The rudder of wisdom found in the proverbs and in the parables can help you navigate the roughest seas. Welcome to our summer study!
Each lesson will stand on its own in case you miss a lesson, but we will go through the whole book of Proverbs and many parables. If you are new, you can either be a silent reader or interact with new friends by following the simple directions: Click “Bible Study Blog” at the top of this page, and then “Getting Started” and follow the simple directions.
The first studyguide I ever wrote, forty years ago, was Proverbs and Parables.
I’ve learned a few things since then which I long to share, but what I saw as a young woman still thrills my soul. It is the same voice in each, the voice of Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are held.
(Colossians 2:3)
The title comes straight from the opening chapter of Proverbs:
Let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
Proverbs 1:6 (NIV)
Two voices, personified by women,
cry out to us in the book of Proverbs:
the woman wisdom,
and the woman folly.
And the parables continually contrast how the wise and the foolish approach God.
Don’t you want to live wisely?
Don’t you want to avoid the snares of living foolishly?
Don’t you want to experience the peace and fruitfulness that wisdom gives?
Though the wisdom of God is foolishness to man, it is your only hope.
Come, follow God’s own fool.
Prepare your hearts with this:
Sunday
1. What stands out to you from the above and why?
Monday – Thursday: Bible Study
THE PARABLE OF TWO HOUSES
One eye-opener I have had since that days I wrote Proverbs and Parables is what Tim Keller has so clearly revealed. There is the religious way and the gospel way, and the religious way is foolish and the gospel way is wise. But we as believers are so prone to fall into the foolish religious way, following the Lord “in pretense,” instead of with all our hearts. (Jeremiah 3:10)
The parable this week is about the two houses, but that is the summary parable of the Sermon on the Mount, so throughout the sermon these two ways of life are continually contrasted — the one who follows with all his heart, and the one of pretense. Watch: two ways of praying, two ways of fasting, two kinds of trees..
2. Explain how each of the following passages contrasts the religious way (pretense) with the gospel way (all our hearts). Look carefully at each and then evaluate which path you are on:
A. Matthew 6:1-4
B. Matthew 6:5-6
C. Matthew 6:16-18
D. Matthew 7:15-20
E. Matthew 7:24-27
3. In all the the above, how are the religious and the gospel person alike? How are they different? How were you quickened and warned?
Introduction to Proverbs
Proverbs are not promises, but maxims. The advice given is usually true — but not always. For example, hard work usually means you will not be poor — but there are exceptions.
4. Give an example of a proverb that is clearly a maxim and not a promise, for you know there are exceptions.
Key Verse of Proverbs:
Click, then close your eyes and listen carefully:
5. The purpose of Proverbs is explained in Proverbs 1:1-7. Summarize it.
6. Proverbs 1 – 9 exalt wisdom, and then we get into the pithy sayings of wisdom in 10-31. We get a clue as to the identity of wisdom in Proverbs 8:30-31. Can you guess who wisdom is? Explain your answer.
There are two ways to be foolish — to be very bad, like the younger son in the story of the prodigal sons, who rebelled against the father — or to seem to be very good, like the older son who also showed he did not love the father. Proverbs often concentrates on the young, who often rebel, but you will see the religious way of foolishness as well. Proverbs also has much advice to youth, for “foolishness is bound up in the heart of child,” and must be driven from him by wise parents and mentors.
7. What foolishness are young men warned about in Proverbs 1:8-19?
8. How do we teach our children to love everyone yet not run with those described in this passage?
9. Read Proverbs 1:20-33 and find the warnings and blessings of responding to wisdom.
If you found listening to Max Mclean helpful, do it again for Proverbs 2: Max Mclean reading Proverbs 2
10. Read Proverbs 2 and if a verse quickens you stop, meditate, ponder, and share. Ask the Lord to help you not just go through the motions of reading (thus the foolish pretender) but to seek Him with your whole heart.
