Proverbs 7:18-19

7:18 Come, let’s drink deeply ¹  of lovemaking ²  until morning,

let’s delight ourselves ³  with sexual intercourse. ⁴ 

7:19 For my husband ⁵  is not at home; ⁶ 

he has gone on a journey of some distance.

[7:18]  ¹ tn The form נִרְוֶה (nirveh) is the plural cohortative; following the imperative “come” the form expresses the hortatory “let’s.” The verb means “to be saturated; to drink one’s fill,” and can at times mean “to be intoxicated with.”

[7:18]  ² tn Heb “loves.” The word דּוֹד (dod) means physical love or lovemaking. It is found frequently in the Song of Solomon for the loved one, the beloved. Here the form (literally, “loves”) is used in reference to multiple acts of sexual intercourse, as the phrase “until morning” suggests.

[7:18]  ³ tn The form is the Hitpael cohortative of עָלַס (’alas), which means “to rejoice.” Cf. NIV “let’s enjoy ourselves.”

[7:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “with love.”

[7:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “the man.” The LXX interpreted it as “my husband,” taking the article to be used as a possessive. Many English versions do the same.

[7:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “in his house.”