Proverbs 2:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words,

NIV: Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words,

NASB: To rescue you from the strange woman, From the foreign woman who flatters with her words,

CSB: It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, from a wayward woman with her flattering talk,

NLT: Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.

KJV: To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

NKJV: To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words,

This verse uses the metaphor of a strange woman. It's interesting to think of sin in this way, as a "forbidden" stranger. In truth, we were not created to sin, we were created to reflect God's image and His righteousness (Genesis 1:26). When sin entered the world through Adam it corrupted our nature and caused a rift between man and God.

Solomon himself was a man who took advantage of every luxury available to a man. He knew, first hand, what it was to sin and sin excessively, as shown in the book of Ecclesiastes. So, when Solomon gives this warning it should be one we pay that much more attention to. The adulteress of sin flatters us with her words. Sin looks enticing, and for a brief moment it is even enjoyable. Yet by falling into sin we commit "adultery" against our Creator. Our relationship with Christ is compared to that of a marriage (Revelation 19:7–8), and sexual sin is especially grievous (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Combining these ideas, this verse tells us that sin is not what we were created for, it is a stranger, yet it is as alluring as an adulteress. We would do well to flee from it.

Proverbs 2:16–22 focuses on the virtue philosophers such as Plato refer to as integrity, which is better labelled as temperance. This virtue is more than doing what is right even when no one is looking, which is how we often define integrity. Rather, it is also keeping ourselves from situations where we might be tempted to do wrong. In the modern sense, integrity is marked by what you do, while temperance is marked by using other virtues to avoid negative situations. For instance, Paul warns how being drunk leads to debauchery (Ephesians 5:18). A person exhibiting temperance might restrict or eliminate use of alcohol, thereby avoiding drunkenness and therefore, avoiding debauchery. This can be stated succinctly as a man mastering or controlling himself (James 3). This passage contrasts the outcome of not controlling oneself against the benefit of living with integrity.

In Proverbs chapter 2, Solomon highlights various virtues, as well as provides encouragement to live a virtuous life. As in chapter 1, specific concepts wil reoccur, and are used in certain ways. Here, these are ideas such as courage, integrity, wisdom, and justice. The gist of this passage is the positive effect that virtue—including these various aspects—will have on one's life. In contrast, those who pursue non-virtuous living will suffer dire consequences.

The overarching theme of Proverbs chapter 2 is the relationship between virtue and discernment. As described here, virtuous living is moral living. As a person strives to live a moral life, he or she develops a greater ability to discern right from wrong. Further, beyond simple matters of right and wrong, as virtue grows within a person, he or she becomes more proficient at discerning trickier situations. Real life predicaments often present two or more seemingly valid options. Discernment, then, also includes determining which of many different options is actually best. Likewise, many life situations appear to offer only a variety of bad options. There, discernment is once again required, to determine which option presents the correct choice, or to recognize where a ''good'' option has been hidden.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.