Do not lust in your heart for her beautyThis phrase warns against internal desires that lead to sin. The heart, in biblical terms, is the center of one's emotions and will. The admonition here is to guard one's heart against covetousness and lust, which are often the precursors to sinful actions. This aligns with Jesus' teaching in
Matthew 5:28, where He equates lustful thoughts with adultery. The beauty referenced is a reminder of the seductive power of physical appearance, which can lead one astray if not checked by wisdom and self-control. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, beauty was often associated with temptation, as seen in the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11).
or let her captivate you with her eyes
The eyes are often seen as windows to the soul and can be instruments of seduction. In the ancient Near Eastern context, women might use their eyes to allure and entice, a theme echoed in the story of Samson and Delilah (Judges 16). The warning here is against being ensnared by superficial charm or flirtation, which can lead to moral and spiritual downfall. This phrase underscores the importance of discernment and the need to focus on inner beauty and character rather than outward appearances. The call is to remain vigilant and not be swayed by fleeting attractions, reflecting the wisdom literature's emphasis on living a life of integrity and righteousness.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
SolomonTraditionally considered the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. He wrote Proverbs to impart wisdom and understanding.
2.
The Adulterous WomanWhile not a specific person, she represents the temptation and allure of sin, particularly sexual immorality, which Solomon warns against.
3.
Ancient IsraelThe cultural and historical context in which these proverbs were written, where adherence to God's law was central to community life.
Teaching Points
Guard Your HeartThe heart is the wellspring of life. Protect it from desires that lead away from God's will.
Inner Beauty vs. Outer BeautyFocus on cultivating inner beauty and character rather than being swayed by external appearances.
The Power of the EyesBe mindful of what you allow your eyes to see, as they can lead your heart astray.
Accountability and CommunitySurround yourself with a community that encourages purity and holds you accountable.
Renewing the MindRegularly renew your mind with Scripture to combat lustful thoughts and desires.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Proverbs 6:25?
2.How can we guard our hearts against lustful desires mentioned in Proverbs 6:25?
3.What practical steps help avoid being captivated by beauty, as warned in Proverbs 6:25?
4.How does Proverbs 6:25 connect with Jesus' teachings on lust in Matthew 5:28?
5.Why is it important to focus on inner beauty over outward appearance, biblically?
6.How can accountability partners assist in resisting temptations described in Proverbs 6:25?
7.What does Proverbs 6:25 mean by "do not lust in your heart"?
8.How does Proverbs 6:25 relate to the concept of sin in thought versus action?
9.Why is the warning against lust significant in Proverbs 6:25?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Proverbs 6?
11.How is lust defined?
12.What is the Bible's perspective on beauty?
13.Why does Proverbs 6:20-35 focus so intensely on adultery and lust but offer little instruction on other pressing moral or societal issues?
14.Is looking at a woman considered sinful?What Does Proverbs 6:25 Mean
Do not lust in your heart• The command reaches beneath behavior to desire itself, recognizing that sin takes root internally before it bears outward fruit (Job 31:1: “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?”).
• Jesus applies the same principle: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).
• Guarding the heart is vital because “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14).
for her beauty• Physical attractiveness can be good, yet Scripture cautions that outward appearance is fleeting and insufficient as a moral compass (Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised”).
• God’s perspective differs from ours: “The LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
• True worth is found in “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4), directing us to prize character above surface appeal.
or let her captivate you• Beyond initial attraction lies the danger of being drawn into a snare, as “the lips of an adulteress drip honey… but in the end she is bitter as wormwood” (Proverbs 5:3–4).
• Samson’s downfall illustrates how persistent persuasion overcomes resolve (Judges 16:15–17).
• False teachers “seduce the unstable” (2 Peter 2:14), showing that captivation can be mental, emotional, or spiritual.
•Proverbs 23:27, 28 warns that yielding to such allure leads to destruction, urging deliberate distance.
with her eyes• Eyes can both invite and ensnare; the seductress ofProverbs 7 “dresses herself as a harlot” and with “brazen face she says…” (vv. 10–13), capturing attention first by sight.
• The pattern traces back toGenesis 3:6: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes…”—sight stirs desire.
• Jesus teaches, “The eye is the lamp of the body” (Matthew 6:22); what we gaze upon shapes the soul.
• Even within marital love the eyes are powerful: “You have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes” (Song of Songs 4:9). In the wrong context, that same power can derail holiness.
summaryProverbs 6:25 urges proactive, wholehearted vigilance. Lust begins in the heart, inflamed by visible beauty, intensified through lingering attention, and sealed by seductive gaze. Scripture consistently calls believers to guard inner desires, value character over appearance, refuse fascination that leads toward sin, and discipline the eyes—turning them instead to what is pure, honorable, and life-giving.
Verse 25. -
To keep thee from the evil woman. The specific object to which the discourse was tending. The "commandment" and the "law" illuminate the path of true life generally, but in a special degree they, if attended to, will guard the young against sins of impurity, fornication, and adultery.
The evil woman (Hebrew,
esheth ra); strictly,
a woman of evil, or vileness, or of a wicked disposition, addicted to evil in an extraordinary degree;
ra being here a substantive standing in a genitive relation to
esheth, as in
Proverbs 2:12, "The way of evil (
derek ra)." Cf. also
tah'pukoth ra, perverstates mali (
Proverbs 2:14), and
makh'sh'voth ra, cogitationes mali (
Proverbs 15:26), and
an'sheyra,
viri mali (
Proverbs 28:5). The Vulgate, however, gives an adjectival force to
ra rendering, it
muliere mala. The LXX.
ἀπὸγυναικὸς,
i.e. "from the married woman," arises from reading
rea, "a companion," for
ra, "evil."
