The Wiles of a Harlot

71 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and to insight, "You are my relative." 5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

Other Translations of Proverbs 7:1-5

King James Version

The Wiles of a Harlot

71 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: 5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

English Standard Version

The Wiles of a Harlot

71 My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; 2 keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; 3 bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call insight your intimate friend, 5 to keep you from the forbiddenHebrew strange woman, from the adulteressHebrew the foreign woman with her smooth words.

The Message

The Wiles of a Harlot

71 Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. 2 Do what I say and you'll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight - guard it! 3 Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. 4 Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion. 5 They'll be with you to fend off the Temptress - that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

New King James Version

The Wiles of a Harlot

71 My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," And call understanding your nearest kin, 5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words.

New Living Translation

The Wiles of a Harlot

71 Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. 2 Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. 3 Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. 4 Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. 5 Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Proverbs 7:1-5

Commentary on Proverbs 7:1-5

(Read Proverbs 7:1-5)

We must lay up God's commandments safely. Not only, Keep them, and you shall live; but, Keep them as those that cannot live without them. Those that blame strict and careful walking as needless and too precise, consider not that the law is to be kept as the apple of the eye; indeed the law in the heart is the eye of the soul. Let the word of God dwell in us, and so be written where it will be always at hand to be read. Thus we shall be kept from the fatal effects of our own passions, and the snares of Satan. Let God's word confirm our dread of sin, and resolutions against it.