Proverbs 7:10

Pro 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

Ver. 10. And behold there met him a woman.] Fit lettuce for such lips, a fit handle for such a hatchet. Every corner is full of such dust heaps, the land is even darkened with them, as Egypt once was with the locusts. {Exo 10:15}

With the attire of an harlot.] {See Trapp on "Pro 6:25"} The Hebrew word here signifies a set habit or ornament finely fitted to the body: vestitus in quo plicae, saith Lavater, plaited tarments, plaited hair, &c. Let such take heed of the plica poloniea, that dreadful disease.

And subtile of heart.] Or, Trussed up about the breasts, with her upper parts naked. So Levi Ben. Gersom: Erat nudo collo et pectore, corde tenus, &c. She met him with her naked breasts; at this day too commonly used by such as would be held no harlots.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7:10 The woman, seductively dressed, looks good on the outside but inside is full of trouble.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, garment.

Or, hid.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

attire--that of harlots was sometimes peculiar.

subtile--or, "wary," "cunning."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. A woman with the attire of a harlot] It appears that sitting in some open place, and covering the face, or having a veil of a peculiar kind on, was the evidence of a harlot, Ge 38:14; Ge 38:15-19. No doubt, in Solomon's time, they had other distinctions. In all other countries, and in all times, the show of their countenance did testify against them; they declared their sin as Sodom; they hid it not. However, this does not seem to have been a mere prostitute; for she was, according to her own declaration, a married woman, and kept house, Pr 7:19, if her assertions relative to this were not falsehoods, and calculated the better to render him secure, and prevent the suspicion of endangering himself by cohabiting with a common woman; which I am rather inclined to think was the case, for she was subtle of heart.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(10) Subtil of heart.—Feigning love to her husband and devotion to her lovers, yet caring for none, only to satisfy her own passions.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. attire of a harlot] Comp. Gen_38:14; Eze_16:16; Eze_16:25; Bar_6:43.

subtil] Lit. hidden, or kept close, and so, subtil, or wily, because she keeps such strict watch over her heart as not to allow its true motives and feelings to appear.

The LXX. and Vulg. understand it to refer to her action on the hearts or passions of her victims, ἣ ποιεῖ νέων ἐξίπτασθαι καρδίας, præparata ad capiendas animas.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

She is loud and stubborn,.... "Loud"; not that her voice may be heard, and so be found by those that seek her in the dark, as Aben Ezra interprets it; but rather clamorous, noisy, and talkative, when she has got her gallant with her; pouring out foolish and unchaste words to allure and entice him; unless it is to be understood of her bawling and scolding, when within doors, at her husband, in order to get him out, and be rid of him; to whom she is "stubborn" or "rebellious", as the Targum, breaking covenant with him, and disobeying his commands; and departing from him, declining out of the way, as Jarchi; speaking rebellion, as Aben Ezra: all which agree with the whore of Rome, who is rebellious against Christ, whose spouse she professes to be; is perfidious to him, disobedient to his commandments; is gone out of the way of his truths and ordinances, and publishes and encourages everything that is contrary thereunto; as well as has a mouth speaking blasphemies, Rev 13:5;

her feet abide not in her house; to attend the business of it; but site is gadding abroad to seek her lovers, and bring them in; it is the character of good women that they are keepers at home, but it is the sign of a harlot to gad abroad, which is enlarged upon in Pro 7:11.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Attire. Covered with a veil, (Genesis xxxviii. 15.) though different from that of honest women. (Calmet) --- The wanton are commonly the most gaudy; nullarum fere pretiosior cultus est quam quarum pudor vilis est. (St. Cyprian, de Habitu.) --- Prepared, &c. Hebrew, "guarded," (Calmet) or "subtle of heart." (Protestants) "who makes the hearts of youths take flight." (Septuagint) (Canticle of Canticles vi. 4.) (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

With the attire of an harlot; with a habit and carriage agreeable to her quality and design.

Subtle, or wary, or reserved, as she showed in her following discourse; wherein she proposeth all things which might invite him, and conceals whatsoever might discourage him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Attire of a harlot — Such persons usually have some means of making their character known. Their dress or manner shows what they are. שׁית, (shith,) rendered attire, means something put on, some particular article, possibly, which indicated her occupation. Comp. Gen_38:15; Gen_38:19.

Subtile of heart — The idea may be, rather, guarded or reserved of heart; that is, having no affection, though pretending to much. “Wary of mind.” — Stuart. “Hidden in heart.” — Miller. Instead of “attire,” the Geneva has, “behaviour.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And, behold, there met him a woman. His long watch is rewarded; the woman comes forth from her house into the street a proceeding which would at once show what she was, especially in the East, where females are kept secluded, and never appear at night or unattended. With the attire of a harlot. There is no "with" in the original, "woman" and "attire" being in apposition: "There met him a woman, a harlot"s dress"; (shith, Psa_73:6) her attire catches the eye at once, and identifies her. (comp. Gen_38:14) In Rev_17:4 the harlot is "arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls;" and in the present case the female is dressed in some conspicuous garments, very different from the sober clothing of the pure and modest. Subtil of heart (ble trxun); literally, of concealed heart; i.e. she hides her real feelings, feigning, perhaps, affection for a husband, or love for her paramour, while she seeks only to satisfy her evil passions. The versions have used a different reading. Thus the Septuagint: "Who makes the hearts of young men flutter (eziptasyai );" Vulgate, praeparata ad capiendas animas, "ready to catch souls."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Finally, the young man devoid of understanding sees his waiting rewarded: like meets like.

10 And, lo, a woman coming to meet him,

In the attire of an harlot and of subtle heart.