From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman;i.e. from her enticements; Hebrew,
mekhel'kath lashon noh'riyyah; literally, "from the smoothness of a strange tongue," as in the margin. Zockler, however, proposes an emendation of the Masoretic text, and substitutes the construct case,
l'shon, for the absolute,
lashon, rendering as in the Authorized Version, on the ground that the emphasis lies, not on the "tongue," which would be the case if we render "of a strange tongue," but on "the strange woman," who is the subject of the discourse, as in
Proverbs 2:16 and Proverbs 5:20. But
nok'riyyah is feminine of the adjective
nok'ri, ann in agreement with
lashon, which, though common, is more frequently feminine (Gesenius), and hence the two words may stand in agreement. The marginal reading is to be preferred (Wordsworth). Again,
me-
khel'kath, the construct ease of
khel'kah, literally, "smoothness," and metaphorically flattery, with the prefix
me, forms one member of the phrase, while the compound expression,
lashon nok'riyyah, forms the second. Ewald and Bertheau render, "from the smooth-tongued, the strange woman," thus connecting
mekhel'kath lashon, and regarding
nok'riyyah as a separate and distinct idea. They agree with Symmachus and Theodotion,
ἀπὸ λειογλώσσου ξένης,
i.e. "from the smooth-tongued or flattering stranger." So the Vulgate,
ablanda lingua extraneae, i.e. from the smooth tongue of the strange woman. The LXX. again favours the marginal reading,
ἀπὸ διαβολῆς γλώσσης ἀλλοτρίας, "from the slander of a strange tongue." So the Chaldee Paraphrase. The Syriac reads, "from the accusation of a woman of a strange tongue,"
i.e. who uses a foreign language. If, however, the Authorized Version be retained, the Hebrew
nok'riyyah will, as in other passages, mean "an adulteress" (Gesenius);
Proverbs 5:20;
Proverbs 7:5;
Proverbs 23:27. Under any circumstances, we have here attributed to the tongue what, in fact, belongs to the woman. It is against the enticements and blandishments of a woman of depraved moral character that the "commandment" and "law" form a safeguard to youth.
Verse 25. -
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart. The admonition of this verse embraces the two sides of the subject - the external allurement and the internal predisposition to vice.
Lust not after (Hebrew,
al-takh'mod); strictly,
desire not, since the verb
khamad is properly" to desire, or covet." The same verb is used in
Exodus 20:17, "Thou shalt not
covet thy neighbour's wife," and
Exodus 34:24, "Neither shall any man
desire thy land" (cf.
Micah 2:2 and
Proverbs 12:12). In
Psalm 68:19;
Isaiah 1:29;
Isaiah 53:2, it has the sense of
taking delight in anything. It may be questioned whether it ever has the strong meaning given in the Vulgate (
non concupiscat) and adopted in the Authorized Version, "to lust after" (Holden). Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus render
μὴ ἐπιθυμήσῃς. The use of
khamad here reveals the warning of the Decalogue.
In thine heart; Hebrew,
bil'va-veka. corresponding to the
ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ of
Matthew 5:28. The admonition is a warning to repress the very first inclinations to unchaste desires. They may be unobserved and undetected by ethers, but they are known to ourselves, and the first duty of repressing them calls for an act of determination and will on our part. Our Lord teaches (
Matthew 5:28, cited above), "That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." The LXX. reading is
Μή σε νικήσῃ κάλλους ἐπιθυμία, "Let not the desire of beauty conquer thee."
Neither let her take thee with her eyelids;i.e. do not let her captivate thee with her amorous glances.
Take. The Hebrew verb,
lakakh, is "to captivate" with blandishments, "to allure, beguile" (cf.
Proverbs 11:30); LXX.,
μήδε ἀγρευθῃς.
With her eyelids (Hebrew,
b'aph'appeyah); or perhaps more literally,
with her eyelashes (Zockler). The eyelids; Hebrew,
aph'appayim, dual of
aph'aph, so called from their rapid, volatile motion, are here compared with
nets, as by Philostratus ('Epistles:'
Γυναικί), who speaks of "the nets of the eyes (
τὰ τῶν ὀμμάτων δίκτυα)." The eyelids are the instruments by which the amorous woman beguiles or catches her victims. She allures him by her glances. So St. Jerome says, "The eye of an harlot is the snare of her lover." The wanton glance is expressed in the Vulgate by
nutibus illius; cf. "The whoredom of a woman may be known in her haughty looks and eyelids" (Ecclus. 26:9). Milton ('Paradise Lost,' 11:620) speaks of the daughters of men "rolling the eye," amongst other things, in order to captivate the sons of God. Piscator and Mercerus understand the eyelids as standing metonymically for the beauty of the eye; and Bayne, for the general adornment of the head in order to attract attention. Allusion may possibly be made to the custom of Eastern women painting the eyelids to give brilliancy and expression; cf.
2 Kings 9:30 (Wordsworth). A striking parallel to the
verse before us occurs in Propertius, lib. 1. 'Eleg.' 1., "Cynthia prima suis miserum me cepit ocellis."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Do notאַל־(’al-)Adverb
Strong's 408:Notlustתַּחְמֹ֣ד(taḥ·mōḏ)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2530:To desire, take pleasure inin your heartבִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ(bil·ḇā·ḇe·ḵā)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3824:Inner man, mind, will, heartfor her beautyיָ֭פְיָהּ(yā·p̄ə·yāh)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3308:Beautyor let her captivate youתִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗(tiq·qā·ḥă·ḵā)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3947:To takewith her eyes.בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃(bə·‘ap̄·‘ap·pe·hā)Preposition-b | Noun - mdc | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6079:An eyelash, morning ray
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OT Poetry: Proverbs 6:25 Don't lust after her beauty in your (Prov. Pro Pr) 