Friday Sermon: Three Ways To Live
Whenever I can give you a free sermon, I will. But sometimes the best sermon is not free, and I’m hoping you’ll be able to come up with the 2.50, knowing it goes to support the ministries in New York of a wonderful church. The first time you purchase from Gospel in Life you set up an account, but then it is easier. Here is the sermon — please listen and then share your thoughts. (For those who have been with us a long time, you may already have it: Three Ways To Live)
http://www.gospelinlife.com/three-ways-to-live-8404.html
11. Share your notes and thoughts.
Saturday
12. What is your take-a-way and why?
320 comments
8. How do we teach our children to love everyone yet not run with those described in this passage?
I’ve been avoiding this question because it too, sorta puts my stomach in knots. But, it also hasn’t left me alone, so here goes. I do love what Diane and Jackie shared about exposing children to other cultures and to those who are regarded as ‘the least of these’. (I don’t know if I read everyone’s responses, but these are two I remember). I agree that there is so much value in exemplifying a life that is open to others and to not remain in our comfort zones. In this regard, we also practiced quite a lot of this. Since my husband worked in social services with minority populations for many years, we have had several Thanksgivings with guests from other countries/cultures. Our kids grew up with this being the norm. So, it wasn’t unusual at all for our college age kids to invite friends or coworkers to our family’s Thanksgiving. And twice we had gay men join us. In one case, for sure, the young man did not feel welcome in his own family. So, that’s the easy part for me. Showing by example, that we should open our homes to others who may have no other invitation. The hard part is ‘how do we teach them not to take on the views of others? Views that are very different than what we verbally taught them?” I guess I have no answers for that. I thought the answer was open dialogue about issues and I thought that we were pretty good at it. But I had no idea how much was hidden in one of my kid’s hearts. How many questions and how many hurts from other believers. When I see the phrase, ‘Hate the sin. Love the sinner.’ I have an inner struggle. While I completely agree that this is sound theology, I find it so very, very difficult to carry out. What I see around me, in the church, is often ‘Hate the sin. Ignore the sinner.’ OR “Ignore the sin. Love the sinner.”. If I’m honest, I fall into one or the other of those more often that I’d like to admit. When, unknown to me, one of my own, was struggling so deeply with Christianity and the behavior of Christians at about age 17, I found scrawled in the margin of a notebook, ‘Love the sinner. Love the sinner.” In retrospect, I see that as a silent plea for grace. It was during that era, that this teen was getting messages from kids (and maybe adults) at church that AIDS was God’s judgement on the gay lifestyle. And this teen didn’t buy it. And it was one of many stepping stones that took him/her away from the church and really into defending and advocating for many in the gay lifestyle (though this person is not gay). This is probably the most vivid example of why I question how to do this. I know the erroneous, bad theology message that was given by others in the church became a catalyst for ‘running with them’ but I also know, that not enough messages of grace were there to balance the truth of the Word. More questions than answers on this one for me. On the other hand, all of my adult kids are still close to several of the ‘church kids’ they grew up with. Those ties from childhood and youth did stick; sometimes, even if theological views vary widely. And really, when I think about this question and the people described in the Proverb, it’s not about sexual morality but about unethical, ill gotten gain. And on that score, I have no worries for my family. All my kids would detest ill gotten gain and the situations we are warned about in this text. I was trying to apply it to areas where I wonder and struggle more, I guess.
Wanda – of course when we get to Proverbs 5, 6 and 7 it is jam packed with the sexual immorality issue….so I guess you’re just skipping ahead a bit! In some ways though, sin is sin, right? The common core of this passage and (chapter 1, verses 8-19) and the words on sexual immorality would seem to me to be the issue of enticement, smooth words and desire…..this reminds me of James 1:14&15….”But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” For me, this is where I wish I could go back and know more about heart idols and “the sin beneath the sin” and to have lived that out more authentically in my parenting. Oh, if our kids (of all ages and stages!!!) could see the BEAUTY of the REAL……Christ, Wisdom…..THIS then, would be life to their souls. 🙂
THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING WANDA. I have one close friend who struggles with same sex attraction yet is living a celibate life out of obedience. She has increased my empathy for how challenging it is, and how we need to show grace. I struggle with my idols, and I need grace. I know part of grace is holding firm that whatever goes against God’s plan destroys a person, yet we still need to love love love and grace when they fall. Thanks so for this.
