Proverbs 9:13 kjv
A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
Proverbs 9:13 nkjv
A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing.
Proverbs 9:13 niv
Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing.
Proverbs 9:13 esv
The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.
Proverbs 9:13 nlt
The woman named Folly is brash.
She is ignorant and doesn't know it.
Proverbs 9 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. | Definition of foolishness |
| Prov 1:22 | “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?" | Addressed to the simple and fools |
| Prov 2:16-19 | So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth... Her house sinks to death. | Warning against enticement, house of death |
| Prov 5:3-8 | For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey... but in the end she is bitter... Keep your way far from her. | Dangers of seduction |
| Prov 6:23-29 | For the commandment is a lamp... to keep you from the evil woman... Can a man carry fire in his lap...? | Warning against unchaste women |
| Prov 7:6-23 | I saw among the simple... a young man lacking sense... she seized him and kissed him... until an arrow pierces his liver. | Folly's seduction described |
| Prov 7:11 | She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home. | Direct parallel to Pr 9:13 boisterous nature |
| Prov 8:1-3 | Does not Lady Wisdom call? ... Beside the gates she cries out... | Contrast to Lady Wisdom's call |
| Prov 9:4 | “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” to him who lacks sense she says... | Folly's target: the simple |
| Prov 10:21 | The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. | Fools lack sense |
| Prov 12:23 | A prudent man conceals knowledge, but a fool’s heart proclaims foolishness. | Fools reveal folly |
| Prov 14:15 | The simple believe everything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. | Simple are gullible |
| Prov 14:18 | The simple inherit foolishness, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. | Simple inherit folly |
| Prov 15:2 | The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. | Folly revealed through speech |
| Prov 23:27 | For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. | Dangers of illicit women |
| Isa 5:13 | Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge. | Lack of knowledge consequences |
| Jer 4:22 | “For My people are foolish; They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding." | People's folly against God |
| Rom 1:21-22 | For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God... Claiming to be wise, they became fools. | Professing wisdom, becoming fools |
| Eph 4:18 | They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. | Ignorance and separation from God |
| Eph 5:15-17 | Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. | Call to wisdom, avoiding foolishness |
| 2 Tim 3:7 | always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. | Those always learning but ignorant |
Proverbs 9 verses
Proverbs 9 13 Meaning
Proverbs 9:13 introduces Lady Folly as a loud and unruly woman. She is characterized as naive and simple herself, fundamentally lacking true knowledge and understanding. This portrays her not merely as ignorant but as morally empty, in direct opposition to Lady Wisdom. Her boisterous nature suggests a lack of self-control and an eagerness to lure the unsuspecting, reflecting her superficial and chaotic essence.
Proverbs 9 13 Context
Proverbs 9 is a climax to the introductory wisdom poem cycle (Prov 1-9), which has presented a stark contrast between the way of Wisdom and the way of Folly. Chapters 8 and the first part of 9 personify Lady Wisdom, depicting her as building her house, preparing a feast, and sending out her invitations. She calls from the high places to those who lack sense. Immediately following this, Proverbs 9:13-18 introduces Lady Folly (אֵֽשֶׁת כְּסִיל֫וּת, 'eshet kesiluth), acting as a direct antiphon and parody to Lady Wisdom. While Wisdom offers life and understanding, Folly offers superficial pleasures leading to death. The historical and cultural context reinforces the teaching of discrete paths: one leading to life through adherence to divine instruction, and the other to destruction through self-indulgence and rejection of truth, often symbolized by illicit relationships or pursuit of superficial pleasures over diligent wisdom. The 'foolish woman' serves as an allegory for moral and spiritual depravity that entices and leads astray, contrasting with the nurturing guidance of wisdom.
Proverbs 9 13 Word analysis
- The foolish woman (אֵֽשֶׁת כְּסִיל֫וּת, 'eshet kesiluth): Literally, "woman of foolishness" or "foolishness-woman." This is not just a description of her actions but of her very nature. The term kəsîlûṯ (foolishness) derives from kəsîl, the fool, who is not merely unintelligent but morally obtuse, rebellious, and resistant to correction. This woman personifies profound moral corruption and spiritual ignorance. She is the embodiment of all that wisdom opposes.
