In this chapter, Solomon warns his son, or children, or students, to make wise financial decisions and not to be entrapped by a commitment that cannot be kept (6: 1-5) [How did Solomon know about credit cards?] Then he warns his son to make wise decisions about work; not to be lazy and fall into poverty (6: 6-11) [Is he looking over my shoulder?] Finally, Solomon ends this section with a warning to be wise and not sow discord; in fact, he claims that the Lord hates scoundrels who are haughty, liars, and quick to turn the tables to blame the innocent (6: 12-19). Now Solomon returns to his constant theme; there is great value in listening to wisdom and acting accordingly.
6: 20-22. My child, keep your father’s commandment,
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Bind them upon your heart always;
tie them around your neck.
When you walk,
they will lead you;
when you lie down,
they will watch over you;
and when you awake,
they will talk with you.
Solomon the Sage advises that if his children receive and retain their father’s and mother’s teachings, then they will walk wisely. This is not a promise that nothing will go wrong, but rather that by walking wisely one is less likely to stumble into trouble, and more likely to receive correction willingly.
6: 23-26 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
to preserve you from the wife of another,
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress (the alien woman)
Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes,
for a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,
but the wife of another stalks a man’s precious life.
Reminiscent of the Psalms, Solomon echoes, “thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my way” (Psalm 119: 105). That does not mean that learning wisdom will prevent a false step, but rather that the wise child recognizes reproofs for what they are; discipline that is meant to get them back on the path. Did you ever notice the close connection between the concepts of ‘disciple’ and ‘discipline’? Think about it.
Layer # 1: A major ‘false step’ would be to commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife. Perhaps Solomon is still bothered by his own origin story; his father (King David) and his mother (Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite) committed adultery, and that led to the murder of Uriah. The discipline included the death of their newborn, who would have been Solomon’s older sibling. Though David and Bathsheba did marry, life went downhill from that point; some of the king’s his own children rebelled against him and tried to usurp the throne.
To highlight the contrast, but not to condone the practice of visiting prostitutes, Solomon notes that a prostitute’s fee might be equal to the cost of a loaf of bread, but the cost of adultery with a neighbor’s wife is the adulterer’s life.
6:27-29. Can fire be carried in the bosom
without burning one’s clothes?
Or can one walk on hot coals
without scorching the feet?
So is he who sleeps with his neighbor’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.
Layer # 2: False steps usually don’t happen by accident. There is a period of ‘playing with fire’ that leads to stepping off the path of wisdom. Those who play with fire eventually get burned, or so the old folk saying says.
6: 30-35. Thieves are not despised who steal only
to satisfy their appetite when they are hungry.
Yet if they are caught, they will pay sevenfold;
they will forfeit all the goods of their house.
But he who commits adultery has no sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,
and he will show no restraint when he takes revenge.
He will accept no compensation
and will refuse a bribe no matter how great.
People in the community might have sympathy for a thief who steals food for his starving children, though even that will be punished if he is caught. But, there is little sympathy for someone who has what he needs, and still steals the rights of his neighbor by committing adultery with his wife. A healthy community condemns such behavior that causes strife among the people involved.
Interestingly, Solomon seems to expect that a proper community, a godly community, would condemn the adulterer; and that might have been true in his time. Nathan the prophet made a performative intervention (II Samuel 12). Nathan told a story about a man with a large herd of sheep and a man with only one ewe. The rich man coveted that one ewe, so much that he took the ewe away from the poor man. David was incensed and asked who the rich man was so that he could punish him.
Nathan then brought the thunder with that famous phrase: “Thou art the man!” That is a masterful prophetic denunciation, from a prophet sent by God because what “David had done displeased the Lord” (12:1).
Where is the ‘prophetic denunciation’[1] today for such behavior? In our time, accusations and convictions of prostitution, fornication, and adultery by those who are rich and powerful seem not to make a difference to the people who call themselves Christians.
[1] My thanks to my friend, Howard Snyder, for the phrasing of this concept.