wanda, I am so convicted by your 8, I am out now and will have to write more later, but had to just say how much this ministered to me, challenged me–love the sinner, love the sinner, it really does all come back to love-truth yes, but I need to emphasize the love. Thank you for sharing this
4. Give an example of a proverb that is clearly a maxim and not a promise, for you know there are exceptions.
“The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.” Proverbs 10:27. Many devoted followers of Christ are taken at a young age, while many who live ungodly lives, live to a ripe old age!
5. The purpose of Proverbs is explained in Proverbs 1:1-7. Summarize it.
The purpose is to help a person be wise, to pattern his or her life after the One who has all wisdom and knowledge. The opening verses seem to me to read like an invitation. Do I want to be mentored in the areas of knowledge, discretion, discipline, and wisdom? Do I want to come under the wing of the Word of God, or do I want to try to figure it out myself?
Thank you for praying for Adam. He said the tests were the hardest he’s ever taken…but he was in a good mood when he came home tonight, and it was so nice to have him home! Will get results in 3 weeks. He leaves tomorrow morning for RI…please pray for safe travel and for his time there. Both of my sons were home and their girlfriends came over, too. We all had a nice time together…I felt really blessed to have this time with all of them. It warms my heart to see what good friends my two sons have become, now that they are adults. And they love their little sister…I wouldn’t have traded this evening for all the money in the world!
What a wonderful post, Susan! I love that your children are all good friends. That is truly so very heartwarming for a mom to see. 🙂
Wonderful, Susan!
6. I’ve shied away from sharing my opinion on this one, but here goes anyway! In Proverbs 8:30&31, I do see Wisdom as Christ. Initially, I thought that perhaps I just have believed that about this passage for a long while because I LIKE to believe it! But digging a bit more, I’m still comfortable with that perspective. I base that on New Testament passages as much as anything. I’m thinking in particular of John 1, Colossians 1 and Hebrews 1. In re-reading each of these passages, it just seems seamless to me with this section of Proverbs. But other interpretations of the Proverbs passage that fall short of personification of Christ are ok with me…..the NT passages still stand and I don’t see that it takes anything away from our understanding of Christ and His role in Creation, for instance.
I so respect your opinion, and understand the part of wanting to believe what we like to believe. Yet I too see the seamlessness with the passages you mentioned.
I see Christ too and in addition to the passages you shared, what came first to my mind was John 16 and 17 where Jesus speaks of His love for mankind (his disciples) and how he longs for them to have the joy of His Father and how he longs for the glory He shared with His Father ‘from the beginning’. It all seems to fit so clearly. But I do struggle with the passage Lizzy mentioned in Proverbs 1:20-33 where the words are so harsh. That doesn’t sound like the unconditional love of Jesus. But I know there is punishment for sin too. And there are many examples of God turning His back on His people for their rebellion in the OT. The Trinity will always be a mystery. One and yet three.
10. Reading chapter 2 was wonderful, but what stopped me in my tracks was what I found in my ESV’s Study Bible’s notes on this chapter. I had no idea whatsoever that this entire chapter is ONE LONG SENTENCE!!! What that spoke to my heart was the PASSION of the parents’ plea to the child!! This is a parent who loves God to his core…..and cannot even hardly take a breath for pleading with his child to fall in love with this God too! It’s as though he can’t contain himself and the words just pour forth. Right off the bat the word “treasure” in verse 1 stood out to me – do I TREASURE His Word? Is His Word, in some way, shape or form what pours forth from my life? When my kids look at my life do they see hard “truth” or even wishy washy “grace”? Or do they see Him who I TREASURE?? Oh, so convicting. And oh so hopeful. For this day can be a day when Christ is Who they see in my life…..I can decrease so that He may increase!! I also love the challenges – the gauntlet thrown down, so to speak – in these verses. For though we know salvation and wisdom is all of His grace….yet He bids us to “…..make our ear attentive, incline our hearts, call out for insight, raise your voice for understanding, seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure….” Wow. THAT is one challenge that I pray in this moment that we are all up for. Amen.