- is boisterous (הוֹמִיָּה, hômiyyah): This describes her as noisy, tumultuous, turbulent, and restless. Her manner is crude and uncontrolled, contrasting sharply with the ordered and stable ways of Wisdom (Prov 8:1-2). Her loudness is not an open call like Wisdom's, but a jarring, disruptive clamor. It indicates her lack of composure and inner chaos, characteristic of unruliness.
- she is simple (הִיא פְתָיֻת, hi' pethayuth): Pethayuth derives from petha'iy, referring to someone naive, easily misled, gullible, or simple-minded. This is crucial: the foolish woman herself lacks true discernment and understanding. She is not wise but is simple. This characteristic means she possesses a fundamental lack of discretion, making her a purveyor of moral simplicity (folly) rather than complex truth (wisdom).
- and knows nothing (וְלֹא יָדְעָה מָּה, we-lo' yad'ah mah): Literally, "and she does not know what." This emphasizes her profound ignorance, not just of facts but of essential truth, moral implications, and consequences. She operates without understanding, guided by instinct or base desire, thus her offerings lead to spiritual death. She is intellectually and morally barren, utterly devoid of insight or discretion.
Word-groups analysis:
- The foolish woman is boisterous: This phrase immediately establishes her disruptive and alluring nature. Her loudness is a defining trait, indicating her lack of internal peace or truth. She draws attention to herself through raw clamor, not profound wisdom.
- she is simple and knows nothing: This two-part description reveals her internal character. Her external "boisterousness" is rooted in internal emptiness. Her "simplicity" (naive gullibility, lack of moral sense) coupled with "knowing nothing" (profound ignorance, lack of discernment) makes her a dangerous figure, for she does not lead consciously with malicious intent based on knowledge, but from an innate void. She offers nothing substantial because she possesses nothing substantial herself.
Proverbs 9 13 Bonus section
The Hebrew construct for "the foolish woman" (אֵֽשֶׁת כְּסִיל֫וּת, 'eshet kesiluth) intensifies her character. It's not just "a foolish woman," but a "woman of foolishness," indicating that folly defines her very being. This grammatical structure makes her the personification of folly itself, just as "Lady Wisdom" is the personification of wisdom. The pairing of her "boisterous" nature with her internal "simplicity" and "ignorance" highlights the deceptive facade of moral rebellion; it appears energetic and alluring but stems from an unexamined life and a profound lack of truth. This makes her dangerous because her lack of discernment leads to actions with fatal consequences for her followers, even if she herself doesn't comprehend the full gravity of her path.
Proverbs 9 13 Commentary
Proverbs 9:13 vividly sketches Lady Folly as a deceptive caricature of Lady Wisdom, encapsulating the path to moral decay. Unlike Wisdom who offers life-giving instruction, Folly is loud, uncontrolled, and fundamentally empty. Her "boisterousness" (הוֹמִיָּה, hômiyyah) speaks of her vulgarity and chaotic nature, a direct contrast to the ordered and reasoned call of wisdom. This external chaos mirrors her internal disarray. The most poignant detail is her own "simplicity" (פְּתָיֻת, pethayuth) and profound lack of knowledge; she herself is spiritually void. She entices the "simple" not because she possesses greater wisdom or insight, but because she offers the allure of ease and instant gratification to those who already lack discernment. Her invitation is one to a feast of superficial pleasure that ultimately leads to ruin, symbolized by her dwelling place being "the ways of death" (Prov 9:18). This verse serves as a crucial warning, exposing the true nature of worldly enticements: loud, tempting, but hollow at their core, leading only to spiritual and physical destruction for those who follow.
- Example for practical usage: Someone promoting an idea based on immediate pleasure or material gain, but lacking any moral or long-term beneficial foundation, often speaks with loud promises, yet reveals a superficial understanding of true well-being. This person or idea mirrors Folly: outwardly enticing, inwardly empty.