Pro 23:27 | KingComments | STEP | Solomon asks his son to give him his heart. By this he means that his son gives full attention to the teaching he gives him. In doing so, the father also points out his own ways, his actions and his walk, thus giving his son an example worth following (cf. ; ; ). He now appeals not to his ears to listen, but to his eyes to look. Let him keep the ways of his father before his eyes. Nor should he just look at them, but look at them with “delight” as something attractive. In , the father has turned insistently to his son, urging him to keep his ways before his eyes, to imitate him in them, and to take delight in them. In comes the reason, which is indicated by the word “for”. His urgent call is related to the sexual dangers that threaten the son. If he gives his heart to his father and keeps the ways of his father in mind, his heart will not go out to “a harlot” or “an adulterous woman”, i.e. a strange woman, and he will not set his eyes on her. The father warns him about two kinds of women. The “harlot” is the prostitute, the woman who offers herself to commit sexual impurity with her. For payment, of course. The “adulterous woman” or “strange woman” is the married woman who wants something different. Today, both types of women also offer themselves through the Internet and commercials. The father calls the harlot “a deep pit” and the adulterous woman “a narrow well”. If the son engages with the one, he will sink deep, and if he engages with the other, he will fall into utter distress. He will not be able to free himself from either the pit or the well. The pit and the well are a vestibule of hell. Only through Divine intervention in grace and power will it be possible to free himself from the pit and the well. emphasizes that the son is dealing with a danger that is not merely latent, but is actually at work. As mentioned, the woman offers herself. For this “she lurks like a robber”. The word “surely” that precedes it gives extra force to his remark. Surely, that is how it is, and not otherwise. In Proverbs 7, the father described in detail the ways of the harlot and the consequences of her depravity (it is good to read that chapter again). Here he repeats that in brief. Every man she persuades to commit harlotry with her “increases the faithless among men”. It means that her victims demonstrate faithlessness to God’s institution of marriage and are also faithless to their own marriage relationship. She also leads people to all kinds of other forms of faithlessness, such as lying, stealing, killing someone, committing suicide.

‏ Proverbs 23:27

Two Ways

Solomon asks his son to give him his heart. By this he means that his son gives full attention to the teaching he gives him. In doing so, the father also points out his own ways, his actions and his walk, thus giving his son an example worth following (cf. 1Cor 4:16 ; 1Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17; 1Thes 1:6). He now appeals not to his ears to listen, but to his eyes to look. Let him keep the ways of his father before his eyes. Nor should he just look at them, but look at them with “delight” as something attractive.

In Pro 23:26, the father has turned insistently to his son, urging him to keep his ways before his eyes, to imitate him in them, and to take delight in them. In Pro 23:27 comes the reason, which is indicated by the word “for”. His urgent call is related to the sexual dangers that threaten the son. If he gives his heart to his father and keeps the ways of his father in mind, his heart will not go out to “a harlot” or “an adulterous woman”, i.e. a strange woman, and he will not set his eyes on her.

The father warns him about two kinds of women. The “harlot” is the prostitute, the woman who offers herself to commit sexual impurity with her. For payment, of course. The “adulterous woman” or “strange woman” is the married woman who wants something different. Today, both types of women also offer themselves through the Internet and commercials.

The father calls the harlot “a deep pit” and the adulterous woman “a narrow well”. If the son engages with the one, he will sink deep, and if he engages with the other, he will fall into utter distress. He will not be able to free himself from either the pit or the well. The pit and the well are a vestibule of hell. Only through Divine intervention in grace and power will it be possible to free himself from the pit and the well.

Pro 23:28 emphasizes that the son is dealing with a danger that is not merely latent, but is actually at work. As mentioned, the woman offers herself. For this “she lurks like a robber”. The word “surely” that precedes it gives extra force to his remark. Surely, that is how it is, and not otherwise. In Proverbs 7, the father described in detail the ways of the harlot and the consequences of her depravity (it is good to read that chapter again). Here he repeats that in brief.

Every man she persuades to commit harlotry with her “increases the faithless among men”. It means that her victims demonstrate faithlessness to God’s institution of marriage and are also faithless to their own marriage relationship. She also leads people to all kinds of other forms of faithlessness, such as lying, stealing, killing someone, committing suicide.