Oh my goodness, I think Solomon outdid Paul with the length of a sentence! 🙂
7. What foolishness are young men warned about in Proverbs 1:8-19?
To not hang out with friends whose feet run to evil.
8. How do we teach our children to love everyone yet not run with those described in this passage?
We are at a hotel eating breakfast and I just went over this passage with my boys. 🙂 We have to teach them but also we need to live it out-I think that is so important and teach them along the way as things happen.
My oldest, in my opinion, is living this and is setting a great example for his brothers but I don’t think it is because of our ‘great parenting’, it is the Lord. We have instructed him/them and still do as situations arise, don’t get me wrong, but God has given my son discernment yet I know his feet will stumble perhaps after he leaves home. What I have learned is that befriending those whose feet ‘obviously’ run to evil is easy to spot, it is the ones who run to evil ‘undercover’ that are hard to discern. For example, a popular kid who might be an athlete or just popular at school-who does everything right on the outside might also be deceptive toward his parents, or into partying and doing drugs on the side, or might gossip and tear others down pretty consistently, etc. My son is 16 and has never been invited to any party the kids at school may have at their homes and I am GLAD. 🙂 Being unpopular because he is a believer and because he befriends those who others won’t has actually been a blessing in his life.
So thankful for the example he is setting, Rebecca!
I have had my mom here this week, and I’m not sure I’ll get more time today, but I already know my take-away is Wanda’s answer to #8. I read it yesterday and it has not left my heart. It already impacted a dialogue I had with my daughter. God has been working in my heart gradually over this last year in a “strange” way and I’m sure I can’t articulate it just right yet–and this is related a bit to what we’re been discussing, though somewhat indirectly! And I know this comes from a naive voice in many ways because my oldest is not yet a teenager, but I feel Him telling me not to be SO afraid of (especially this one) going outside the lines a bit. I can only teach, try to “train”, and I can pray–but there are no guarantees–and yet, He is greater. I woke up with Karla Faye on my mind–and that’s an extreme example I know, but again, ‘love the sinner’–she was shown grace, shown Christ, and she was forgiven. Nothing is beyond His grace, His forgiveness, His love. My heart longs for my children to follow Him all their days…He longs for that even more than I do, but I want to have His grace, I want to not be so afraid at every step outside out bounds, I want to trust more. I still default to the early version of “Hope” (Idol Lies), but over these last few months especially I have seen how that intense stress and fear over my children’s choices, for me, is more than I can bear. So as I daily release them to Him, I know I have to release their choices too–and just stay on my knees! 🙂 One more thing I’m realizing, is that as much as I want my children to be ‘leaders and role models, etc…’ I want to take that pressure off of them. More and more, I am learning and I’ve become a broken record saying it at home–I do not want to raise children who ‘never mess up’, but ones who are great repenters–who confess, trust, and go out in the confidence of His forgiveness and love.
Lizzy — I see such wonderful things happening in a heart I already thought was gold…
Lizzy – your post was indeed “gold”. I for some reason kept thinking about Rosaria Butterfield’s book which we discussed a bit several months ago…..it’s called Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert and is just marvelous. One of the parts of her story that I was so very moved by was the way that Pastor Ken Smith and his wife Floy reached out to Rosaria and offered her an incredible FRIENDSHIP…..this humble little pastor and his wife rather represent to me the kind of people we would all love to be…..and the kind of heart that we would so love to see in our kids! 🙂 Just thought I’d throw that into the ring!
This study of Proverbs has helped me to examine myself and make sure that I am wisely following hard after pleasing God and not foolishly attempting to please man!
Stephanie welcome — good take-a-way!
