Proverbs 6:26

"Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids."

Key Reflection

In Proverbs 6:26, the author is addressing a man who might be tempted by a prostitute's allure. The original audience would have understood that the beauty and seductive gaze of a prostitute were powerful tools designed to entice and deceive. This advice reflects the cultural context where such encounters often led to significant personal and social harm, making it imperative for men to guard their hearts against these temptations and resist being captivated by superficial allure.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The two forms of evil bring, each of them, their own penalty. By the one a man is brought to such poverty as to beg for “a piece of bread” (compare1 Samuel 2:36): by the other and more deadly sin he incurs a peril which may affect his life. The second clause is very abrupt and emphatic in the original; “but as for a man’s wife; she hunts for the precious life.”

More from Proverbs 6

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