Proverbs 7

As usual, read 'it' as a personal pronoun of non-specific gender in a compromised situation. I have not always been consistent with this technique, but it is used frequently in my readings as I explore both the positive and negative aspects of gender usage in the Hebrew.

Hebrew like English has no third person singular personal pronoun that includes both genders. Hebrew like French and unlike English has gendered nouns and adjectives, but these may or may not be anything more than grammatical gender. This must be a potentially long-winded thought, so enough is enough. Distractions are manifold. And that is what this passage is about. Think of the antecedent of it as being youth. 

Notice the absence of a rest point in verse 7. The implied continuations signaled by the first note of several verses indicate subtlety (f), continuity (g) and alarm (C). Music is full is here.

Remember in Proverbs, there are two female characters, wisdom, and the sifting woman. Here too there is the youth (it) and an unnamed householder (he) whose house is borrowed for the saturated infatuations.

Proverbs 7		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ	1	g	My child keep my sayings, and my commandments, treasure with you.	3e	4B	7 8
שְׁמֹ֣ר מִצְוֺתַ֣י וֶחְיֵ֑ה וְ֝תוֹרָתִ֗י כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן עֵינֶֽיךָ	2		Keep my commandments and live, and my instruction as the picture in your eyes.	3e	4B	7 10
קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ	3		Fasten them upon your fingers. Write them upon the tablet of your heart.	3e	4A	8 8
אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע לַבִּינָ֥ה תִקְרָֽא	4		Say to wisdom, My sister you are, and Acquaintance, to discernment, call.	3e	4B	9 8
לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה	5	g	To keep you from a sifting woman, from the unrecognizable, her promises smooth.	3e	4B	8 12
כִּ֭י בְּחַלּ֣וֹן בֵּיתִ֑י בְּעַ֖ד אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי	6	g	For in the window of my house, through my casement, I have leaned over to look,	3e	4B	6 8
וָאֵ֤רֶא בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם אָ֘בִ֤ינָה בַבָּנִ֗ים נַ֣עַר חֲסַר־לֵֽב	7		And I see among the simple, I understand among the children, youth is lacking in heart.	3e	4C	17
עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֵּיתָ֣הּ יִצְעָֽד	8		Passing in the souk next to her corner, and the way to her house, it marches,	3e	4B	8 7
בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־בְּעֶ֥רֶב י֑וֹם בְּאִישׁ֥וֹן לַ֝֗יְלָה וַאֲפֵלָֽה	9		In the twilight, in the evening of a day, in a picture of night and gloom,	3e	4A	7 9
וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֭שָּׁה לִקְרָאת֑וֹ שִׁ֥ית ז֝וֹנָ֗ה וּנְצֻ֥רַת לֵֽב	10		And behold a woman encounters it, set up for harlotry and observant of heart.	3e	4B	8 7
הֹמִיָּ֣ה הִ֣יא וְסֹרָ֑רֶת בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ לֹא־יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ רַגְלֶֽיהָ	11		Murmuring she is and rebellious. In her house, her feet will not dwell.	3e	4B	8 10
פַּ֤עַם ׀ בַּח֗וּץ פַּ֥עַם בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת וְאֵ֖צֶל כָּל־פִּנָּ֣ה תֶאֱרֹֽב	12	C	Footfall outside, footfall in the plazas, and next at every corner, she lies in wait.	3e	4C	9 9
וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה בּ֭וֹ וְנָ֣שְׁקָה־לּ֑וֹ הֵעֵ֥זָה פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ וַתֹּ֣אמַר לֽוֹ	13		So she was resolute with it, and kissed it. Strong her face, and she said to it,	3e	4B	10 10
זִבְחֵ֣י שְׁלָמִ֣ים עָלָ֑י הַ֝יּ֗וֹם שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי נְדָרָֽי	14		I have offerings of peace on me. Today I have paid my vows.	3e	4B	7 8
עַל־כֵּ֭ן יָצָ֣אתִי לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ לְשַׁחֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ	15		So I have come out to call you, early to seek your face, and I have found you.	3e	4B	9 11
מַ֭רְבַדִּים רָבַ֣דְתִּי עַרְשִׂ֑י חֲ֝טֻב֗וֹת אֵט֥וּן מִצְרָֽיִם	16	g	With tapestries I have upholstered my bed, dressed with the yarn of Egypt.	3e	4B	8 8
נַ֥פְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מֹ֥ר אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים וְקִנָּמֽוֹן	17	f	I have sprinkled my litter, myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.	3e	4A	5 8
לְכָ֤ה נִרְוֶ֣ה דֹ֭דִים עַד־הַבֹּ֑קֶר נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה בָּאֳהָבִֽים	18		Come, let us saturate infatuations till the morning, let us take solace in our loves.	3e	4C	10 7
כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין הָאִ֣ישׁ בְּבֵית֑וֹ הָ֝לַ֗ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מֵרָחֽוֹק	19	C	For there is no-one in his house. He is gone on a journey far away.	3e	4C	7 8
צְֽרוֹר־הַ֭כֶּסֶף לָקַ֣ח בְּיָד֑וֹ לְי֥וֹם הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא יָבֹ֥א בֵיתֽוֹ	20		An anguish of silver he took in his hand. On the day of the full moon he will enter his house.	3e	4B	10 9
הִ֭טַּתּוּ בְּרֹ֣ב לִקְחָ֑הּ בְּחֵ֥לֶק שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יהָ תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ	21	g	She made it bend with her much tuition. With her smooth lips, she enticed it.	3e	4B	7 11
ה֤וֹלֵ֥ךְ אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ פִּ֫תְאֹ֥ם כְּ֭שׁוֹר אֶל־טָ֣בַח יָב֑וֹא וּ֝כְעֶ֗כֶס אֶל־מוּסַ֥ר אֱוִֽיל	22	C	It went following her suddenly, as a bull to slaughter comes, and as an ankle-clasp for the chastening of the obstinate.	3e	4C	8 7 8
עַ֤ד יְפַלַּ֪ח חֵ֡ץ כְּֽבֵד֗וֹ כְּמַהֵ֣ר צִפּ֣וֹר אֶל־פָּ֑ח וְלֹֽא־יָ֝דַ֗ע כִּֽי־בְנַפְשׁ֥וֹ הֽוּא פ	23	C	Till an arrow slices its liver, as a bird rushes headlong to a snare, and it knows not that it is against itself.	3d	4C	15 9
וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי	24		So now children, hear of what is mine, and attend to the sayings of my mouth.	3e	4B	8 8
אַל־יֵ֣שְׂטְ אֶל־דְּרָכֶ֣יהָ לִבֶּ֑ךָ אַל־תֵּ֝תַע בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶֽיהָ	25		Do not let your heart veer to her ways. Do not wander into her pathways.	3e	4B	11 8
כִּֽי־רַבִּ֣ים חֲלָלִ֣ים הִפִּ֑ילָה וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים כָּל־הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ	26		For many are profaned that she has made fall, and numerous are all of her slain.	3e	4B	8 9
דַּרְכֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל בֵּיתָ֑הּ יֹ֝רְד֗וֹת אֶל־חַדְרֵי־מָֽוֶת פ	27		The ways of the grave are in her house, descending to the inner rooms of death.	3e	4B	6 7