Proverbs 2:16
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
Original Language Analysis
לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ
To deliver
H5337
לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ
To deliver
Strong's:
H5337
Word #:
1 of 6
to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense
זָרָ֑ה
thee from the strange
H2114
זָרָ֑ה
thee from the strange
Strong's:
H2114
Word #:
3 of 6
to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be a foreigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery
מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה
even from the stranger
H5237
מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה
even from the stranger
Strong's:
H5237
Word #:
4 of 6
strange, in a variety of degrees and applications (foreign, non-relative, adulterous, different, wonderful)
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 7:26And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.Proverbs 22:14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.Proverbs 23:27For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.Proverbs 6:24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
Historical Context
Adultery threatened covenant community through both family disruption and potential association with pagan fertility cult prostitution. The warning protected young men from ruin through sexual sin.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'strange' voices currently flatter you with promises of pleasure while concealing consequences?
- How does biblical wisdom protect you from sexual temptation in your cultural context?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Wisdom delivers from the strange woman (zarah - foreign, alien), the adulteress who flatters with her words. The extended warning against sexual immorality (vv.16-19) treats it as paradigmatic folly with deadly consequences. The 'strange woman' represents both literal adultery and, metaphorically, any seductive evil offering forbidden pleasure. Her flattering speech parallels the serpent's deception in Eden - sin entices through pleasant words concealing deadly consequences.