Proverbs 6:25-29
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Don't just avoid acting on lust, but guard your heart from even desiring beauty with the intention to be enticed. The verse highlights "eyelids" not just as beautiful features, but as tools for "captivating" or ensnaring someone, pointing to the danger in even a subtle, alluring glance.
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The wisdom literature in Proverbs is speaking directly to the reader, offering guidance to avoid the ruinous path of the "loose woman." These verses are part of a larger section that warns against adultery and seduction, urging the listener to heed their parents' teaching and stay far from the enticements of a wicked woman. The passage builds towards this specific warning by describing her seductive nature and alluring, potentially dangerous, beauty.
The verse warns against desiring beauty 'in your heart.' What does this tell us about where sin truly begins?
The battle against sin isn't just won or lost in outward actions, but far earlier, within the hidden chambers of our heart. Proverbs 6:25 doesn't just say 'don't look,' it says 'don't desire in your heart.'
The Inner Predisposition
This means that the real temptation isn't just the external allure, but the internal response to it. It's about what happens inside you when you encounter something enticing. Unchecked thoughts and desires, even if unseen by others, are where sin takes root. Jesus echoes this in Matthew 5:28, showing that lustful thoughts are a form of adultery in the heart.
Cultivating Inner Purity
This calls us to a deeper level of vigilance. It's not enough to simply avoid outward temptations; we must actively guard our inner world. This involves redirecting our thoughts, refusing to dwell on tempting images, and consciously choosing to focus on what is pure and good.
The verse mentions 'eyelashes' and 'beauty.' What do these details reveal about how temptation often works?
Sin often doesn't present itself in a crude or obvious way. Instead, it uses subtle, beautiful, and even artistic methods to draw us in. Proverbs 6:25 paints a vivid picture of this.
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The mention of 'eyelids' likely refers to the ancient practice of women enhancing their eyes with cosmetics, like kohl, to make them appear more brilliant and alluring. This wasn't just about natural beauty, but an intentional artifice designed to captivate. It's a metaphor for anything that makes temptation look more appealing than it is.
The 'Net' of Attraction
These 'enchanting' eyes, or 'eyelashes,' are presented as a tool for ensnaring. The allure isn't just passive beauty; it's an active strategy to 'capture' or 'ensnare' the unwary. This reminds us that temptations are often designed to look desirable and can quickly draw us in before we realize we're caught.
Understand the original words
chamad · Hebrew Verb
A strong inner longing or craving. While desire itself is natural, the Bible warns against misplaced desires that compete with one's devotion to God and His wisdom.
zonah · Hebrew Noun
A person who engages in sexual activity for payment. Biblically, it is associated with immorality, lack of wisdom, and the degradation of the marriage covenant.
nephesh yeqarah · Hebrew Noun phrase
In Hebrew thought, 'life' (nephesh) often denotes the whole person, soul, or living being. 'Precious life' suggests the high value of a person’s integrity, spirit, and existence, which is endangered by adultery.
eshet ish · Hebrew Noun phrase
A woman who is under a covenantal marriage bond. Engaging with her is strictly forbidden by the seventh commandment and is treated as a grave sin against both the neighbor and God.
esh · Hebrew Noun
A natural element representing destruction, judgment, or intense passion. In wisdom literature, it serves as a metaphor for the inevitable, self-destructive consequences of sin.
naqah · Hebrew Verb
The Hebrew concept of 'punishment' or 'guilt' (naqah) implies being held accountable or declared guilty before the law. It conveys the certainty of divine or judicial retribution for moral transgression.
This passage directly links lustful thoughts in the heart to an act of adultery, echoing Proverbs' warning against desiring beauty and allowing it to capture one's affections internally.
2 Kings 9:30This verse describes Jezebel painting her eyes, which aligns with the commentary suggesting that 'eyelids' in Proverbs likely refers to the alluring, often enhanced, beauty of a woman's eyes in Eastern cultures.
1 Timothy 6:10The warning against 'desiring' beauty in Proverbs has a strong parallel in this verse, which states that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, highlighting the destructive nature of unchecked desire.
James 1:14-15This passage explains how desire leads to sin: 'each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed,' which directly illustrates the process described in Proverbs 6:25 of being captured by outward allurements.
clarkeProverbs 6:25: "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids."
Neither let her take thee with her eye-lids - It is a very general custom in the East to paint the eye-lids. I have many Asiatic drawings in which this is expressed. They have a method of polishing the eyes with a preparation of antimony, so that they appear with an indescribable lustre; or, as one who mentions the fact from observation, "Their eyes appear to be swimming in bliss."
pooleProverbs 6:25: "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids."
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; do not give way to, nor delight thyself with, unchaste thoughts or affections. Compare Matthew 5:28 . With her eyelids; either with her beauty, which consists much in the eyes; or rather, with her amours and wanton glances.
Don't just avoid acting on lust, but guard your heart from even desiring beauty with the intention to be enticed. The verse highlights "eyelids" not just as beautiful features, but as tools for "captivating" or ensnaring someone, pointing to the danger in even a subtle, alluring glance.
The wisdom literature in Proverbs is speaking directly to the reader, offering guidance to avoid the ruinous path of the "loose woman." These verses are part of a larger section that warns against adultery and seduction, urging the listener to heed their parents' teaching and stay far from the enticements of a wicked woman. The passage builds towards this specific warning by describing her seductive nature and alluring, potentially dangerous, beauty.
The wisdom literature in Proverbs is speaking directly to the reader, offering guidance to avoid the ruinous path of the "loose woman." These verses are part of a larger section that warns against adultery and seduction, urging the listener to heed their parents' teaching and stay far from the enticements of a wicked woman. The passage builds towards this specific warning by describing her seductive nature and alluring, potentially dangerous, beauty.
"Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. Can a man carry fire next to…" — Don't just avoid acting on lust, but guard your heart from even desiring beauty with the intention to be enticed. The verse highlights "eyelids" not just as beautiful features, but as tools for "…
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Last reviewed October 2026
