Proverbs 7:17
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Original Language Analysis
נַ֥פְתִּי
I have perfumed
H5130
נַ֥פְתִּי
I have perfumed
Strong's:
H5130
Word #:
1 of 5
to quiver (i.e., vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro); used in a great variety of applications (including sprinkling, beckoning, rubbing, bastinad
מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י
my bed
H4904
מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י
my bed
Strong's:
H4904
Word #:
2 of 5
a bed (figuratively, a bier); abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal intercourse
Historical Context
Song of Solomon celebrates similar sensory delights within marriage - spices, perfumes, intimate pleasures (4:14, 5:1). The difference is context: marital covenant versus adulterous betrayal. Satan's strategy is perverting good gifts by removing them from God's designed contexts. Sexual pleasure, sensory delight, aesthetic beauty - all good within marriage, all destructive outside it.
Questions for Reflection
- How does temptation engage multiple senses simultaneously to overwhelm resistance?
- What God-designed pleasures are you tempted to enjoy outside His intended contexts?
- How can you celebrate legitimate sensory and sexual pleasures within appropriate boundaries while resisting illegitimate versions?
Analysis & Commentary
I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. The Hebrew 'noph' (sprinkle/perfume) and exotic spices create sensory seduction. Myrrh, aloes, cinnamon were expensive imports creating luxurious aromatics. The seductress appeals comprehensively to senses - visual beauty (v.16), aromatic pleasure (v.17), later sexual gratification (v.18). Temptation engages multiple dimensions simultaneously. Resisting requires recognizing comprehensive assault and responding with equally comprehensive commitment to wisdom.