Proverbs 6:25 Commentary and Bible Study

The adulteress is out for a catch; all her ways are designed to entrap and snare the unwary. Her heart is set on carrying out to conclusion the evil that she plans. Maybe she has beauty to aid her in her purpose. The young man sees her beauty. Perhaps it is very great. Let him not into stare at it, lest he be mesmerised by it. Beauty has a way of hypnotising the soul of a young man so that he says in his heart, ‘There is nothing more precious than this. There is nothing that I desire more than this.’ But is outward beauty so valuable? Is there not always another who was more beautiful? We cannot deny beauty, neither should we despise it; it is the gift of God, who has made the human frame capable of a greater beauty than any other creature, but we must keep it in perspective. Physical beauty is appreciated in this world, but we know that it is small in comparison to the beauty of the world to come. Even in this world it fades and becomes something that makes us wonder how we ever once admired it. In the moment it can be taken away by some disfiguring accident. At death, even the most dearly loved needs to be put discreetly out of sight in the grave. It is an outer beauty, not that inner beauty of the heart, and the two do not necessarily go together. A woman may display her outward beauty with arrogance, with pride, with cruelty instead of with humility and lowliness and kindness. What does a man have who obtains the beauty of a proud woman? He satisfies his lust for a moment, but if he makes his happiness dependent on her beauty, he guarantees his happiness will fade together with her beauty. Besides, he does not know himself; for he cannot be truly happy with outward beauty alone. He cannot have a deep relationship with outward beauty alone; there can be no trust, no deep love at the level of the soul. Does he not realise that he needs these things also? She uses her beauty like bait on a hook. To her it is nothing more than a means to an end. Every man is a fresh challenge, a new victim. She would have every man to fall at her feet and beg for what she can give. She would have them to worship her beauty.