a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
take
הֲיַחְתֶּ֤הha.yach.Teh
H2846
to lay hold of · interrogative particle + verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
fire
אֵ֬שׁ'esh
H784
fire (literally or figuratively) · noun, common both genders singular absolute
bosom
בְּחֵיק֑וֹbe.chei.Ko
H2436
the bosom (literally or figuratively) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
clothes
וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יוu.ve.ga.Dav
H899
a covering · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
burned
תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָהti.sa.Raf.nah
H8313
to be (causatively · verb, niphal imperfect, 3rd person feminine plural
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Job 31:9-12 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;
Hosea 7:4-7 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 6:20–end
Here is, I. A general exhortation faithfully to adhere to the word of God and to take it for our guide in all our actions.
1. We must look upon the word of God both as a light (Pro 6:23) and as a law, Pro 6:20, Pro 6:23. (1.) By its arguments it is a light, which our understandings must subscribe to; it is a lamp to our eyes for discovery, and so to our feet for direction. The word of God reveals to us truths of eternal certainty, and is built upon the highest reason. Scripture-light is the sure light. (2.) By its authority it is a law, which our wills must submit to. As never such a light shone out of the schools of the philosophers, so never such a law issued from the throne of any prince,…
Can a man take fire in his bosom,.... A whore is compared to fire, and is so called by the poets (o); and it is a saying of Pythagoras,
"it is a like thing to fall into fire and into a woman (p);''
the Hebrew words "esh", "fire", and "ishah", "a woman", have some affinity in sound; and the phrase of taking it "into the bosom" fitly expresses the impure embraces of a harlot;
and his clothes not be burned? he cannot, it is impossible; and equally vain is it to think that a man can commit whoredom and it not be known, or he not hurt by it in his name and substance, or in his body, soul, and life.
(o) Plauti Bacehides, Acts 4. Sc. 9. v. 15. "Accede ad ignem hunc", Terent. Eunuehus, Acts 1.…
The moral necessity of ruinous consequences which the sin of adultery draws after it, is illustrated by examples of natural cause and effect necessarily connected:
27 Can one take fire in his bosom
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can any one walk over burning coals
And his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth to his neighbour's wife,
No one remains unpunished that toucheth her.
We would say: Can any one, without being, etc.; the former is the Semitic "extended (paratactic)
(Note: The παρατακτικὸς χρόνος denotes the imperfect tense, because it is still extended to the future.)
construction." The first אישׁ has the conjunctive Shalsheleth. חתה signifies to seize and draw forth a bran…
The Church Fathers
Can a man hide fire in his bosom, etc.? It is permitted only to him who is solidified in the Catholic faith, such that he cannot be separated from it by the sweetness of words or cunning, to read the books of heretics.
When different sexes are placed together, they derive pleasure from those instincts with which they were born, and the natural flame is lighted by unnatural contact if it touches something inflammable. Who can ever take fire to his bosom and not be burned? Fire and tow are as objects naturally opposite, but when brought together, they nourish flames. The sex of a man and of a woman is different, but, if they are brought together, the result will be what is provoked by the law of nature.
Do not voluntarily make trial of your mind with lewd reflections which tempt you, because in this way wise men have been darkened and made fools. Do not store a flame in your bosom.Without harsh tribulations of the flesh it is difficult for untrained youth to be held under the yoke of sanctification. The beginning of the intellect's darkening (once a sign of it is visible in the soul) is to be seen, first of all, in slothfulness with regard to the services and prayer. For except the soul first fall away from these, she cannot be led in the way of error; but as soon as she is deprived of God's help, she easily falls into the hands of her adversaries. And again, whenever the soul becomes heedless of virtue's labours, she is inevitably drawn to what is opposed to them.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Fire · Illustrative of: Lust — Illustrative of: Lust
Garments · Called: Clothes — Called: Clothes
Temptation · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Young Men · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
walk on hot coals: Of course his feet will blister. The consequences are horrible.
Rashi on Proverbs 6:27
Can a man rake Can a man pick up live coals with the skirt of his garments without burning them? Every expression of חתיה is an expression of raking according to its apparent meaning, that he fills the vessel in the fire.