Reading Proverbs 1 and 2 together, I am struck that verse 1:32 warns against passive faith” for the waywardness of the simple will kill them and the complacency of fools will destroy them”. Complacency means “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger.” In contrast Proverbs 2:1 – 5 uses verbs indicating that we must be the opposite of complacent – we must store up, turn, apply, call out, cry out, look and search. If we actively pursue wisdom our reward will be verse 5 “then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
Welcome Beth Ann — good insights on contrasting complacency with verbs in 2!
Look forward to the study.
Welcome LindaChris!
6. We get a clue as to the identity of wisdom in Proverbs 8:30-31. Can you guess who wisdom is? Explain your answer.
“Then I was the craftsman at His side…” It sure does sound like Jesus…as others have mentioned John 1, where it says that Jesus was with God in the beginning and “through Him all things were made.” I can see the other viewpoint of some commentaries, though, as the whole chapter describing wisdom as a “person” seems very poetic in describing an attribute of God-His wisdom. I can see that because in earlier verses it talks about wisdom being “brought forth as the first of His works…when there were no oceans, I was given birth.” If you took that literally, it sounds as if Jesus was “created” by God, but that doesn’t make sense because Jesus is God and God has always been.
7. What foolishness are young men warned about in Proverbs 1:8-19?
Being enticed by sinners, to go along with their schemes and plots; here it describes plotting to rob and harm someone, and how exciting it will be to get the stolen goods.
8. How do we teach our children to love everyone yet not run with those described in this passage?
I think a parent needs to be involved in their child’s life and to know their friends, and if possible, the parents of their friends. This gets harder as they get older…you can’t arrange play dates for your highschooler! Rebecca made a good point about it not always being easy to spot, as some run to evil “undercover”. You can pray for good friends for your kids, and talk to them about making good judgments about who they hang out with. Loving everyone doesn’t mean throwing shrewdness out the door. Sometimes as a parent, you might have to step in. Our son was involved with a girl the summer before he went to college and we didn’t have a good feeling about it. My husband, in particular, is pretty good at reading people; I am less so, but my husband doesn’t let emotions get in the way. So when our son started college that fall, although he was only about an hour away, my husband told him he needed to not come home on the weekends and get himself established there and make friends. This girl was still in high school. He basically told him he wasn’t allowed to come home. So he didn’t make it easy for our son to see this girl, and eventually, it ended, and after learning a few things about her, it really was the best thing.
9. Read Proverbs 1:20-33 and find the warnings and blessings of responding to wisdom.
The warnings are mostly that if you ignore wisdom, which is readily available if you will only ask for it, you will suffer the consequences of your actions. For those who stubbornly reject wisdom, it will lead to their destruction. But those who listen to wisdom have nothing to fear. I have wondered at what point in his life did Solomon write this, because he started out well, but didn’t end well, as far as his relationship with God and following Him.
Read Proverbs 2 and if a verse quickens you stop, meditate, ponder, and share ask the Lord to help you not just go through the motions of reading (thus the foolish pretender) but to seek Him with your whole heart. Verse 3, “call out” and “raise your voice” both bring to mind a beggar begging for his sustinence do I crave, plead for His wisdom and understanding as I would plead for and crave food for an empty belly and a starving body?! Do I cry from my depths for that which only He can give? Or do I complacently (yes, that word again) come as an endevour of my free time to fill my own curious desire? No, I need to realize the depth and depravity of my soul each day and call our, raise my voice for His insight – for this would be His Gospel. This would be Truth preached to me over and over by the Spirit which came as helper.
And then the promise. A beggar does not always find his sustinence when he needs it but then it says I will find understanding if I indeed seek it and while the Proverbs are not promises Christ promises this and so I can find hope here in this wisdom and be grateful. His insight lightens my heart, even before it is found, knowing that He knows and may show me a small part is so …. Elevating. It gives wings to my heart and lightens my mind, frees it to think in the Truth rather than my perspective. …..
I had much information on Proverbs ‘strange woman’, and Prov 9:13-18 woman, but apparently it wasn’t approved. The ‘strange’ woman in Proverbs (and likely Prov 9 woman too; The ‘LXX’ has the words ‘lacking a morsel’ in Prov 9:13 which sounds like words about a prostitute) is likely an adulterous prostitute or a serial adulteress, in simple terms. The ‘LXX’ has the genitive noun for prostitute in Prov 5:3 where the Hebrew/KJV has zarah/strange woman.
