.
Verſ. 9. In the twilight in the evening, in the black and dark night,] That is, when it began to be black and dark: the uſuall time when ſuch youngſters are wont to frequent ſuch lewd places, becauſe then they hope that they ſhall not be ſeen.
Verſ. 10. And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot.] Some Expoſitours underſtand this of ſuch an attire as was peculiar & proper to harlots, and whereby they were diſtinguiſhed & known from other women. But though this were uſuall amongſt other nations, ſee the Note Gen. 38.15. yet I conceive it was not ſo amongſt the Iſraelites, where none were allowed to be open profeſſed whores. And therefore the meaning of the words I take to be only this, that the woman that met him was dreſſed in a wanton whoriſh attire, as haply with criſped hair & naked breaſts, an attire fit to entice men to uncleanneſſe, and which none therefore but harlots would wear.
Verſ. 11. (She is loud and ſtubborn, her feet abide not in her houſe.] By her loudneſſe may be meant in generall, that ſhe is ordinarily bold & free in talking, and that her tongue will be heard above all whereever ſhe comes: but yet I conceive it is principally meant of her brawling with her husband; agreeable whereto is that which is next added, She is loud and ſtubborn, that is, froward and rebellious againſt God & her husband: and that this is the rather expreſſed, to ſhew, that when wives are once diſquiet with their own husbands, and deſpiſe them, and rebell againſt them, there is no little danger of their being unfaithfull to them, and becoming unclean with other men.
Verſ. 12. Now she is without, now in the ſtreets.] By being without may be meant either her being any way from home, as in the fields, or in any other mens houſes, or in taverns and other drinking-houſes, &c. or elſe, her ſtanding or ſitting without at her door: as if he had ſaid, One while ſhe is ſitting without at her door, another while ſhe is gadding up & down in the ſtreets, &c.
Verſ. 14. I have peace-offerings with me; this day I have paid my vows.] See the Note Levit. 7.15. Some conceive that the harlot doth here tell the young man of her peace-offerings & her vows (which was an extraordinary act of piety, a voluntary gift not enjoyned, & therefore uſually offered only by thoſe that were devout above others) thereby to pretend piety & devotion: & that either 1. becauſe this might draw him on to the ſin wherein ſhe deſired to inveigle him, by hinting to him, that as long as they were mindfull to make their peace with God, by performing the duties of his worſhip & ſervice, though they did a little tranſgreſſe in their mutuall ſolacing of themſelves one with another, there would be in that no fear or danger; or 2. becauſe ſhe knew that men are more eaſily drawn to commit wickedneſſe with one that hath the reputation of an honeſt woman, then with ſuch as are open profeſſed ſtrumpets. But I ſhould rather think that the only, at leaſt the main thing intended in her ſpeaking of this to him, was to let him know, that ſhe had good chear ready prepared for his entertainment. For the greateſt part of the fleſh of their peace-offerings belonged to the ſacrificers, and therewith they uſed to feaſt their families and friends. See the Note 1 Sam. 1.4.
Verſ. 15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, &c.] That is, Being thus provided with good chear, I deſired to enjoy thy company, & that thou ſhouldeſt have thy ſhare in it, and therefore not contenting my ſelf to ſend a meſſenger for thee, I came out my ſelf to ſeek thee, diligently to ſeek thy face; that is, to look thee out, and earneſtly to beg this favour, that thou wouldeſt be my gueſt this day. And to this ſome adde too, that in this expreſſion ſhe ſought alſo to imply how much ſhe was taken with his beauty, and delighted to look upon him. As for the laſt clauſe, and I have found thee, that is ſpoken with a kind of raviſhing joy, as if ſhe bleſſed the day and hour wherein ſhe had ſo happily met with him; yea as if ſhe would intimate, that upon her ſacrifices & the payment of her vows, God had anſwered her deſires in bringing him to her: it is as if ſhe had ſaid, I came forth to meet thee, and lo preſently I have found thee, even according to mine own hearts wiſh and deſire.
Verſ. 19. For the good man is not at home.] She ſaith not, My husband is not at home, but, the good man is not at home, in a kind of contempt & ſcorn; and it may be, as fearing leſt the very naming of her husband ſhould awaken the young mans conſcience, and ſtagger him as concerning that wickedneſſe ſhe was drawing him to.
Verſ. 20. He hath taken a bag of money with him, &c.] To wit, ſay ſome Expoſitours, as having many great buſineſſes to diſpatch, and many rich merchandiſes to buy; or rather, becauſe he is therewith to defray the charges of a long journey: and will come home at the day appointed; as if ſhe had ſaid, He hath appointed me the day when I may expect him, which is many daies hence, and till then to be ſure he will not come.
Verſ. 21. With much fair ſpeech she cauſed him to yield, &c.] To ſhew how perillous the flattering language of a harlot is, the Spirit of God doth here aſcribe her prevailing over the young man rather to this, then to her embraces and kiſſes.
Verſ. 22. He goeth after her ſtraightway, as an oxe goeth to the ſlaughter, &c.] To wit, no otherwiſe then as if they were driving him to ſome fat paſture: or as a fool to the correction of the ſtocks; who goeth jeaſting and laughing, not conſidering the puniſhment he is like to undergoe. But in this laſt compariſon there may be ſomething more implyed, to wit, that the adulterer can no more rid himſelf out of the harlots ſnares, then ſuch a fool can get out of the ſtocks when he is ſhut up therein.
Verſ. 23. Till a dart ſtrike through his liver, &c.] This may be referred both to that which went before, & to that which followeth after: but I rather referre it to that which went before. He goeth after her ſtraightway, as an ox, &c. Till a dart ſtrike through his liver; that is, till his ſoul be mortally wounded with the ſin of adultery; or rather, till he be ſuddenly by ſome means cut off by the juſt vengeance of God; ſee the Note chap. 2.18. Becauſe the wounding of the liver muſt needs be deadly, therefore is his deſtruction ſet forth by the ſtriking through of his liver: yet haply this expreſſion may alſo the rather be uſed, becauſe luſt doth putrify the bloud & corrupt the liver. As for the following clauſe, as the bird haſteth to the ſnare, that hath clear reference to that in the foregoing verſe, He goeth after her ſtraightway. And then for the laſt words, and knoweth not that it is for his life, I conceive they are clearly meant of the birds haſting to the ſnare immediately before mentioned; though I know ſome underſtand it of the young man, that knoweth not that the enticements of the harlot tend to the bereaving him of his life.