Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 7:21
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
Fair speech – The Hebrew word is usually translated doctrine, or learning Pro 1:5; Pro 4:2; Pro 9:9; possibly it is used here in keen irony.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 7:21
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield.
Good and bad speech
There is a force in words which it is often almost impossible to resist. Good words have a wonderful virtue in them to work upon the mind, and a great part of the good which we are called to do in the world is to be accomplished by means of that little member, the tongue. But corrupt minds are often found to have greater intelligence in persuading men to sin because human nature is depraved, and needs only a temptation to draw men to the practice of the worst of evils. No words have greater force in them to persuade men to sin than the flatteries of the strange woman, and therefore the apostle Paul, who directs us to strive against sin, calls loudly to us to flee youthful lusts. Such lusts can scarcely be conquered but by flight, because the temptations to them, when they meet with a simple mind and an impure heart, are like sparks of fire lighting upon stubble fully dry. The force that is in the tongue of the strange woman will not excuse the deluded youth; for his yielding to her is to be attributed to the depravity of his own heart, which inclines him to prefer the advice of a bad woman to the counsels of the Supreme and Eternal Wisdom. (G. Lawson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 21. With her much fair speech] With her blandishments and lascivious talk, she overcame all his scruples, and constrained him to yield.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
With her much fair speech; which implies that her alluring words were more effectual with him than her impudent kisses, which possibly had a little alienated his mind from her.
She caused him to yield; whereby he signifies that no provocation to sin is a sufficient excuse for sin.
She forced him; she prevailed over him; which argues that there was some reluctancy in his judgment or conscience against it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. caused . . . yieldor,”inclines.”
flattering(Compare Pr5:3).
forced himbypersuasion overcoming his scruples.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield,…. Or, “to decline” from the right way: or, “inclined him” d; his ear to listen to her, and his heart to go after her and along with her. This she did, by using a great many words, by her prolixity, and by some taking and striking expressions; lewd women are generally very talkative e. It may be rendered, “by her much doctrine” f, as the word is in Pr 4:2; so Jezebel calls herself a prophetess, and sets up for a teacher of men; and, by her false doctrine, deceives some that are called the servants of Christ to commit fornication, and eat things sacrificed to idols, Re 2:20;
with the flattering of her lips she forced him; to go along with her, not against his will, but with it: though at first there was some reluctance, conscience rose up and opposed; but her words, which were smoother than oil, found a way into his heart, and prevailed upon him to yield to her entreaties; he could no longer withstand her attacks, but surrendered to her; her charming voice, and flattering lips, had more effect upon him than her kisses; notwithstanding these he was reluctant, but could stand it out no longer against her alluring words and soothing language. With this compare the deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish through antichrist, 2Th 2:10.
d “declinare facit eum”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus; “flexit”, Tigurine version, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Michaelin “inclinavit illum”, Cocceius. e “Verbosa gaudet Venus Ioquela”, Catullus ad Camer. Ep. 53. v. 20. f “multitudine discipline suae”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “doctrinae suae”, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The result: –
21 She beguiled him by the fulness of her talking,
By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
Here is a climax. First she brought him to yield, overcoming the resistance of his mind to the last point (cf. 1Ki 11:3); then drove him, or, as we say, hurried him wholly away, viz., from the right path or conduct (cf. Deu 13:6, Deu 13:11). With (= ) as the chief factum, the past imperf. is interchanged, 21b. Regarding , see above, p. 56. Here is the rhetoric of sin (Zckler); and perhaps the of 20a has suggested this antiphrastic to the author (Hitzig), as (the inverted , formed like , which is the abstr. of as that is of ) and are reciprocally conditioned, for the idea of the slippery (Psa 73:18) connects itself with .
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
The Unprepared Is Overcome
(Pro 7:21-23)
Verse 21 declares the young man’s surrender. After some indecision, he yields to her much fair speech. Evidently he had misgivings that required more than a nod or wink to overcome, but he was not sufficiently prepared to withstand the seductress – a need often addressed in Proverbs.
Verse 22 declares that the decision to yield was sudden or all at once (see margin). The young man yields unaware of the grave consequences of his sin of adultery, Vs. 23; Pro 6:32-33; Pro 2:18; Pro 5:5; Pro 9:18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
21. Much fair speech Literally, her much taking; a word sometimes rendered learning, as in Pro 1:5; Pro 4:2; Pro 9:9. Miller quaintly says, “Her taking ways. ”
Caused him to yield The idea is, that she played the orator with him, effectually arousing his passions and leading him captive.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 7:21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
Ver. 21. With much fair speech. ] Fair words make fools fain. This Circe so enchanted the younker a with her fine language, that now she may do what she will with him, for he is wholly at her devotion.
a A young nobleman or gentleman, a youth of high rank.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
With her: Pro 7:5, Pro 5:3, Jdg 16:15-17, Psa 12:2
forced: 1Sa 28:23, 2Ki 4:8, Luk 14:23, Luk 24:29, Act 16:15, 2Co 5:14
Reciprocal: Jdg 14:17 – she lay Jdg 16:5 – Entice Jdg 16:6 – General Jdg 16:16 – she pressed Jdg 16:19 – she made 2Ch 24:17 – the princes of Judah Neh 6:4 – four times Job 31:9 – If mine Pro 1:10 – General Pro 2:16 – flattereth Pro 26:28 – a flattering Pro 29:5 – that Ecc 7:26 – I find Eze 16:30 – the work 1Co 2:4 – not Jam 3:6 – a world
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 7:21-23. With her much fair speech Which implies that her alluring words were more effectual with him than her impudent kisses, which possibly had a little alienated his mind from her; she caused him to yield By this expression Solomon signifies that no provocation to sin is a sufficient excuse for it. With the flattering of her lips she forced him
She prevailed over him; which argues that there was some reluctance in his judgment, or conscience, against yielding to her. He goeth after her straightway Without delay or consideration; as an ox goeth to the slaughter Going to it securely, as if it were going to a good pasture; or as a fool to the correction of the stocks Or, which is more agreeable to the order of the words in the Hebrew text, as one in fetters, that is, bound with fetters, to the correction of a fool, namely, to receive such correction, or punishment, as belongs to fools. Which may imply, either, 1st, That he hath no more sense of the shame and mischief which he is bringing upon himself than a fool; or, 2d, That he can no more resist the temptation, or avoid the danger, than a man fast tied with chains and fetters can free himself, although his impotency be merely of a moral nature, and therefore voluntary. Till a dart strike through his liver That is, his vital parts, whereof the liver is one. Till his life be lost, as it is explained in the next clause; as a bird hasteth to the snare Like a silly bird, which, being greedy of the food laid to entice it, never minds the snare that is laid together with it; so he, eagerly longing to partake of her feast, and the following delights, had not so much as a thought that this was a design upon his life, and would not end but in miseries in finitely greater than all his joys. Dr. Grey, making a slight alteration in the text, renders these verses thus: He goeth straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, as a dog to the chain, and as a deer, till a dart strike through his liver: as a bird hasteth, &c. He considers the passage as including four similes, the ox, the dog, the deer, the bird; each of them filly resembling the case of a youth, reduced by an adulterous woman, and hastening to ruin without fear or thought. The circumstance of the dart, as applied to the deer, is beautiful and proper, which otherwise we are at a loss to dispose of. The LXX. and Syriac read, as a dog to the chains, or as a stag pierced through his liver with a dart.