(continued)
I had much information on Proverbs ‘strange woman’, and Prov 9:13-18 woman, but apparently it wasn’t approved. The ‘strange’ woman in Proverbs (and likely Prov 9 woman too, 9:17 likely refers to adultery and 9:18 likely refers to her many victims/lovers/partners; The ‘LXX’ has the words ‘lacking a morsel’ in Prov 9:13 which sounds like words about a prostitute) is likely an adulterous prostitute or a serial adulteress, in simple terms. The ‘LXX’ has the genitive noun for prostitute in Prov 5:3 where the Hebrew/KJV has zarah/strange woman. I’ll try to give a condensced version of my research, I have researched Prov ‘strange woman’ and ‘Madam Folly’ of Prov 9:13-18 for many months in various Bibles and languages.
Here are a couple of pictures which I think are essentially accurate as to what she looks like:
https://proverbs4wisdom.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/woman-man-hotel-120427.jpg
https://img.youtube.com/vi/CCNMOmeAWvo/mqdefault.jpg
The two main terms for this ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’ or ‘estranged’ woman in Hebrew Proverbs are zarah/ishah zarah (can mean estranged wife, who can have sex with many men), and nokariyah (can mean foreign woman, and a foreign woman in ancient Israel was likely often a prostitute, likely at least in partbecause of Lev 19:29 and Deut 23:17-18 ‘frowning’ on Israelite prostitutes).
Prov 7:5,8 (‘the street near her corner’),10 (‘attire of an harlot’),12 (‘in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner’),16 (‘Egypt’; foreign aspect),19 (‘the man’/’my man’/’my husband’; likely married), 25-27 (7:26, ‘She hath cast down many wounded, and many strong men have been slain by her’; has manyvictims/partners/lovers) are the best verses showing what she is about. Prov 2:19 (Hebrew/’LXX’: ‘all’/’not’), ‘they’, 7:26 (‘many’, ‘many’), possibly 9:18 (‘the dead’, ‘her guests’) and possibly 6:26 in the ‘LXX’ (plural word: lives/souls) are evidences she has many victims/partners/lovers. She is likely married, Prov 2:17, 5:9-10, 6:26,29,32-35, 7:19, 9:17 are evidences of this. (‘stolen water is sweet’ in Prov 9:17 likely refers to adultery. A wife’s sexuality is referred to as water in Prov 5:15. Bread of secrets is pleasant or ‘hidden bread is pleasant’ in Prov 9:17 likely also refers to adultery, as Potiphar’s wife may be referred to as ‘the bread’ Potiphar knew, while he gave everything else into the hand of Joseph, Gen 39:6). This ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’ or ‘estranged’ woman in Proverbs apparently isn’t directly called a prostitute because the professional or unmarried prostitute is mentioned in Prov 6:26, 7:10, 23:27 (first part), 29:3 (plural), and this ‘foreign woman’ apparently has a foreign aspect (Prov 7:16) and is likely married, and is likely a married prostitute or serial adulteress in simple terms. I’d call her an estranged wife prostitute.
This ‘strange’ or ‘estranged’ or ‘foreign’ woman in Proverbs is likely a married prostitute, in simple terms. In more complex terms, I’d call her an estranged wife prostitute. Less likely, she is a ‘serial adulteress’. Prov 7:5,8,10-12,16 (foreign aspect, ‘Egypt’),19 (likely married, ‘the man’ is likely a term of belittlement, similar to Potiphar’s wife calling her husband ‘he’ in Gen 39:14, with no introduction or respect shown; or it is a term for vagueness),25-27 are the best verses showing what this Proverbs ‘strange’ woman is about. What is one to make of the words ‘And the adulteress will hunt for the precious life’ (plural in the ‘LXX’) in Prov 6:26? Likely this ‘strange woman’ in Proverbs is, at least, committing adultery on a regular basis,with many men. She may be hunting for the precious life/lives as in for it or them, as in hunting for wealth or hunting for men to commit adultery with.What this verse really means is disputed, but it is evidence that this ‘strange woman’ in Proverbs commits adultery, and in ancient Israel that meant she was married, as it was not adultery for an unmarried woman to have sex with a married man. There’s the mention of twilight in Prov 7:9, which is related to ‘The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.’ (Job 24:15)
Here’s some more information.
