Proverbs 9:13-18
We end these first nine chapters of Proverbs with the personification of Folly, who somewhat gracelessly mimics Wisdom in calling to those who pass by (v. 15) with what sounds like the same invitation: “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” (v. 16; see Pr. 9:4) But the second part of her offer is vastly different: “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” (v. 17) That is decidedly not what Wisdom offered in Pr. 9:5-6.
The real punch line comes in verse 18: But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. That sounds very much like what we heard for the adulteress in Pr. 5:5 and Pr. 7:27, which goes to say that Folly is every bit as seductive and every bit as dangerous and deadly as adultery. So be on your guard against her and chose Wisdom!
And so we end our first group of Proverbs readings. We’ll have two more months of Proverbs, in July and September. In between we’ll have more Psalms.