A Theology of Woman from Proverbs 5-7: A Foolish Woman to Avoid
This blog series is adapted from Sunday School lessons I wrote several years ago for women and teen girls. The goal was to form a “theology of woman” by looking chronologically at all of the major portions of Scripture regarding women and womanhood. What does the Bible say are the roles, duties, challenges, and opportunities that we have as women?
While the warnings regarding the “Proverbs 7 Woman” are addressed to men, the implications of the warnings apply to women. Although not every aspect of the description of this woman is a problem area or temptation for every woman, we all should be duly warned against any aspect of ungodliness exampled in her. The Proverbs 7 Woman models how not to live as a godly woman.
Her Background
She is a married woman.
Though married, she is unfaithful in her marriage. To the “young man lacking sense” who wandered by her house in the dark of night (Proverbs 7:6-9) she assures:
“My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” (Proverbs 7:19-20)
Her husband, probably a merchant, is gone on a business trip and will not be home for a while. It’s dark at night now, and he won’t be home until the full moon.
She is the kind of adulterous woman who forsakes her marriage, the covenant she has made before God (cf. Malachi 2:14-15).
“The adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.” (Proverbs 2:16-17)
The Hebrew word companion is used two other times in Proverbs, both times translated as “friend” (cf. Prov 16:28; 17:9). She had made a covenant of marriage with her friend whom she married. Obviously, their marriage and friendship had begun to break down before this encounter.
She is a “religious” woman.
“She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.” (Proverbs 7:13-15)
These vow offerings she offered were voluntary peace offerings, in which she made an offering as thanks to God for an answer to a prayer. Unlike many other offerings, the giver was able to take the bread, pastries, and meat home to eat (considered a luxury!). The giver, being rightly related to God, was supposed to then share the feast with her family as a symbol of joyous communion and fellowship with God.
This woman clearly was hypocritical in all of these religious acts. In fact, she was devious in the midst of her “worship.” She chose to give an expensive offering which she knew required a feast afterward at a time when her husband was gone. It seems that she may have used this as a ploy to make herself look godly and well-respected to her victim as well as to entice him to her home under false—even seemingly godly—pretenses.
Her Mindset
In the father’s description of this forbidden woman to his son, he said:
“Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.” (Proverbs 5:5-6)
The word ponder means “to mentally weigh” something.1 She does not carefully think about what she is doing. As a result of her careless thinking, she wanders. Wander means “to stagger, shake, or waver.” She does not even realize she has no direction. Yet, her careless thought pattern leads her steps to death. Her undisciplined mind has eternal consequences.
Her Heart
“And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.” (Proverbs 7:10)
She is “wily of heart.” The word wily can mean “guarded or hidden.”2In this context, wily refers to her subtlety and craftiness. She has a secret agenda, and she is willing to do whatever she must to manipulate her victim.
Delilah is a prime example of this wily, manipulative heart (cf. Judges 16:4-20). Her manipulative heart led to evil plans and actions.
Her Appearance
While her heart has a secret agenda, her clothing choices certainly do not. She dresses “as a prostitute” (Proverbs 7:10). Her clothing choices, in reality, reveal her heart. She is seeking out someone who is not her husband, and she dresses for the job.
Her Attitude
“She is loud and wayward.” (Proverbs 7:11a)
Loud
The Hebrew word implies “to make a noise. . . to roar, be agitated. . . to be turbulent.”3 She is flashy, gaudy, showy, theatrical, unrestrained, sassy, cocky, and pushy. She’s a “girl with an attitude!” However, Proverbs 9:13 says of the loud “Lady Folly” that she “knows nothing.” She is foolish and stupid.
Wayward
The Hebrew word means “stubborn. . . against God.”4This is a woman who demands her own way and refuses to be instructed or led.
Today’s culture praises these characteristics as virtues. The world renames them as “self-assertiveness” and “female empowerment.” However, God calls them sin.
Her Routine
“She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.” (Proverbs 7:11-12)
She was always out and about. She had neglected her priority—her home. Her physical routine drove her out of the home, and her mental focus was most certainly elsewhere.
Her Methods
Nonverbal communication
“Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.” (Proverbs 6:25)
Women like the Proverbs 7 Woman can capture men with their eyelashes. They have learned to send messages to men using looks, touches, body movement, head tossing, etc. This is flirting, seduction, and sin when done outside of the marriage relationship.
Promises of pleasure
“I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.” (Proverbs 7:16-18)
She describes to her victim the beautiful and expensive bedspreads and linens that she had prepared for him. The descriptions of such opulence imply a focus on extravagance that this woman had.
She also proposed that she and her victim delight in each other’s love all night. The phrase “take our fill” means to satisfy. She was proposing that their rendezvous would satisfy and bring intense joy. She was a self-indulgent woman who wanted instant pleasure.
Her Speech
“So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.” (Proverbs 2:16)
“For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil.” (Proverbs 5:3)
“To preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.” (Proverbs 6:24)
“To keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.” (Proverbs 7:5)
“With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.” (Proverbs 7:21)
The most frequently mentioned descriptor of this woman is how she speaks or uses her words. Note especially 7:21—“With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him” (italics added). She speaks a lot, she speaks manipulatively, and she speaks deceptively in order to flatter.
Her Outcome
“But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol.” (Proverbs 5:4-5)
Although she promises sweet enjoyments, her end is bitter. Her steps lead herself and those who go with her to death and judgment.
“All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.” (Proverbs 7:22-23)
Conclusion
I don’t know anyone who waits at corners dressed as a prostitute. Most of us, as believers, strive to live godly lives, living out our professions to Christ and our faithfulness to our husbands (if married). Yet, it would help each of us to examine ourselves in order to make sure that we do not practice any of the thoughts, attitudes, actions, or speech of the Proverbs 7 Woman. It is not too late to change any or all of these ungodly habits. All of our actions, words, clothing choices, and attitudes stem from our hearts. May the love of God so captivate our hearts so that we point others to him and live a life that shows the glory of a changed heart by God’s grace.
Holly Huffstutler serves with her husband David, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Rockford, IL. She blogs with him here where this post first appeared. Holly is a homemaker, raising and schooling her four children.
Photo by Gwendal Cottin on Unsplash