Keep My Words

Proverbs 7:1-4 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou are my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman

‘Keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.’ Eight commands: Keep my words – guard against breaking God’s commandments (7:1). Lay up these commandments – take them into your heart. Keep my commandments, and live (7:2). Keep my law as you would the pupil of the eye (7:2; cp. Deut. 32:10; Ps. 17:8; Zech. 2:8). Bind them upon your fingers (7:3). Write them upon the table of your heart. Make wisdom your sister (7:4). Make understanding your kinswoman. These last two expressions indicate acquaintance with wisdom and knowledge.

These commands are preparatory warnings to the longer admonition against adultery, which was an often repeated subject with Solomon due to his many bitter experiences with strange women. He generally gave such commands before dealing with the subject (Pro. 2:1-10 with 2:12, 16; Pro. 5:1-2 with 5:3-6; Pro. 5:7 with 5:8-14; Pro. 15-19 with 5:20-23; Pro. 6:20-23 with 6:24-35; Pro. 7:1-4 with 7:5-23; Pro. 7:24 with 7:25-27; Pro. 9:1-6 with 9:13-18).