Proverbs 9:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.

NIV: Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing.

NASB: A woman of foolishness is boisterous, She has a lack of understanding and knows nothing.

CSB: Folly is a rowdy woman; she is gullible and knows nothing.

NLT: The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it.

KJV: A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

NKJV: A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing.

Solomon has depicted wisdom as a woman calling for an audience (Proverbs 8:1–4) and a noble lady inviting others to be her guest (Proverbs 9:1–6). The last verses of this chapter present an inversion of this idea: an adulterous woman who is loud, seductive, and ignorant. The character of this mirror image, referred to as Folly, is an extension of the predatory woman depicted earlier in Proverbs (Proverbs 7:7–27).

Folly stands in stark contrast to Lady Wisdom, who offers insight, life, increased learning, and longevity. The woman Folly is attractive, but coarse and naïve. She and her clients fit the same description. Those who fall for her tricks are captivated by loud talk and superficial beauty. They are drawn into her house like a fly being drawn into a Venus Flytrap.

This imagery plays on the unfortunate habit of males to be swayed by the beauty and seduction of a woman. History records Samson's fall from a position of strength when he became enthralled with Delilah's appealing looks and persuasive speech. King David fell into sin when he "saw from the roof a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful" (2 Samuel 11:2). Snared by his lust, "David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her" (2 Samuel 11:4). The basic concept, however, applies to both sexes. Proverbs 31:30 insists, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Proverbs 9:13–18 closes the chapter by describing Folly's call and the tragedy of succumbing to it. Solomon began this chapter of Proverbs with a call from a proverbial Lady Wisdom, for others to feast at her table. Between the two sections of this chapter, he presented two different responses to the call. A wise person responds positively, but a scoffer rejects the call. The depiction of Folly mirrors that of wisdom: making similar invitations, but with drastically different results. This parallels the evil temptations of the adulterous woman described earlier (Proverbs 7:7–27).

Wisdom is portrayed as a dignified woman who prepares a spacious house and feast. She invites those who are gullible and lacking judgment to improve their wisdom, by accepting her invitation. She urges invitees to abandon their simple ways and walk in the way of insight. Solomon then contrasts the attitudes of those who sincerely seek truth, compared to those who hate being corrected. The chapter ends with a description of Wisdom's mirror image: Folly. She is seductive and ignorant. She invites the gullible to enter her house, promising that immorality is enjoyable and pleasant. Sadly, those who are seduced do not realize her invitation leads to ruin and damnation.

In chapter 7, Solomon portrayed an evil woman (Proverbs 7:7–27). In chapter 8 he portrays wisdom as a refined lady who offers instruction to all who heed her call. Chapter 9 contrasts Lady Wisdom with the evil Woman Folly, who lures the foolish to their ruin. This extended warning about the dangers of rejecting God's wisdom leads into an extended collection of standalone proverbial comments, beginning in chapter 10.

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.