John Gill

that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.

“That thou mayest regard discretion,.... Observe it; retain it in thine heart, as Aben Ezra adds, and use it; think, speak, and act discreetly, and so avoid the bad woman afterwards described: the Vulgate Latin version is, "that thou mayest keep the thoughts"; and so…”

Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,

“For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb,.... "Mulsa dicta", "honey words", as is Plautus's (e) expression.”

Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.

“Her feet go down to death,.... The ways in which she walks, and in which she leads others, issue oftentimes in corporeal death; and always in eternal death, if grace prevent not; and unless men are brought to a sense of sin, to repent of…”

lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich the house of a foreigner.

“Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth,.... The adulteress, her husband, children, friends, bawds, and such like persons she is concerned with; these share the wealth of the adulterer, abound with it, and live profusely on it, until he is stripped quite bare and destitute…”

At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent,

“And thou mourn at the last,.... Or roar as a lion, as the word (s) signifies; see Pro 19:12; expressing great distress of mind, horror of conscience, and vehement lamentations; and yet not having and exercising true repentance, but declaring a worldly sorrow, which worketh…”

A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

“Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe,.... That is, the wife of youth; let her always appear to thee as amiable and lovely as these creatures are; or let her be loved by thee as these are by princes and great men…”

if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

“Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,.... Got into a snare out of which an escape is not easy; art no longer free, and thine own man, but under obligation to pay the debt if required; by the verbal agreement made and confirmed…”

Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

“Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Until the above things are done; which denotes of what consequence and importance they are; and that persons in such circumstances should not be careless, dilatory, and unconcerned; but should use great diligence, and…”

How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?.... Or "lie" (q) in bed, indulging in sloth and ease; while the industrious ant is busy in getting in its provisions, even by moonlight, as naturalists (r) observe; when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?”

Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.

“Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly,.... Unthought of and unexpected: he that deviseth mischief to others secretly shall have no warning of his own ruin, nor time and means of preventing it; the destruction of antichrist will be sudden, and of all wicked men at…”

a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

“A false witness that speaketh lies,.... Or, "that speaketh lies, even a false witness" (f); and so this is distinguished from a lying tongue, the second of these evils: this is the sin of bearing false witness against one's neighbour, a breach of the eighth…”

Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.

“But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold,.... According to the law in Exo 22:1; in case of theft double was to be restored, if the theft was found alive in his hand; and in some cases fourfold and fivefold.”

He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.

“He will not regard any ransom,.... So that his case is much worse than, a thief's; if he is taken, he makes restitution according to law, and he is freed, and no more is said and done to him; and, at most, it is but…”

“I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.

“I have peace offerings with me,.... Meaning at her house. These peace offerings were of the eucharistic kind; they were offered by way of thanksgiving for favours received; the greatest part of which, all excepting the fat on the kidneys, the rump of the sheep…”

I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.

“I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry,.... Made use of by the ancients (o) for bed clothes: beautiful ornaments, as Gersom; and precious garments, as Jarchi.”

For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

“For the good man is not at home,.... Or, "for the man is not in his house" (y). She does not say, "my man", or "my husband"; though the Septuagint.”

until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

“Till a dart strike through his liver,.... The fountain of blood, and so of life; which, being pierced through and poured out, is certain death, Lam 2:11; the meaning is, till he is slain either by the hand of God, or by the civil magistrate…”

Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.

“Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom,.... The words and sentiments in this and the following clause are the same with those in Job 12:13; and scent to be taken from thence, which are spoken of God; and being here applied to Wisdom, show that a…”

By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws;

“By me kings reign,.... Christ is the Prince of the kings of the earth, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; they are made kings by him, and are under him; he sets them up, and deposes them at pleasure; they have their kingdoms…”

By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.

“By me princes rule,.... All governors of provinces and cities, who are under the king as supreme; the discharge of whose office in a right manner requires much wisdom, prudence, justice, and integrity; all which they have from Christ, as well as their power of…”

My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver.

“My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold,.... This is said in allusion to the fruit that grows on trees, Wisdom, or Christ, being a tree of life; see Gill on Pro 3:18; and so he is compared to other trees, Son 2:”

From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began.

“I was set up from everlasting,.... I, a person, and not a quality; a person, and not a nature; the person of Christ as the Son of God, and not the human nature of Christ, which then did not exist; this phrase designs the ordination…”

When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water.

“When there were no depths, I was brought forth,.... Not only in the decree of God, as the head of the elect; foreordained to be the Redeemer of them, and to be the propitiation for their sins; and appointed the Judge of the world, and…”

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.

“Blessed is the man that heareth me,.... Christ in his Gospel, as speaking by his ministers; for hearing them is hearing him, Luk 10:16; they have their commission from him; are his ambassadors, and represent him; receive their gifts from him; speak according to his…”

But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

“But he that sinneth against me,.... Or misses the mark, as the word (b) signifies; and which is observed by Aben Ezra; see Jdg 20:”