11 Boisterous is she, and ungovernable;

Her feet have no rest in her own house.

12 At one time before her door, at another in the street,

And again at every corner she places herself on the watch.

"Pro 7:12 (Hitzig) expresses what is wont to be, instead of a single event, Pro 7:11, viz., the custom of a street harlot. But she who is spoken of is not such an one; lurking is not applicable to her (cf. Job 31:9), and, Pro 7:11, it is not meant that she is thus inclined." But Hitzig's rendering of Pro 7:11, "she was boisterous ... in her house her feet had no rest," is inaccurate, since neither היאו nor שׁכנוּ is used. Thus in Pro 7:11 and Pro 7:12 the poet gives a characteristic of the woman, introduced by הנּהו into the frame of his picture, which goes beyond that which then presented itself to his eyes. We must with Pro 7:12 reject also Pro 7:11; and even that would not be a radical improvement, since that characteristic lying behind the evident, that which was then evident begins with וּנצרת לב (and subtle in heart). We must thus suppose that the woman was not unknown to the observer here describing her. He describes her first as she then appeared. שׁית Hitzig regards as equivalent to שׁוית, similitude (from שׁוה), and why? Because שׁית does not mean "to lay against," but "to place." But Exo 33:4 shows the contrary, and justifies the meaning attire, which the word also has in Psa 73:6. Meri less suitably compares Kg2 9:30, but rightly explains תקון (dressing, ornament), and remarks that שׁית elliptical is equivalent to בּשׁית. It is not the nominative (Bertheau), but the accusative, as תבנית, Psa 144:12, Ewald, 279d. How Hitzig reaches the translation of ונצרת לב by "and an arrow in her heart" (et saucia corde)

(Note: Virgil's Aeneid, iv. 1.)

one can only understand by reading his commentary. The usage of the language, Pro 4:23, he remarks, among other things, would stamp her as a virtuous person. As if a phrase like נצר לב could be used both sensu bono and sensu malo! One can guard his heart when he protects it carefully against moral danger, or also when he purposely conceals that which is in it. The part. נצוּר signifies, Isa 1:8, besieged (blockaded), Eze 16:12, protected, guarded, and Isa 48:6; Isa 65:4, concealed, hidden. Ewald, 187b, refers these three significations in the two passages in Isaiah and in the passage before us to צרר, Niph. נצר (as נגל); but (1) one would then more surely take צוּר (cf. נמּול, נבכים) as the verbal stem; (2) one reaches the idea of the concealed (the hidden) easier from that of the preserved than from that of the confined. As one says in Lat. homo occultus, tectus, abstrusus, in the sense of κρυψίνους, so it is said of that woman נצרת לב, not so much in the sense of retenta cor, h.e. quae quod in corde haberet non pandebat, Fr. retenue (Cocc.), as in the sense of custodita cor, quae intentionem cordis mentemque suam callide novit premere (Mich.): she is of a hidden mind, of a concealed nature; for she feigns fidelity to her husband and flatters her paramours as her only beloved, while in truth she loves none, and each of them is to her only a means to an end, viz., to the indulgence of her worldly sensual desire. For, as the author further describes here, she is המיּה (fem. of המה = המי, as Pro 1:21; Isa 22:2), tumultuosa, externally as internally impetuous, because full of intermingling lust and deceit (opp. ἡσύχιος, Pe1 3:4; Ti1 2:11), and סררת, self-willed, not minding the law of duty, of discretion, or of modesty (from סרר, Arab. sharr, pervicacem, malum esse). She is the very opposite of the noiseless activity and the gentle modesty of a true house-wife, rude, stubborn, and also vagrant like a beast in its season (Hos 4:14): in domo ipsius residere nequeunt pedes ejus; thus not οἰκουρός or οἰκουργός (Tit 2:5), far removed from the genuine woman - like εἴσω ἥσυχον μένειν δόμων

(Note: Eurip. Herac.) - a radt, as they call such a one in Arab. (Wnsche on Hos 12:1)

or as she is called in Aram. נפקת בּרא.

Pro 7:12

This verse shows how she conducts herself when she wanders abroad. It is no common street-walker who is designated (no "Husterin," Arab. ḳaḥbt, after which also the female demon-name (Arab.) se'alâ is explained), but that licentious married wife, who, no better than such a strumpet when she wanders abroad, hunts after lovers. The alternating פּעם (properly a stroke) Fleischer compares with the Arab. synonyms, marrt, a going over, karrt, a going back, una volta, una fiata, une fois (Orelli, Synon. der Zeit und Ewigkeit, p. 51). Regarding חוּץ, vid., at Pro 5:16 : it is the free space without, before the house-door, or also before the gate of the city; the parallelism speaks here and at Pro 1:20 more in favour of the former signification.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

with a false heart

Here "heart" represents intentions or plans. AT: "she planned to deceive someone" (See: Metaphor)

She was loud and wayward

"She talked loudly and acted in the ways she wished to"

her feet did not stay at home

The phrase "her feet" represent the woman. AT: "she did not stay at home" (See: Synecdoche)

she waited in ambush

Here the woman is spoken of as if she were preparing to physically trap a person or an animal. Also, the idea of trapping someone here represents persuading someone to commit sin. AT: "she waited to trap someone" or "she waited to find someone she could persuade to sin" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

prostitute

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And behold a woman As its apparent meaning. Another explanation: One of the enticers.

the nakedness of a harlot Heb. שית, as in (II Sam. 10:4): “their buttocks (שתותיהם),” i.e., the nakedness of a harlot.

with her heart besieged Heb. ונצרת לב. As a besieged city is surrounded by bulwarks, so is this one’s heart surrounded by lewdness and foolishness.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.