Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

PROVERBS 7:18KJV
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Proverbs 7:18 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 7:18 mean?

Proverbs 7:18 records an invitation to indulge in romantic or sexual pleasure throughout the night, describing it as an opportunity to enjoy and comfort one another with love. The verse is spoken by a woman enticing a young man, urging him to give in to desire without restraint.

In the context of Proverbs 7, this verse is part of a warning against adultery. The woman is speaking to a young man, trying to persuade him to join her in an affair while her husband is away. The language is deliberately tempting, showing how seductive words can lead someone into making poor choices.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 7:18

  • "Fill" (רָוָה, ravah): This word means to be saturated or to drink deeply. Here, it emphasizes the idea of indulging fully in pleasure, not holding back.
  • "Love" (דּוֹד, dod): This word often refers to physical or romantic love, not just affection. The use here highlights the sensual nature of the invitation.
  • "Solace" (עָלַס, alas): This word means to find comfort or enjoyment. In this verse, it suggests seeking emotional or physical comfort in each other's company.
  • "Loves" (אַהֲבָה, ahavah): This is a broader word for love, often used for deep affection or passion. Its plural form here may suggest repeated acts or a variety of pleasures.

Why Proverbs 7:18 matters

  • Proverbs 7:18 helps the reader see how persuasive and appealing temptation can sound, especially when it is dressed up in promises of pleasure and comfort.
  • The verse is a key part of the larger warning in Proverbs 7, showing the tactics used to lure someone into wrongdoing, which helps the reader recognize and resist similar temptations.
  • Understanding the specific words for love and pleasure in the original Hebrew highlights the depth and intensity of the temptation being described, making the warning more vivid.

Where else these words appear

“solace” Hebrew H5965 · used in 3 verses

  • Job 20:18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
  • Job 39:13 Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

“fill” Hebrew H7301 · used in 14 verses

  • Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
  • Isaiah 16:9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.
  • Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

“love” Hebrew H1730 · used in 53 verses

  • Leviticus 10:4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
  • Song of Solomon 2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
  • Song of Solomon 6:1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.