Proverbs 7:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey;

NIV: My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

NASB: For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey.

CSB: My husband isn't home; he went on a long journey.

NLT: for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip.

KJV: For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

NKJV: For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey;

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.

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.