Proverbs 6:25 kjv
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
Proverbs 6:25 nkjv
Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
Proverbs 6:25 niv
Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
Proverbs 6:25 esv
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
Proverbs 6:25 nlt
Don't lust for her beauty.
Don't let her coy glances seduce you.
Proverbs 6 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text (shortened) | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:17 | “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife..." | The Tenth Commandment against coveting |
| Matt 5:28 | "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully... adulterer in his heart." | Lust of the heart is condemned |
| Job 31:1 | "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman." | Active discipline of the eyes against lust |
| Ps 119:37 | "Turn my eyes away from worthless things..." | Prayer to avoid destructive sights |
| Rom 7:7 | "...for I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’" | Law reveals sinful nature of desire |
| Jas 1:14-15 | "...each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." | Progression from desire to sin and death |
| 1 Jn 2:16 | "For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world." | The lust of the eyes as a worldly sin |
| Prov 2:16-19 | "...wisdom will save you from the immoral woman... leads down to death." | Warning about the dangerous path of the adulteress |
| Prov 5:3-6 | "For the lips of the immoral woman drip honey... her feet go down to death..." | Initial attractiveness hiding deadly consequences |
| Prov 5:7-11 | "Now then, my sons, listen to me... lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless..." | Consequences of following the immoral woman |
| Prov 7:5-27 | "...she seduces him with her smooth talk... Like a fool he follows her... he does not know that it will cost him his life." | Detailed narrative of the seductress and her victim |
| Prov 22:14 | "The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit..." | Metaphor for the danger of her enticement |
| Prov 23:27-28 | "For a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward woman a narrow well... She lies in wait like a bandit..." | Emphasizing the snare-like nature of the immoral woman |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." | Call to flee immorality due to its unique destructive nature |
| Heb 13:4 | "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." | Divine judgment for sexual impurity |
| 2 Pet 2:14 | "With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable..." | Description of false teachers with eyes full of lust |
| Gen 3:6 | "When the woman saw that the fruit... also pleasing to the eye..." | Temptation initiated by sight |
| Ps 73:7 | "From their callous hearts comes iniquity..." | Corruption often begins from within |
| 1 Thes 4:3-5 | "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles..." | God's will for sexual purity and self-control |
| Gal 5:16 | "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." | Overcoming lust through spiritual living |
| Eph 5:3 | "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people." | Strong prohibition against any form of impurity |
Proverbs 6 verses
Proverbs 6 25 Meaning
Proverbs 6:25 warns against two closely related aspects of temptation concerning the immoral woman: the internal coveting of her beauty and the external captivating power of her seductive gaze. It admonishes not to desire her physical appearance in the heart and not to be drawn in by her alluring eyes. This prohibition aims to guard the individual's inner purity and prevent the initial steps towards sexual immorality.
Proverbs 6 25 Context
Proverbs chapter 6, specifically verses 20-35, provides strong warnings from a father to his son against the seductive dangers of the adulterous or immoral woman. This section is part of a larger unit (Prov 5-7) devoted entirely to this perilous topic, highlighting the immense destructive power of sexual sin. The chapter begins with admonitions against foolish pledges and laziness, setting a tone of urging prudence and foresight. Within the warning about the immoral woman, Proverbs 6:25 functions as a critical safeguard against the initial internal spark of temptation, emphasizing prevention at the level of desire and perception. Historically, such warnings were vital in a society where concubinage and prostitution, including temple prostitution, existed, posing a threat to the established order of marriage, family, and communal integrity which were central to Israel's covenant with God. The instruction reflects a polemic against the hedonistic and immoral practices prevalent in surrounding pagan cultures that did not adhere to YHWH's standards of purity.
Proverbs 6 25 Word analysis
Do not lust (לֹא־תַחְמֹד – lo-taḥmod):
- Word Level: This verb, חָמַד (chamad), means "to desire," "to covet," "to crave." It is the same word used in the Tenth Commandment (Exod 20:17), signifying an inward desire that goes beyond mere appreciation of beauty, escalating into illicit longing. The negative "lo" makes it a direct prohibition.
