Proverbs 9:13
The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Proverbs 9:13
The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The surprising thing about Folly is that all her loud, seductive invitations are offered by someone who "knows nothing." She’s not a master strategist; her whole appeal rests on ignorance—ignorance of truth, of consequences, and of anything truly good.
This verse continues the stark contrast between Wisdom and Folly, personified as two women hosting feasts. Just as Wisdom offers nourishing food for life, Folly is presented here as a seductive, noisy figure whose invitations lead to destruction. This description immediately sets the stage for the consequences of choosing Folly's path, emphasizing her ignorance and lack of genuine substance compared to Wisdom's life-giving invitation.
Wisdom offers a quiet, generous feast. But Folly? She's loud, trying to drown out any competing voices. What does her 'clamorous' nature reveal?
Folly is personified here as a 'woman' who is 'clamorous.' This isn't just being talkative; it's a loud, insistent, and often aggressive way of drawing attention. Think of how modern advertising shouts, or how a scammer might use urgency and a constant barrage of messages to overwhelm your good sense.
Folly is loud, but the verse reveals a startling truth: she 'knows nothing.' How can someone so assertive be so clueless?
The most striking aspect of Folly is her profound ignorance. Despite her loudness and seductive tactics, she is fundamentally clueless.
Understand the original words
iwweleth · Hebrew Noun
A metaphorical representation of moral and spiritual ignorance. In Proverbs, she personifies the rejection of wisdom, characterized by vanity, deceit, and a loud, seductive influence that leads away from life.
pethayuth · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Being simple, naive, or lacking moral discernment. In a negative sense, it refers to those who are easily enticed by sin because they lack a foundation of spiritual understanding.
This verse describes the 'loud and rebellious' woman from Proverbs 7, showing a consistent pattern of noisy and attention-seeking behavior associated with destructive folly.
Matthew 12:45Jesus speaks of an evil spirit returning to find its 'house swept and put in order,' a parallel to Folly's emptiness and vulnerability to negative influences due to her lack of true knowledge.
Hosea 4:6This passage explicitly states that people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, echoing Folly's ignorance and reinforcing the dire consequences of choosing her path over wisdom.
Romans 1:21-22Paul describes people whose thinking became futile and hearts darkened, leading to foolishness. This connects to Folly's profound ignorance, not just of facts, but of what is truly good and life-giving.
bensonProverbs 9:13: "A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing."
Proverbs 9:13 . A foolish woman, &c. — “Here we have another allegorical picture, describing folly under the person of a harlot, who fascinates with her enticements, and offers also her dainties to her guests; but dainties tainted with the most subtle poison.” The Hebrew, אשׁת כסילות , is literally, the woman of folly, or folly herself compared to a woman, and bearing the character of a harlot. This is opposed to…
clarkeProverbs 9:13: "A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing."
A foolish woman is clamorous - Vain, empty women, are those that make most noise. And she that is full of clamor, has generally little or no sense. We have had this character already, see Proverbs 7:11 . The translation of the Septuagint is very remarkable: Γυνη αφρων και θρασεια, ενδεης ψωμου γινεται, "A lewd and foolish woman shall be in need of a morsel of bread."
The surprising thing about Folly is that all her loud, seductive invitations are offered by someone who "knows nothing." She’s not a master strategist; her whole appeal rests on ignorance—ignorance of truth, of consequences, and of anything truly good.
This verse continues the stark contrast between Wisdom and Folly, personified as two women hosting feasts. Just as Wisdom offers nourishing food for life, Folly is presented here as a seductive, noisy figure whose invitations lead to destruction. This description immediately sets the stage for the consequences of choosing Folly's path, emphasizing her ignorance and lack of genuine substance compared to Wisdom's life-giving invitation.
This verse continues the stark contrast between Wisdom and Folly, personified as two women hosting feasts. Just as Wisdom offers nourishing food for life, Folly is presented here as a seductive, noisy figure whose invitations lead to destruction. This description immediately sets the stage for the consequences of choosing Folly's path, emphasizing her ignorance and lack of genuine substance compared to Wisdom's life-giving invitation.
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"The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing." — The surprising thing about Folly is that all her loud, seductive invitations are offered by someone who "knows nothing." She’s not a master strategist; her whole appeal rests on ignorance—ignorance o…