Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl - The Way of Folly, Proverbs 9:13-18

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Proverbs 9:13–18

[13] The woman Folly is loud;

she is seductive and knows nothing.

[14] She sits at the door of her house;

she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,

[15] calling to those who pass by,

who are going straight on their way,

[16] “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

And to him who lacks sense she says,

[17] “Stolen water is sweet,

and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

[18] But he does not know that the dead are there,

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. (ESV)

The Way of Folly

Thus far, Solomon has introduced Dive Wisdom as the eternal Word, now the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. In this final portion of chapter nine, Solomon contrasts Divine Wisdom with another personage: foolishness or folly. Like the adulteress of Proverbs chapter seven, she is described as "loud" (9:13; cf. 7:11), which is the exact opposite of a quiet and godly wife (1 Peter 3:4; 1 Timothy 2:12). Folly is further described as seductive, able to seduce gullible people. But Folly is completely ignorant, "she is seductive and knows nothing (v.14).

Folly sits at the door of her house, reminding us that the son should avoid the adulteress and not go near her doorway (Proverbs 5:8). Folly is depicted as being an imitator of Wisdom. It is Wisdom who gives a blessing to anyone who listens to her and waits diligently for her to come through her door (cf. Proverbs 8:34) since she brings everlasting life (Proverbs 8:35). But while Wisdom calls from "the highest places in the town" (Proverbs 9:3), Folly in imitation takes her seat "on the highest places of the town." This makes Folly that much more foolish, as though she could hope to challenge God and somehow escape judgment herself. Compare this image with the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9.

Folly calls in Proverbs 9:16 just as Wisdom calls in 9:4. Despite these similarities and their obvious differences – one leading to the way of life and the other leading to the way of death – their initial invitation and call are hard to tell apart. It is not always easy for us to distinguish between what is wise and what is foolish when confronted with various choices and scenarios in this life. On the surface, they may even appear to be virtually the same. St. Paul teaches us to remember that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

The allure of Folly is the attractiveness of sin. "Stolen water" may taste as sweet as the wine mixed with water carefully prepared at Wisdom's banquet (Proverbs 9:2, 5), not because of their preparation but the way in which they are obtained. Similarly, food "eaten in secret" is pleasant, not because of the preparation but the means of acquiring it.

The fool who joins in the banquet of Folly's foolishness is as ignorant as she is. He "does not know" (v.18), just as she "does not know" (v.13). He is ignorant of the eternal consequences of entering her dwelling, which is the opposite of the everlasting life given in Wisdom's feast. See how this matches up with St. Paul's description of the Gentiles who do not know Christ in Ephesians 4:17-19.

Folly brings only everlasting death, again, the exact opposite of Wisdom’s banquet. Folly’s banquet is described as the dwelling place of the dead in the depths of Sheol, the eternally damned. This is a proclamation of the Law to discourage the foolishness of rejecting Wisdom’s offer of blessing and pursuing the sinful path. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).