Proverbs 7:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

NIV: So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!

NASB: Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence diligently, and I have found you.

CSB: So I came out to meet you, to search for you, and I’ve found you.

NLT: You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are!

KJV: Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

NKJV: So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you.

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."

Proverbs 7:10–23 describes an adulteress as aggressive and seductive. Though speaking to his son, Solomon's lessons here are meant for all people. This passage is part of Solomon's teaching about the dangers of sin and temptation. The prior passage spoke of a reckless youth (Proverbs 7:6–9), who now suffers the consequences of his own choices. The woman in this story takes advantage of the young man's lust and carelessness. Solomon compares the trap she springs to those used to capture ox, a deer, and a bird.

Repeating a theme common to the early chapters of Proverbs, Solomon once again presents a dire warning about the dangers of adultery. This comes in the form of a story about a foolish young man being seduced by a predatory woman. Solomon says this is something he has seen—meaning this is likely a summary of many such examples he has witnessed in his life. The result of these reckless sins is misery and death, for both men and women alike.

In Proverbs 5 and 6 Solomon warns his son against adultery. He describes the evil woman, the adulteress, as deceptive and dangerous. While this is valid in a literal sense, it also serves as a general warning about the seductive nature of sin. In this chapter he continues his counsel about adultery, stressing the tactics used in temptation and how falling to them leads to death. The following chapter will return to the personification of wisdom as a woman, begging to be honored.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.