Proverbs 7:9 kjv

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

Proverbs 7:9 nkjv

In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night.

Proverbs 7:9 niv

at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

Proverbs 7:9 esv

in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.

Proverbs 7:9 nlt

It was at twilight, in the evening,
as deep darkness fell.

Proverbs 7 verses

Proverbs 7 9 Meaning

Proverbs 7:9 describes the specific timing and conditions under which the naive young man encounters the adulteress. It marks a progression from the dimming light of day to the profound depths of night, indicating the secrecy, vulnerability, and opportune environment for immoral deeds that seek hiddenness and avoidance of scrutiny. This setting highlights the stealthy nature of sin, which thrives under the cover of spiritual and physical darkness.

Proverbs 7 9 Context

Proverbs chapter 7 serves as a vivid illustrative warning within the broader parental instruction against sexual immorality (Proverbs 5, 6). The wise teacher paints a narrative picture of a foolish, naïve young man being entrapped by a seductive, predatory woman (the "adulteress" or "strange woman"). This verse (7:9) is crucial in setting the scene for the encounter described from 7:10 onwards. It places the young man's dangerous proximity to sin at a specific, vulnerable time, creating an atmosphere of foreboding and quiet secrecy ideal for clandestine activity. Culturally, nighttime in ancient Israel, devoid of widespread artificial lighting, was a time of limited visibility and increased personal danger, where public accountability waned and private misdeeds could flourish. It contrasts sharply with the expectation for honorable, diligent activity to take place during daylight.

Proverbs 7 9 Word analysis

• In the twilight (בְּנֶשֶׁף - beneshef): Refers to dusk, the period just after sunset when light begins to fade. It signifies a transition, the edge of day where public scrutiny lessens, but before total darkness descends. It's a liminal time, subtly suggestive of blurring moral lines.
• in the evening (בְּעֶרֶב - be'erev): Signifies the approach of complete darkness. This phrase moves beyond mere twilight to a more settled, darker part of the evening, typically when most people would be within their homes, allowing for greater opportunity for unobserved movement on the streets.
• in the black and dark night (בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה וַאֲפֵלָה - be'ishon laylah va'afelah):
  • Black night (be'ishon laylah): Literally "in the pupil of the night" or "in the very center of the night's blackness." This powerful Hebrew idiom emphasizes the deepest, most intense, and visually impenetrable part of the night. It highlights profound obscurity and absolute secrecy.
  • and dark (va'afelah): Reinforces the preceding phrase, signifying utter gloom, densest obscurity, or pitch blackness. It amplifies the sense of hiddenness and lack of light, mirroring the moral blindness or darkened conscience associated with sinful actions.
• Progression from light to darkness: The three temporal phrases "twilight," "evening," and "black and dark night" form a distinct literary progression. This isn't just a list of times; it builds a cumulative atmosphere. It begins with the fading light, moves to the dimming evening, and climaxes in the impenetrable, "pupil" of the night. This intensification of darkness parallels the deepening intention and opportunity for clandestine evil. It illustrates how sin seeks conditions of increasing obscurity, not only physically but often spiritually, representing a descent into spiritual blindness and hiddenness from God and upright judgment. The progression emphasizes the ideal conditions for acts of wickedness that shun the light of truth and public view.

Proverbs 7 9 Bonus section

The depiction of nighttime in this verse subtly carries a symbolic weight beyond mere physical time. In biblical thought, darkness is often associated with ignorance, sin, judgment, death, and separation from God (e.g., Isa 5:20; Acts 26:18; Col 1:13). Conversely, light symbolizes truth, righteousness, knowledge, life, and God's presence (e.g., Psa 119:105; 1 Jn 1:5). Thus, the young man's wandering in the "black and dark night" in Proverbs 7:9 implies not only his physical vulnerability but also his spiritual state of being in ignorance, alienated from the path of wisdom and exposed to spiritual dangers. The repetition and intensification of "darkness" serve as a literary device to heighten the sense of ominous inevitability for one who walks blind. This narrative moment creates a dramatic tension, leading directly to the unfolding encounter and subsequent downfall described in the rest of the chapter.

Proverbs 7 9 Commentary

Proverbs 7:9 serves as a stark commentary on the environment in which sin, particularly sexual immorality, flourishes. The progression from "twilight" to "black and dark night" isn't merely descriptive; it's prescriptive, identifying the conditions optimal for spiritual and moral wandering. Sin often seeks darkness—physically for secrecy, and spiritually as a condition of the heart that shuns God's illuminating truth (John 3:19). The "black and dark night," emphasizing utter obscurity, reflects the profound deceit, blindness, and spiritual peril inherent in straying from wisdom's paths. This verse thus warns not only against a specific time but against a mindset that prefers obscurity for its deeds, aligning with foolishness rather than the light of righteousness. It underscores that deliberate transgression often chooses the cover of hiddenness to escape accountability, symbolizing the individual's spiritual separation from the Light of the world.