The words ‘her feet’ and ‘her steps’ and ‘give’ and ‘honour’ and ‘years’ and ‘wealth’ and ‘labours’
This Proverbs’ ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’ or ‘estranged’ woman is likely a married prostitute, estranged from/to her husband, yet still living in the same house with him (Prov 2:17, 5:9:10, 7:8-12, 27, possibly 9:13,17-18). If she’s not that, she’s likely a ‘serial adulteress’. Prov 6:24-26 is evidence she is flattering and might be a prostitute due to the mention of her beauty and seductive eyelids. In Prov 5:5,9-10, the words ‘her feet’, ‘her steps’, ‘give’, ‘honour’, ‘years’, ‘wealth’ and ‘labours’ sound like they are about a prostitute.
More information, which I would like include in my main post, please.
This Proverbs’ ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’ or ‘estranged’ woman is likely a married prostitute, estranged from/to her husband, yet still living in the same house with him (Prov 2:17, 5:9:10, 7:8-12, 27, possibly 9:13,17-18). If she’s not that, she’s likely a ‘serial adulteress’. Prov 6:24-26 is evidence she is flattering and might be a prostitute due to the mention of her beauty and seductive eyelids. In Prov 5:5,9-10, the words ‘her feet’, ‘her steps’, ‘give’, ‘honour’, ‘years’, ‘wealth’ and ‘labours’ sound like they are about a prostitute.
Here’s some more info about Proverbs ‘strange woman’.
Here are a couple of pictures which I think are essentially accurate as to what she looks like:
https://proverbs4wisdom.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/woman-man-hotel-120427.jpg
https://img.youtube.com/vi/CCNMOmeAWvo/mqdefault.jpg
The two main terms for this ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’ or ‘estranged’ woman in Hebrew Proverbs are zarah/ishah zarah (can mean estranged wife, who can have sex with many men), and nokariyah (can mean foreign woman, and a foreign woman in ancient Israel was likely often a prostitute, likely at least in partbecause of Lev 19:29 and Deut 23:17-18 ‘frowning’ on Israelite prostitutes).
Prov 7:5,8 (‘the street near her corner’),10 (‘attire of an harlot’),12 (‘in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner’),16 (‘Egypt’; foreign aspect),19 (‘the man’/’my man’/’my husband’; likely married), 25-27 (7:26, ‘She hath cast down many wounded, and many strong men have been slain by her’; has manyvictims/partners/lovers) are the best verses showing what she is about. Prov 2:19 (Hebrew/’LXX’: ‘all’/’not’), ‘they’, 7:26 (‘many’, ‘many’), possibly 9:18 (‘the dead’, ‘her guests’) and possibly 6:26 in the ‘LXX’ (plural word: lives/souls) are evidences she has many victims/partners/lovers. She is likely married, Prov 2:17, 5:9-10, 6:26,29,32-35, 7:19, 9:17 are evidences of this. (‘stolen water is sweet’ in Prov 9:17 likely refers to adultery. A wife’s sexuality is referred to as water in Prov 5:15. Bread of secrets is pleasant or ‘hidden bread is pleasant’ in Prov 9:17 likely also refers to adultery, as Potiphar’s wife may be referred to as ‘the bread’ Potiphar knew, while he gave everything else into the hand of Joseph, Gen 39:6). This ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’ or ‘estranged’ woman in Proverbs apparently isn’t directly called a prostitute because the professional or unmarried prostitute is mentioned in Prov 6:26, 7:10, 23:27 (first part), 29:3 (plural), and this ‘foreign woman’ apparently has a foreign aspect (Prov 7:16) and is likely married, and is likely a married prostitute or serial adulteress in simple terms. I’d call her an estranged wife prostitute.
