What does Proverbs 7:19 mean?

As part of seducing a foolish young man (Proverbs 7:6–18), the adulteress tries to alleviate fears he might have about entering an illicit affair with her. She assures him that her husband is on a long journey far from home. She is not only willing to betray her husband, but also eager to do so. Her religious observances at the temple (Proverbs 7:14) were meaningless. She willfully scorned God's commandment, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14).

Her rush to commit adultery resembles the action of Potiphar's wife to entice Joseph into an adulterous affair (Genesis 39). However, it seems the adulterous woman of Proverbs 7 was more culpable than Potiphar's wife. Potiphar's wife did not have the law God later gave to Israel. Most people today will never be solicited by a literal prostitute, but the appeal to the lust of the flesh abounds through TV, movies, and the Internet. The apostle John reminds us that the unregenerate world with its lusts is passing away, but whoever does God's will abides forever (1 John 2:16–17). Succumbing to lust may lead to fleeting pleasure, but obeying God leads to eternal reward.