Proverbs 7:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice,

NIV: At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice.

NASB: For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice,

CSB: At the window of my house I looked through my lattice.

NLT: While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain,

KJV: For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

NKJV: For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice,

Part of Solomon's teaching for his sons (Proverbs 7:1–5) is a reminder that he speaks from experience. The lessons he passes along come from things he has seen, heard, and done. Symbolizing that personal view, Solomon says he "looked out his window" and saw certain things. As Israel's king and magistrate, he was responsible for ruling well and deciding court cases. He was observant as well as wise. He observed life even from his window.

Believers gain wisdom not only from studying God's Word but also from observing the world. Although we should not be busybodies who spy on our neighbors (1 Timothy 5:13), neither should we refuse to face what is happening in the world (John 17:15–20; 1 Corinthians 5:9–11).

In His prayer to the Father in John chapter 17, Jesus did not pray that the Father would take us out of the world, but that the Father would keep us from the Devil (John 17:15). He told his Father: "As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18). He has commissioned us as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) to the lost people of the world. Just as an ambassador needs to understand the culture of the people to whom his government has sent him, so we need to know the culture and thinking of the evil world system (Colossians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 9:19–23).

Proverbs 7:1–9 echoes the warnings given in Proverbs chapters 5 and 6. This section emphasizes the value of carefully heeding Solomon's instruction. Such attention to Solomon's teaching equips Solomon's son to avoid falling victim to an adulteress. While the statements here are specifically directed to a man, the principles apply to men and women, alike. The principles can also be more broadly applied to temptation to sin in general, not just temptation to adultery. Godly wisdom is the best defense against falling into temptation.

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.