What is the meaning of Proverbs 7:5? That They May Keep You • The “they” points back to the commands, teachings, and wisdom just urged upon the reader (Proverbs 7:1–4). • God presents these words as an active shield: “Keep My commands and live… Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 7:2–3). • When Scripture is treasured this personally, it literally guards the soul, just as Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” • Cross references underline the same promise: Proverbs 6:22 speaks of wisdom that “guards you,” and James 1:22 reminds us to be doers of the word because hearing without doing leaves us exposed. From the Adulteress • The immediate danger Solomon names is sexual immorality personified in a real woman who rejects God’s design for marriage. • Earlier warnings set the stage: Proverbs 5:3–5 describes her lips as “dripping with honey,” yet her path “leads down to death.” Proverbs 6:24 echoes that wisdom “will keep you from the evil woman.” • The instruction is literal—God’s commands physically steer a person away from places, conversations, and habits that open the door to adultery (1 Corinthians 6:18). • Spiritually, the adulteress also represents any lure that pulls affection away from covenant faithfulness to God (Jeremiah 3:6–9). From the Stranger • “Stranger” points to someone outside the covenant community—one who does not share God-given values. • The risk isn’t ethnicity but allegiance; Nehemiah 13:26–27 notes that even Solomon was led into sin by women who served other gods. • Proverbs 2:16 warns of “the stranger who flatters with her words,” pressing the same caution: ungodly influence can slip in through relationships that seem harmless at first glance. • Friendships and romances shape the heart (1 Corinthians 15:33). Scripture calls believers to discernment because misplaced intimacy compromises devotion to the Lord. With Seductive Words • The power of temptation often lies in language. Judges 16:15–17 shows Delilah wearing Samson down “day after day with her words.” • Seductive speech twists reality, promising freedom while hiding consequences (Genesis 3:1–5). • By contrast, God’s words are truth (John 17:17). Filling the mind with His voice equips a believer to recognize empty flattery and shut it down, just as Jesus countered every temptation with “It is written” (Matthew 4:4–10). • Practical safeguards: – Keep conversations transparent—secret dialogue breeds vulnerability. – Weigh compliments against Scripture’s standard of purity (Philippians 4:8). – Let trusted believers speak into your relationships (Proverbs 27:17). summary Proverbs 7:5 shows why God presses us to cherish His commands: they literally guard us—mind, heart, and body—from the ruin of sexual sin. His wisdom diverts our steps away from the adulteress, protects us from ungodly entanglements, and equips us to recognize and resist seductive speech. Storing up His word isn’t merely good advice; it is God’s designed means for keeping His people safe and pure. |
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