- Significance: The instruction is not against acknowledging beauty, but against the heart's dangerous, illicit craving or desire for it. It targets the very root of sin, highlighting that sin begins internally, even before external action.
in your heart (בְּיָפְיָהּ – b'yafyah / "in her beauty" or "for her beauty"):
- Word Level: The Hebrew reads "in her beauty" (b'yafyah), literally "with her beauty" or "by her beauty." This phrase indicates the object and the means of the lust. It refers to her physical attractiveness. While some translations insert "in your heart," the Hebrew directly specifies the object of coveting as her beauty. The heart's internal desire is implied by "lust."
- Significance: The verse identifies outward physical attractiveness as the trigger for sinful internal desire. It cautions against allowing superficial allure to incite deeper, destructive longings.
or let her captivate you (וְלֹא־תִקָּחֲךָ – wəlo-tiqqaḥaka / "and do not let her take you"):
- Word Level: This is from the verb לָקַח (laqaḥ), meaning "to take," "to seize," "to get." In this context, it refers to being ensnared, captured, or enticed by her, losing one's own will or agency. The negative "lo" reiterates the warning.
- Significance: This highlights the active and often deceptive nature of the immoral woman. Her intention is to "take" or "seize" her victim, implying manipulation and entrapment rather than mutual consent in a righteous relationship.
with her eyes (בְּעַפְעַפֶּיהָ – bəʿapʿappeyha / "with her eyelids"):
- Word Level: עַפְעַף (aph'aph) primarily means "eyelash" or "eyelid," but here it serves as a metonym for her eyes or her seductive gaze. The preposition "bə" implies "by means of" or "through."
- Significance: The eyes are depicted as potent instruments of temptation. A captivating glance, an alluring look, can serve as a powerful conduit for drawing a person into sin, representing her charm, flattery, and sensual invitation. This points to the subtle and often non-verbal ways temptation can begin.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Do not lust in her beauty": This phrase addresses the internal, cognitive dimension of temptation. It warns against allowing external beauty to fuel illicit desire within one's mind and heart. The beauty itself is not inherently sinful, but the coveting it generates is. This emphasizes the need for internal self-control and guard over one's thoughts.
- "nor let her captivate you with her eyes": This transitions to the external, interactive aspect of temptation. Her eyes and the way she uses them become active instruments of ensnarement. It highlights the progression from internal desire to external allure, where her gaze "takes" or "seizes" the individual, suggesting a loss of self-control and surrender to her influence. The combination covers both the internal susceptibility and the external seductive power.
Proverbs 6 25 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "eyes" (עַפְעַפֶּיהָ – ap'appeyha) literally refers to "eyelids" or "eyelashes," subtly hinting at the fluttering, winking, or artful movements used to charm and seduce. This small detail underscores the cunning and intentionality behind the immoral woman's allure. Her temptation is not passive beauty but an active, manipulative invitation through her gaze, making it more dangerous than mere physical appearance. This specific emphasis on her eyelids (rather than simply "her eyes") implies a seductive skill, perhaps a suggestive flutter or an intentionally alluring glance, highlighting a calculated charm designed to entice and ultimately "take" the unwary.
Proverbs 6 25 Commentary
Proverbs 6:25 is a crucial warning that targets the initial points of temptation, before any overt sin occurs. It underscores the spiritual principle that sin often originates not in action, but in the heart and through the gateway of the senses. The verse teaches profound insight into human susceptibility: first, by an illicit internal desire ("do not lust in her beauty") and second, by a mesmerizing external lure ("nor let her captivate you with her eyes").
The caution against coveting her beauty is a spiritual extension of the Tenth Commandment, emphasizing that God's law penetrates even the unspoken desires of the heart. Her outward attractiveness is dangerous because it can incite illicit longings that set a person on a perilous path. The subsequent warning against being "taken" or "captivated" by her eyes describes how the seductive gaze acts as a trap. Her eyes are not merely passive organs of sight but active instruments of enticement, aiming to ensnare the unsuspecting.
This passage teaches that true wisdom involves not merely avoiding sinful acts but guarding one's internal world—the thoughts, desires, and perceptions—that lead to such acts. It encourages preventative holiness, emphasizing self-control over one's gaze and the lustful inclinations of the heart, as these are the crucial initial steps that, if unchecked, can lead to devastating moral and spiritual ruin described elsewhere in Proverbs.
Examples for practical usage:
- Consciously averting one's gaze from images or situations that ignite lust.
- Challenging and redirecting lustful thoughts immediately, recognizing them as spiritual attacks.
- Understanding that a seemingly innocent "look" can be the beginning of a dangerous downward spiral if not quickly guarded against.