Proverbs 7:12
Proverbs 7:12 in Multiple Translations
Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)
Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
One moment she'd be walking the streets, the next she'd be there in the town squares, loitering at every corner.)
Nowe she is without, nowe in the streetes, and lyeth in waite at euery corner)
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) —
Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
She often went into the city streets and plazas/markets, waiting to trap some man.
Berean Amplified Bible — Proverbs 7:12
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Proverbs 7:12 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
פַּ֤עַם
בַּ/ח֗וּץ
פַּ֥עַם
בָּ/רְחֹב֑וֹת
וְ/אֵ֖צֶל
כָּל
פִּנָּ֣ה
תֶאֱרֹֽב
פַּ֤עַם
paʻam
H6471
beat
N-fs
בַּ/ח֗וּץ
chûwts
H2351
outside
Prep | N-ms
פַּ֥עַם
paʻam
H6471
beat
N-fs
בָּ/רְחֹב֑וֹת
rᵉchôb
H7339
street/plaza
Prep | N-fp
וְ/אֵ֖צֶל
ʼêtsel
H681
beside
Conj | Prep
כָּל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
פִּנָּ֣ה
pinnâh
H6438
corner
N-fs
תֶאֱרֹֽב
ʼârab
H693
to ambush
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Proverbs 7:12
פַּ֤עַם
paʻam
H6471
"beat"
N-fs
This word refers to a beat or stroke, like a footstep or a blow. It can also mean a time or occurrence, and is used in the Bible to describe things like a single step or a repeated action.
Definition: 1) stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence 1a) foot, hoof-beat, footfall, footstep 1b) anvil 1c) occurrence, time, stroke, beat 1c1) one time, once, twice, thrice, as time on time, at this repetition, this once, now at length, now...now, at one time...at another
Usage: Occurs in 108 OT verses. KJV: anvil, corner, foot(-step), going, (hundred-) fold, [idiom] now, (this) [phrase] once, order, rank, step, [phrase] thrice, (often-), second, this, two) time(-s), twice, wheel. See also: Genesis 2:23; 1 Samuel 3:10; Psalms 17:5.
בַּ/ח֗וּץ
chûwts
H2351
"outside"
Prep | N-ms
This word means outside or outdoors, referring to something beyond a wall or boundary. It can also mean a street or highway, as seen in various KJV translations, including abroad, field, and without.
Definition: outside, outward, street, the outside
Usage: Occurs in 158 OT verses. KJV: abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without. See also: Genesis 6:14; 2 Chronicles 24:8; Psalms 18:43.
פַּ֥עַם
paʻam
H6471
"beat"
N-fs
This word refers to a beat or stroke, like a footstep or a blow. It can also mean a time or occurrence, and is used in the Bible to describe things like a single step or a repeated action.
Definition: 1) stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence 1a) foot, hoof-beat, footfall, footstep 1b) anvil 1c) occurrence, time, stroke, beat 1c1) one time, once, twice, thrice, as time on time, at this repetition, this once, now at length, now...now, at one time...at another
Usage: Occurs in 108 OT verses. KJV: anvil, corner, foot(-step), going, (hundred-) fold, [idiom] now, (this) [phrase] once, order, rank, step, [phrase] thrice, (often-), second, this, two) time(-s), twice, wheel. See also: Genesis 2:23; 1 Samuel 3:10; Psalms 17:5.
בָּ/רְחֹב֑וֹת
rᵉchôb
H7339
"street/plaza"
Prep | N-fp
A street or plaza, referring to a public area or open space, like a marketplace or a thoroughfare. This word is used to describe urban settings and community gathering places, often in stories about city life and trade. It appears in books like Nehemiah and Jeremiah.
Definition: broad or open place or plaza
Usage: Occurs in 41 OT verses. KJV: broad place (way), street. See also H1050 (בֵּית רְחוֹב). See also: Genesis 19:2; Proverbs 7:12; Psalms 55:12.
וְ/אֵ֖צֶל
ʼêtsel
H681
"beside"
Conj | Prep
Beside or near, this preposition indicates proximity or closeness to something or someone. It is often translated as at, by, or near in the King James Version, and is used to describe physical or spatial relationships in the Bible.
Definition: 1) beside, by, near, nearness, joining, proximity subst 2) (BDB) 2a) conjunction, proximity 2b) beside, in proximity, contiguous to, from beside
Usage: Occurs in 57 OT verses. KJV: at, (hard) by, (from) (beside), near (unto), toward, with. See also H1018 (בֵּית הָאֵצֶל). See also: Genesis 39:10; 2 Chronicles 9:18; Proverbs 7:8.
כָּל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
פִּנָּ֣ה
pinnâh
H6438
"corner"
N-fs
This word refers to a corner or an angle, like a pinnacle or a chief ruler. It's used in descriptions of buildings, cities, and leaders in the Bible, like in Exodus and Isaiah.
Definition: 1) corner 1a) corner (of square objects) 1b) corner (of ruler or chief-fig.) Also means: pen (פֵּן "Corner" H6434)
Usage: Occurs in 29 OT verses. KJV: bulwark, chief, corner, stay, tower. See also: Exodus 27:2; Psalms 118:22; Proverbs 7:8.
תֶאֱרֹֽב
ʼârab
H693
"to ambush"
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs
This verb means to lie in wait or ambush someone, often used to describe a surprise attack. It is used in the Bible to talk about people who are hiding and waiting to attack. The word can also mean to lay a trap for someone.
Definition: 1) to lie in wait, ambush, lurk 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lie in wait 1a2) ambush (participle as subst) 1b) (Piel) ambushers, liers-in-wait (pl. participle) 1c) (Hiphil) to lay an ambush
Usage: Occurs in 39 OT verses. KJV: (lie in) ambush(-ment), lay (lie in) wait. See also: Deuteronomy 19:11; Judges 20:38; Psalms 10:9.
