Proverbs 7:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.

NIV: Come, let's drink deeply of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love!

NASB: Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning; Let’s delight ourselves with caresses.

CSB: Come, let's drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. Let's feast on each other's love!

NLT: Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses,

KJV: Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

NKJV: Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love.

The promiscuous wife (Proverbs 7:19) of Solomon's lesson about adultery (Proverbs 7:6–12) invites the foolish young man to accompany her, with the promise of a night filled with pleasure. She has already tempted him with seductive clothing (Proverbs 7:10), surprise (Proverbs 7:13), flattery (Proverbs 7:15), and the promise of a prepared boudoir (Proverbs 7:16–17). Using these elements in his tale is one way for Solomon to remind his son (Proverbs 7:1) of the tactics wicked people will use to tempt others to join in their sin. As such, these are dangers which just as easily apply to women as they do to men, and just as easily to other forms of sin as to adultery.

This predatory woman assures her victim the experience will be delightful. The love she promises is not divinely sanctioned love, but shallow lust.

In John 3:16 we read about true love, the highest form of love, in connection with the Father's gift of His Son as our Savior. He "so loved the world, that he gave his only Son." The word for "love" in John 3:16 is derived from agape, meaning self-sacrificing love. The same word appears in Romans 5:8, where we read, "But God shows his love [agape] for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." It appears in Ephesians 5:25, where husbands are commanded to love [agape] their wives. Agape love puts others' interests ahead of one's own interest. It always gives and never takes.

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.