Proverbs 7:13 kjv
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
Proverbs 7:13 nkjv
So she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him:
Proverbs 7:13 niv
She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:
Proverbs 7:13 esv
She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him,
Proverbs 7:13 nlt
She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
and with a brazen look she said,
Proverbs 7 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 2:16 | ...to deliver you from the strange woman, from the foreigner with smooth words | Warning against the allure of the immoral woman. |
| Prov 5:3 | For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil | The deceptive and enticing nature of her words. |
| Prov 6:24 | ...to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress | Divine protection sought from her flattering words. |
| Prov 7:10-12 | And behold, a woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart... | Description of the woman's appearance and actions leading up to v. 13. |
| Jer 3:3 | ...you have the forehead of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed. | Shamelessness and refusal to repent. |
| Zeph 3:5 | The Lord within her is righteous... The unrighteous knows no shame. | The contrast between divine righteousness and human lack of shame. |
| Ezek 16:30 | How sick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, when you do all these things, the work of a brazen prostitute, | Describes unfaithful Israel's spiritual harlotry and brazenness. |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. | Command to actively avoid and flee from sexual sin. |
| 2 Tim 2:22 | So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace | Exhortation to flee from lustful desires and pursue virtue. |
| Gen 39:12 | But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. | Joseph's resolute escape from seduction. |
| Matt 5:28 | But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. | Lustful thought as the origin of sin, relevant to falling for enticement. |
| Rom 1:28-29 | And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind... full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. | Consequences of spiritual rebellion include moral degradation and shameless acts. |
| Eph 4:19 | They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. | Describes those who have lost all sense of shame and are devoted to impurity. |
| 1 Pet 2:11 | Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. | Call to resist fleshly desires that attack the soul. |
| Jam 1:14-15 | But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin... | Explains the process of temptation, lure, and its culmination in sin. |
| Gal 5:19 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, | Categorization of "works of the flesh" including immoral behaviors. |
| Prov 9:16-18 | "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" ...But he does not know that the dead are there, her guests are in the depths of Sheol. | Folly's deceptive invitation leading to destruction. |
| Hos 4:11 | Wine and new wine take away the understanding. | Impaired judgment makes one vulnerable to temptation. |
| Heb 12:1 | ...let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, | Laying aside ensnaring sins like those described in Prov 7. |
| Jude 1:8 | Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. | Moral depravity and disregard for divine order. |
| Rev 17:1-6 | I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast... Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes | The 'great harlot' symbolizing widespread spiritual impurity and seductive evil. |
| 1 Thess 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 who do not know God. | Divine will for sexual purity and self-control. |
| Titus 2:12 | training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, | Renouncing ungodly passions and living self-controlled lives. |
| Prov 23:27-28 | For a prostitute is a deep ditch; an adulteress is a narrow pit. She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among men. | Danger and predatory nature of the immoral woman. |
Proverbs 7 verses
Proverbs 7 13 Meaning
The verse vividly depicts the aggressive and unashamed advance of the adulterous woman, personifying Folly. She physically accosts the young, naive man, seizing and kissing him, demonstrating a complete lack of modesty or shame through her bold facial expression, before commencing her deceptive speech. This act signifies her active pursuit of her victim, initiating contact forcefully rather than waiting to be approached.
Proverbs 7 13 Context
Proverbs chapter 7 is a vivid cautionary tale presented by Wisdom personified to a young man, warning against the seductive perils of the adulterous woman. It stands as a narrative expansion of the warnings given earlier in Proverbs regarding sexual impurity (e.g., chapters 2, 5, 6). The chapter details the "strange woman's" tactics, from her attire and loud, aggressive behavior (verses 10-12) to her flattering words and promises. Verse 13 specifically marks the transition from her physical presence and brazenness to her manipulative speech, establishing her audacious nature and intent to overpower the young man, both physically and emotionally, before her verbal assault on his integrity.
Proverbs 7 13 Word analysis
- "So she caught him" (וַתַּחֲזֶק־בּוֹ
vat·ta·ḥa·zeq-bō): From the rootאָחַז('akhaz'), meaning to grasp, seize, take hold of forcefully. This is not a gentle touch but an assertive, even aggressive, physical capture. It signifies her active initiative and physical domination over the young man, pre-empting any resistance or escape. It portrays her as the pursuer, breaking traditional social norms. - "and kissed him" (וַתִּשַּׁק־לוֹ
vat·tiš·šaq-lō): Fromנָשַׁק(nashaq), "to kiss." While often a sign of affection, here it is depicted as part of the brazen seduction. It's a possessive, perhaps overpowering, kiss rather than a mutual tender one. It’s an immediate, disorienting act of intimacy thrust upon the victim. - "With an impudent face" (הֵעֵזָה פָנֶיהָ
he'eza faneha): Literally, "she strengthened her face" or "she hardened her face." Fromעָזַז('azaz), "to be strong, stout, bold, hardened," applied to herפָּנִים(panim), "face, presence." This powerful phrase conveys utter shamelessness, defiance of social convention, and bold effrontery. She shows no modesty, bashfulness, or embarrassment. Her face is set and unyielding, indicative of her hardened moral character and her unwavering resolve to execute her sinful intention. - "she said to him" (וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ
vat·to·mer lō): A standard verb, but in context, it introduces the insidious verbal persuasion that follows. Her words are not just an expression of thought but part of her calculated plan to ensnare. - Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "So she caught him and kissed him": This sequence of actions highlights her aggressive, predatory approach. She does not subtly invite; she directly engages with physical contact. This immediate physical overture is designed to overwhelm and disarm the young man, establishing a dominant position and crossing boundaries rapidly.
- "With an impudent face she said to him": This phrase links her internal depravity (lack of shame) to her external expression (brazen face) and then to her verbal manipulation. The impudence of her face underscores the audacious nature of her subsequent words, making it clear that her proposition comes from a place of unrepentant sin and calculated wickedness. This prepares the listener for the deceitful nature of her following speech, which will be delivered without conscience.
Proverbs 7 13 Bonus section
The Hebrew phrase Haa.zad panim (to strengthen/harden the face) is used elsewhere in scripture to describe a person’s resolute stance. While sometimes used positively (e.g., Isa 50:7, 'I have set my face like flint' for unwavering determination in obedience to God), it is more frequently applied negatively for brazenness and obstinacy in sin (e.g., Jer 3:3 regarding Judah's unfaithfulness; Ezek 3:8-9 regarding Israel's stubbornness). Here, its application to the seductress's face vividly emphasizes her intentional moral defiance and absence of compunction, highlighting the profound depravity of Folly's methods. This starkly contrasts with the biblical ideals of a "pure heart" or "single eye" as advocated in the New Testament (e.g., Matt 5:8, 6:22), where transparency and sincerity are valued over hidden motives and shameless displays.
Proverbs 7 13 Commentary
Proverbs 7:13 serves as a pivotal moment in the portrayal of the "strange woman's" seduction. It unveils her proactive and aggressive nature, transcending passive enticement to forceful physical engagement. Her uninhibited seize and kiss are not expressions of genuine affection but tactical maneuvers designed to overwhelm and disarm her victim, demonstrating a profound lack of shame reflected in her "impudent face." This bold, public display contrasts sharply with the expected modesty of a virtuous woman, signaling her moral degradation. The physical prelude sets the stage for the manipulative words that follow, underscoring that temptation often involves a combination of alluring physical display and deceptive speech, delivered without conscience by a hardened heart. The verse functions as a stark warning, showing the bold and unreserved advance of sin.