This ‘strange’ or ‘estranged’ or ‘foreign’ woman in Proverbs is likely a married prostitute, in simple terms. In more complex terms, I’d call her an estranged wife prostitute. Less likely, she is a ‘serial adulteress’. Prov 7:5,8,10-12,16 (foreign aspect, ‘Egypt’),19 (likely married, ‘the man’ is likely a term of belittlement, similar to Potiphar’s wife calling her husband ‘he’ in Gen 39:14, with no introduction or respect shown; or it is a term for vagueness),25-27 are the best verses showing what this Proverbs ‘strange’ woman is about. What is one to make of the words ‘And the adulteress will hunt for the precious life’ (plural in the ‘LXX’) in Prov 6:26? Likely this ‘strange woman’ in Proverbs is, at least, committing adultery on a regular basis,with many men. She may be hunting for the precious life/lives as in for it or them, as in hunting for wealth or hunting for men to commit adultery with.What this verse really means is disputed, but it is evidence that this ‘strange woman’ in Proverbs commits adultery, and in ancient Israel that meant she was married, as it was not adultery for an unmarried woman to have sex with a married man. There’s the mention of twilight in Prov 7:9, which is related to ‘The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.’ (Job 24:15)
Here are some pastor and video links which I essentially agree with.
She is likely a serial adulteress or a serial adulterous prostitute, in simple, yet basically sufficient terms. This video mentions her being a ‘giant adulteress’, but the picture (3:30-3:33) looks like an adulterous prostitute, doesn’t it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkvCYCxkqkM
That is likely who she is in Proverbs.
She may be an ‘estranged’ wife/woman from her husband, and who has sex with many men. One of the main terms for her in Hebrew Proverbs, zarah/ishah zarah can have an ‘estranged’ meaning to it.
http://biblehub.com/aramaic-plain-english/proverbs/7.htm
These pastor links used to work, a couple no longer do because the pastor’s website no longer exists or has changed.
The pastor I agree with probably the most is this one here, by the name of M. Sean Reynolds, where he says:
Therefore, the “foreign woman” in Proverbs is a seductive adulteress, who is also sometimes a prostitute.
http://www.thewholecounsel.com/proverbs-2214/
Pastor/priest/Bible scholar George Leo Haydock’s Catholic commentary (mid 19th century) lists a married ‘abandoned woman’ (prostitute) as a preferred definition of who she is, citing Antoine Augustin Calmet (a French Benedictine monk of the 17th and 18th centuries who wrote commentaries on the Bible)
http://haydock1859.tripod.com/id1096.html
Here is pastor Bob Yandian who identifies her as a prostitute and claims a verse in Prov 9 shows what she’s really like, and implies her serial adulterous side with the words ‘He is stealing waters that rightfully belong to another man’, and with ‘This woman has a long list of successes and they are all lyingflat on their backs in the coffin.’
http://www.bobyandian.com/the-strange-woman/
Here is pastor Larry Wood who thinks she is at least some type of prostitute.
http://www.biblenews1.com/babylon/babylon3.html
‘For the prostitute is a deep pit, And the foreign prostitute is a narrow well. (Proverbs 23:27)’
Here is pastor Darrell Mitchell
http://www.netbiblestudy.com/00_cartimages/Proverbs.pdf
Chapter 5 is an exhortation to get acquaintance with and submit to the laws ofwisdom. Verses 3-4 give a particular caution against these heathen temple prostitutesand remedies are prescribed against that sin.
the primary scope of this chapter is to relate the symbol of theadulterous woman of idolatry, that tend to degrade men’s minds and manners –- thesetemple harlots certainly apply!
Here are some videos which I believe are along the lines of who I think she is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW7uDaCimuk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwIFC3rN5-c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hKORDJWBAo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWBXTWChN28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni9GsPEzq5U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NI1_KO5ggQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVnp-i7f5Bw