Proverbs 9:17–18: “Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.
Insight
Folly called for guests by intentionally using the same words as Lady Wisdom. Since drinking water from one’s own fountain refers to sex in marriage (5:15–16), the stolen water may refer to illicit sex (cf. 7:18–19). In this way Madam Folly appealed to her guests’ baser desires. Food eaten in secret also suggests a clandestine activity.
Though her invitation may seem attractive, the end result is not life ; it is death. Madam Folly is obviously a wayward woman. This suggests that sexual immorality is the height of folly. The two paths of Wisdom and folly resulting in life or death reach a vivid climax in chapter. Almost every verse in the remainder of the book points to one or both of these paths and/or their consequences. 1
Application
Being content with all that the Lord has provided is much better than being restless with all the things you want, but do not have. When the good hand of the Lord no longer satisfies your life, nothing this world offers will ever make you happy. If you are seeking something He has not provided, it is best that you ask His forgiveness today.
Motivation
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Matthew 5:8
One look in the wrong direction can lead to one step in the wrong direction, which can lead to lifetime of unwanted pain. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Father, please guard my eyes and my heart from wandering from My Shepherd’s care.
1. 1 Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 925). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