Study Notes — Proverbs 7:12
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Proverbs 7:12 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Proverbs 7:12
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 7:12
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
- Trapp's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
- Cambridge Bible on Proverbs 7:12
- Whedon's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
- Sermons on Proverbs 7:12
Context — Warnings about the Adulteress
10Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
11She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
12Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
13She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him: 14“I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 23:28 | Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men. |
| 2 | Proverbs 9:14 | She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city, |
| 3 | Revelation 18:3 | All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.” |
| 4 | Revelation 18:23 | The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” |
| 5 | Ezekiel 16:31 | But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. |
| 6 | Jeremiah 2:33 | How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways. |
| 7 | Jeremiah 2:20 | “For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute. |
| 8 | Ezekiel 16:24–25 | you built yourself a mound and made yourself a lofty shrine in every public square. At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty. With increasing promiscuity, you spread your legs to all who passed by. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 3:2 | “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. |
| 10 | Jeremiah 2:36 | How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria. |
Proverbs 7:12 Summary
[This verse is talking about a woman who is trying to tempt men into sin, and she is doing it in many different places and ways. She is like a hunter, waiting to pounce on her next victim. We can learn from this verse by being aware of the temptations that surround us, and being mindful of our actions and the company we keep, as instructed in Proverbs 22:3 and 1 Thessalonians 5:22. By being careful and seeking to please God, we can avoid falling into sin and instead live a life that is pleasing to Him.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of woman is being described in Proverbs 7:12?
The woman being described in Proverbs 7:12 is an adulteress, who is actively seeking to lure men into sin, as seen in her actions described in Proverbs 7:10-11 and Proverbs 7:13. This is in contrast to the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31:1-31.
What does it mean that she 'lurks at every corner'?
When it says she 'lurks at every corner', it means she is constantly on the lookout for her next victim, waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting man, much like a hunter waits for prey, as warned against in Proverbs 6:25 and Proverbs 23:28.
Is this verse only talking about physical locations?
While the verse does mention physical locations like the street and squares, it is also a metaphor for the many ways and places that temptation can be found, as Jesus warns in Matthew 26:41 and 1 Corinthians 10:13.
How can we apply this verse to our modern lives?
We can apply this verse by being aware of the many temptations that surround us, whether it be through social media, entertainment, or other forms of worldly influence, and being mindful of our actions and the company we keep, as instructed in Psalm 101:3 and 2 Timothy 2:22.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I might be 'lurking at every corner', looking for ways to satisfy my own desires rather than seeking to please God?
- How can I be more mindful of the temptations that surround me, and what strategies can I use to resist them?
- What are some 'streets and squares' in my life where I am most likely to encounter temptation, and how can I prepare myself to face them?
- In what ways can I seek to be more like the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:1-31, who is praised for her character and actions?
Gill's Exposition on Proverbs 7:12
Now [is she] without,.... The word for whore is sometimes rendered in the Targum (i) one that goes abroad, or without her house; sitting or standing at the door of it, in an idle posture, and in
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 7:12
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: (Parenthetical description of the whorish woman's characteristics.) (She (is) loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
Without; standing or waiting without or nigh the door of her house. In the streets; in places of resort. At every corner; at the corners of the streets, where she might either conceal or discover herself, as she saw fit.
Trapp's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
Proverbs 7:12 Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)Ver. 12. Now she is without.] Further observe, that the former faults - loudness of language, stubbornness against a husband’ s lawful commands and restraints, and this of gadding up and down to see and to be seen - albeit they be not certain signs, yet they are strong presumptions of a whorish disposition.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
Verse 12. Now is she without] She is continually exposing herself, and showing by her gait and gestures what she is, and what she wants. These two verses are a parenthesis, intended to show the character of the woman.
Cambridge Bible on Proverbs 7:12
12. without … streets] Rather, in the streets, in the open spaces, or squares. corner] Where two or more ways meet, and there is therefore more likelihood of passers-by. Comp. Matthew 6:5.
Whedon's Commentary on Proverbs 7:12
11, 12. Loud… stubborn — Or, reckless, turbulent, and refractory; in Hosea 4:16, rendered backsliding.
Sermons on Proverbs 7:12
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(In the Word) 11 - the Mother of Harlots by Milton Green | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of following the Word of God rather than adhering to old traditions or wrong teachings. They urge listeners to listen to the e |
|
Concerning the Church, or Church State Under the Gospel by Isaac Penington | Isaac Penington preaches about the state of the church under the gospel, highlighting the apostasy from truth that has covered the Earth for ages. He emphasizes the importance of r |
|
Star Wars ‘The Phantom Menace’: An Ultimate Idolatry? by Art Katz | Art Katz addresses the pervasive influence of the Star Wars franchise and its associated marketing, expressing concern over the idolatry it represents in modern society. He critiqu |
|
The History of Free Masonry - Part 2 by John Daniel | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the negative impact of video games on the minds of young people. He argues that these games teach them how to kill easily and desensitize the |
|
|
Identifying Some Signs of the Last Days by William Crews | This sermon delves into the dangers of false prophets and teachers, emphasizing their deceptive tactics, the rise of false doctrines, and the impact on individuals and society. It |
|
|
Casting Witchcraft Out of the Church by Phil Beach Jr. | Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the urgent need to cast out witchcraft from the church, identifying it as a work of the flesh that leads to disobedience to God's truth. He explains that |
|
A Cry Against Wicked Youth! by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson delivers a powerful sermon titled 'A Cry Against Wicked Youth!' where he draws parallels between the wickedness of Nineveh and the moral decline of modern youth. He |