Proverbs 7:17 (Mini Sermon)

---

 

17. Pro 7:17 - "I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon." A. I have perfumed my bed i. Not only does this strange woman's bed look nice (Pro 7:16), but it smells nice too. ii. Perfume v. - 1. trans. To fill or impregnate with the smoke or vapour of some burning substance; b. of incense or other substance emitting an agreeable odour. (Now merged in 2.) 2. To impregnate with a sweet odour; to impart a sweet scent to. (Now the ordinary sense.) iii. God ordained that sweet smelling perfume was to be made from stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense for the tabernacle where He met with Moses (Exo 30:34-36). a. Stacte n. - A fragrant spice referred to by ancient writers; properly, the finest kind of myrrh, the exudation of the living tree b. Onycha n. - One of the ingredients in the incense used in the Mosaic ritual; the operculum of a species of Strombus, or other marine mollusc, which emits a penetrating aroma when burnt. c. Galbanum n. - 1. A gum resin obtained from certain Persian species of Ferula, esp. from F. galbaniflua and F. rubricaulis. d. Frankincense n. - 1. An aromatic gum resin, yielded by trees of the genus Boswellia, used for burning as incense; olibanum; occas. the smoke from the same. iv. The strange woman might very well have been trying to sanctify her filthy bed by perfuming it in imitation of the perfuming of the tabernacle of old. a. She was not using the same ingredients as Moses was commanded to, but she was using myrrh and aloes which are resins, so there is some similarity (see below). b. If she was trying to imitate it she was asking for trouble (Exo 30:37-38). v. Smells have a strong effect on a man's mood. vi. Perfume rejoices the heart (Pro 27:9), which is why she was using it to seduce the young man. B. with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. i. Myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon are all spices which women use to attract men (Son 4:14). a. Myrrh n. - 1. A gum-resin produced by several species of Commiphora (Balsamodendron), esp. C. Myrrha (see 2): used for perfumery and as an ingredient in incense. Also Med., the tincture made from this. In early use almost always with reference to the offering of myrrh by the Magi to our Lord. b. Aloe n. - 1. pl. The fragrant resin or wood of the agalloch (q.v.), derived from species of two East Indian genera, Aloexylon and Aquilaria. c. Cinnamon n. - 1. a. The inner bark of an East Indian tree (see 2), dried in the sun, in rolls or ‘quills’, and used as a spice. It is of a characteristic yellowish brown colour, brittle, fragrant, and aromatic, and acts as a carminative and restorative. ii. Myrrh is a perfuming spice fit for kings (Son 3:6-7; Mat 2:2, 11). iii. These are expensive spices which would help to deceive the young man into thinking that the woman was not a trashy, cheap woman, but an affluent woman of means. iv. Some whores, especially married ones, actually try to buy men with gifts (or luxurious accommodations in this case) (Eze 16:31-33). v. The thought of an ornately adorned bed perfumed with a sweet aroma would be very appealing to a lot of men.