"Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister: and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words."
Proverbs 7:4-5
As we look at chapter 7 of Proverbs, we see familiar themes. First, Solomon was concerned that his son listened attentively to his words (his “commandments”) and stored them away to help him later (v. 1). He wanted his “law” to be the “apple of his eye” (v. 2). And Solomon wanted his son to bind his words on his fingers and write them on his heart (v. 3, 6:21).
Secondly, these wise words were designed to keep his son away from the ploy of the “strange woman” (vv. 4-5). These are similar themes to chapters 5 and 6 also.
“Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister.”
The young son needs wisdom. His dad tells him to call wisdom his sister. Here, the Hebrew word can mean a half-sister, sister, or even a bride. Solomon probably meant for him to call “wisdom” his “bride.”
“The father advises his son to take wisdom, rather than the adulteress, as his intimate companion” [1] (FSB).
“Similarly, a person is to be familiar with wisdom as if it were his sister or wife. The same is true of understanding (“insight”; cf. Proverbs 2:2), which is to be like a kinsman (cf. Ruth 3:2). One’s closeness to understanding should be like the intimate ties between relatives” [2] (BKC).
“Morgan spoke of the power of truly regarding wisdom as a sister or nearest kin. ‘Thousands of men are kept from evil courses by the love and friendship of sisters and women friends. Recognizing this, the father counsels his son to find strength against the seductions of evil by cultivating that kind of defensive and defending familiarity with wisdom, which is typified by this love of a sister and of pure women” [3] (EWC).
“And call understanding thy kinswoman.”
Wisdom is my near kin, not the “strange woman!” Wisdom will always treat us right.
“Thou art my dearest friend, and I will treat thee as such” [4] (Clarke).
“That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.”
Protection from the strange woman can be found in the words of wisdom in the scriptures.
“Immorality speaks and has words to draw us into sin. We need the corresponding and greater power of God’s words to keep us from the immoral woman (or man)” [5] (EWC).
“Wisdom preserves the wise from the temptations of the adulteress” [6] (FSB).
Be careful of her words! The woman with evil intent “makes her words smooth” [7] (FSB).
“Wisdom and understanding, often seen as synonyms in Proverbs, keep young men from the adulteress and the wayward wife … who tempt with seductive words (cf. 6:24; 7:21). “Seductive” is related to the word “smoother” in 5:3” [8] (BKC).
“To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman” (Proverbs 6:24).
“With her much fair speech, she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him” (Proverbs 7:21).
“For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother [seductive] than oil” (Proverbs 5:3).
Quote: “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh” (Ephesians 5:29-31).
[1] FSB, John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Pr 7:4–5.
[2] BKC, Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 919.
[3] EWC – David Guzik. Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] ACC – Adam Clarke. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[5] EWC, ibid.
[6] FSB, ibid.
[7] FSB, ibid.
[8] BKC, ibid.