BibleProject | The Wisdom of ProverbsSample

Chapter 7: A Father’s Plea

10th Speech from Father to Son

This is the tenth and final speech the father delivers to his son, and it’s the most passionate of them all. The father is on his hands and knees begging his son to live by wisdom (and escape the snare of the adulteress) no matter the effort needed. Look at the action words used in verses 1-5. All of these require extreme energy and devotion - “keep,” “treasure,” “keep,” “keep,” “bind,” “write,” “say,” “call."

We don’t typically find narratives in the Book of Proverbs, but in verses 6-20 the father uses a story to drive home his point. He tells his son a dark tale of a simple-minded youth who gets sucked into the clutches of the adulteress. The woman’s speech (verses 14-20) drips with allurement as she shows her “brazen face.” She makes promises of a “perfumed bed” and “colored linens.” The youngster lets the adulteress inflate his ego, he lets his guard down, and in verse 22 he gives in to her seduction. The father likens him to an ox, a stag, and a bird, as these are three animals subject to complete domination.

This intense narrative stops abruptly at verse 23, as the father turns to all his sons and makes this final plea (24-27): “Listen. To. My. Words,” he says, “Avoid that woman!” The house of the adulteress is a tomb in disguise, or as he puts it, it is “a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.”

This story is intended to speak to more than just our intellect; it also calls upon our imagination and echoes in our heart. The father seeks to make a lasting impact. Pay attention to its overall effect on you.