What does Proverbs 7:15 mean?

Using aggression (Proverbs 7:13) and seductive dress (Proverbs 7:10), a predatory woman is seducing a reckless young man (Proverbs 7:7). This is part of a lesson Solomon is teaching about the dangers of adultery. The combination of alluring clothes and flattery—as seen in this verse—will soon continue with outright invitations to illicit sex (Proverbs 7:16–19).

Such words are temptations not only for the body, but also for the young man's pride: to think such a pretty woman would desire him enough to search for him. As do many seducers—of both sexes—this woman's plan is to use surprise, temptation and flattery to trap a victim. Soon, his pride will cause him to plummet to the depths of ruin (Proverbs 7:22–23).

Flattery is a powerful tool in the Devil's arsenal. Although the Bible tells us, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it" (Proverbs 3:27), heaping undeserved praise on someone can easily give him a false sense of pride and self-confidence. In Romans 12:3, the apostle Paul warns, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment." Proverbs 16:18 predicts, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."