John Gill Commentary Proverbs 6:27

"Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?" — Proverbs 6:27 (ASV)

Can a man take fire in his bosom A whore is compared to fire, and is so called by the poets ^F15 ; and it is a saying of Pythagoras, "it is a like thing to fall into fire and into a woman ^F16 ;" the Hebrew words (va) , "esh", "fire", and (hvya) , "ishah", "a woman", have some affinity in sound; and the phrase of taking it "into the bosom" fitly expresses the impure embraces of a harlot;

and his clothes not be burned ? he cannot, it is impossible; and equally vain is it to think that a man can commit whoredom and it not be known, or he not hurt by it in his name and substance, or in his body, soul, and life.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F15: Plauti Bacehides, Act. 4. Sc. 9. v. 15. "Accede ad ignem hunc", Terent. Eunuehus, Act. 1. Sc. 2. v. 5.
  
• F16: (to eiv pur kai eiv gunaika) , apud Maximum, Eclog. c. 39.