Proverbs 7:18

Study note

Setting — The unnamed woman in Proverbs 7 addresses a passing stranger in a private bedroom while her husband is away on a long journey. She issues an immediate invitation to remain with her through the night.

The words — The verse hinges on נִרְוֶה (nir.Veh), meaning "let us take our fill of," and דֹּדִים (do.dim), literally "loves" or intimate acts. These terms establish the invitation as a mutual, physical pursuit rather than a casual suggestion.

The thread — The phrase "till morning" echoes the nocturnal intimacy motif found in Song of Solomon 5:1 and 7:12. The repeated call to "come" and linger in private parallels the seductive patterns warned against in Proverbs 5:15-20.

Why it lands — The text first records the woman's explicit proposal for prolonged physical pleasure before any consequence is stated. Readers must recognize the immediate danger of her isolation and the deliberate exploitation of her husband's absence before considering the moral outcome.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.