Proverbs 6:23-29

Proverbs 6:23-29(KJV): "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent."


These verses in Proverbs give instructions to young men to avoid prostitutes. Verse 23 begins with the admonition to obey the commandments of the Lord and likens them to a lamp that brings light in a dark night. We know if we went out walking at night without a flashlight or street light, that very quickly, we would stumble and fall. No one can go very far without a light to guide them. Even sailors use the light of the stars to navigate on the seas. The Bible tells us that God's Words are the guiding light of our lives and that His reproofs and instructions are for our good. They will preserve our life if we heed them.

The next verses warn a man to stay away from the evil woman who is a whore. This scripture describes in detail how a man can be ensnared unless he flees this temptation. The first step the devil uses, is to get a man engaged in a conversation with a loose woman. She entices the man by flattery and provocative looks and alluring dress. The adulteress will stalk and try to snare the precious life of a man so that he is brought down to the worth of a piece of bread.

Verses 27 and 28 both ask a question about fire. If a man allows lust to burn in his heart and he yields to the temptation of a whore, he will be burned. If a man thinks he can just flirt with a prostitute, he will be fooled. It would be the same as if he took a flame to his chest, his clothes would catch on fire. A man cannot walk into a place where the temptation is great and expect to not have his feet burned. In the New Testament the Bible tells us what must be done. A man must flee from the enticement..

1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

A fornicator is defined in the New Testament as one who commits fornication, which is any kind of illicit sex. The Greek word for a man who indulges in fornication is "pornos." Obviously, this is also where the root word for pornography comes from. All who are being tempted with looking at pornography, must flee from it. Through the power of the Holy Spirit those who are ensnared in this deep pit can be free. God is a forgiving God and will deliver us from this evil. However, it is best if we take heed and never become ensnared in the first place.

This is also true with the sin of adultery as verse 29 warns. Fornication encompasses all kinds of sexual sins such as sex between single partners before marriage, homosexuality, affairs of the mind through pornography, etc. Adultery is defined as sexual sin committed outside of the marriage. When a man cohabits with his neighbor's wife or any other woman besides his own wife, the Bible says he is guilty of adultery. This sin can bring evil consequences to his life and many times a just retribution. Just having one's conscience trouble them is torture to the emotions. All of Proverbs warns men to keep themselves from this kind of sin. These verses of course can apply to women as well as men. Lustful men can lead innocent girls astray in the same way that a man can be led astray by the wrong kind of woman. Since Proverbs was written by Solomon he was addressing this message to his son, but it can be applied to all.