Proverbs 2:16-17
So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The term "strange woman" isn't just about nationality; it emphasizes that she is outside the proper relationship, belonging to someone else or an alien path. The original language hints that her "smooth words" are like oil, designed to make things slippery and easy for you to fall.
Wisdom, presented as a wise teacher, continues to explain the benefits of seeking understanding and discretion. Building on earlier warnings against the wicked, this section now focuses on the specific danger of seduction by a "strange woman"—an adulteress who uses deceptive, "smooth words" to lure unsuspecting individuals away from righteous paths and into her illicit ways.
Ever felt drawn in by someone's charm, only to realize their intentions weren't pure? The Bible paints a vivid picture of this danger.
The verse warns about the "adulteress with her smooth words." This isn't just about spoken deception; the original language suggests someone who 'makes her words smooth,' like polishing a surface until it gleams, hiding any rough edges or dangerous splinters underneath.
The Bible uses 'strange' and 'stranger' in ways that might surprise you, especially when it comes to warnings about illicit relationships.
The terms 'forbidden woman' (or 'strange woman') and 'adulteress' (or 'stranger') in this verse aren't always about nationality. While sometimes they could refer to foreign influences or women from outside the community, the primary danger highlighted here is one of relationship and covenant violation.
Understand the original words
natsal · Hebrew Verb
A term referring to the act of being rescued, rescued from danger, or saved from a specific trap, moral snare, or judgment. It implies an external intervention that brings one to a place of safety.
zarah · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Refers to a woman who is not one's wife; in Proverbs, she often represents the personification of folly, moral seduction, or infidelity that leads away from wisdom and God’s law.
nokriyyah · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
A woman who violates the sacred vows of marriage; she represents covenant-breaking and sexual immorality, which are condemned as sins against God and one's spouse.
beriyth · Hebrew Noun
This passage uses the same imagery, with God questioning Israel if they won't correct themselves after their unfaithfulness, asking 'Will you not from this time cry to me, My Father, you are the guide of my youth?' This echoes the 'guide of her youth' mentioned in Proverbs, highlighting the betrayal of sacred vows.
Matthew 5:27-28Jesus expands the concept of adultery beyond the physical act to include lustful thoughts, showing how the 'smooth words' of temptation begin in the heart and mind, making it a powerful parallel to the internal battle against illicit desires.
Romans 16:17-18Paul warns believers about those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the teaching they have learned, urging them to 'avoid such people' because they 'by smooth talk and flattery deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.' This directly connects to the 'flattereth with her words' in Proverbs.
1 Corinthians 6:18This verse offers a stark warning against sexual immorality, stating that 'whoever sins sexually, sins against his own body,' and frames it as a profound offense. It underscores the severe consequences that Proverbs warns about by offering deliverance from such enticements.
bensonProverbs 2:16: "To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;"
Proverbs 2:16-17 . To deliver thee from the strange woman — From the adulteress, or whore; called strange, partly because such persons were commonly heathen, or are supposed to be such by reason of that severe law against these practices in Israelitish women, Deuteronomy 23:17 ; or are justly reputed heathen, as being degenerate Israelites, who are often called strangers in the Scrip…
clarkeProverbs 2:16: "To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;"
The stranger which flattereth with her words - החליקה hechelikah, she that smooths with her words. The original intimates the glib, oily speeches of a prostitute. The English lick is supposed to be derived from the original word.
The term "strange woman" isn't just about nationality; it emphasizes that she is outside the proper relationship, belonging to someone else or an alien path. The original language hints that her "smooth words" are like oil, designed to make things slippery and easy for you to fall.
Wisdom, presented as a wise teacher, continues to explain the benefits of seeking understanding and discretion. Building on earlier warnings against the wicked, this section now focuses on the specific danger of seduction by a "strange woman"—an adulteress who uses deceptive, "smooth words" to lure unsuspecting individuals away from righteous paths and into her illicit ways.
Wisdom, presented as a wise teacher, continues to explain the benefits of seeking understanding and discretion. Building on earlier warnings against the wicked, this section now focuses on the specific danger of seduction by a "strange woman"—an adulteress who uses deceptive, "smooth words" to lure unsuspecting individuals away from righteous paths and into her illicit ways.
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Refers to the sacred, binding relationship established by God between a husband and wife, which is intended to be lifelong and exclusive. Breaking this covenant is a betrayal of both the spouse and the Lord.
"So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;" — The term "strange woman" isn't just about nationality; it emphasizes that she is outside the proper relationship, belonging to someone else or an alien path. The original language hints that her "smo…
