Proverbs 9:15 kjv
To call passengers who go right on their ways:
Proverbs 9:15 nkjv
To call to those who pass by, Who go straight on their way:
Proverbs 9:15 niv
calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way,
Proverbs 9:15 esv
calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way,
Proverbs 9:15 nlt
She calls out to men going by
who are minding their own business.
Proverbs 9 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 1:11 | "if they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood..." | Wicked enticing the naive |
| Prov 1:20-21 | "Wisdom cries aloud in the street... at the gates she utters her words..." | Wisdom's public call (contrast to Folly) |
| Prov 2:16-19 | "So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman... her path lead to death" | Peril of the immoral woman's allure |
| Prov 4:18-19 | "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn... the way of the wicked is like deep darkness..." | Contrast of paths (righteous vs. wicked) |
| Prov 5:3-6 | "For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey... but in the end she is bitter as wormwood..." | Deceptive nature of forbidden pleasure |
| Prov 7:10-12 | "And behold, a woman meets him... She is loud and wayward..." | The seductress's public and boisterous nature |
| Prov 9:4-6 | "“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”... Forsake foolishness and live" | Wisdom's specific invitation to the simple |
| Prov 9:13 | "The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing." | Characterization of Folly (loud, ignorant) |
| Prov 9:14 | "She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the town" | Folly's visible, accessible position |
| Prov 9:16 | "“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”... “Stolen water is sweet..." | Folly's specific deceptive offer to the naive |
| Prov 9:18 | "But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol." | Folly's house leads to death |
| Prov 22:6 | "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." | Importance of guiding in the right way |
| Isa 30:21 | "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." | Divine guidance for the correct path |
| Jer 6:16 | "Thus says the Lord: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is...'" | Seeking the true, good path |
| Matt 7:13-14 | "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction..." | Narrow vs. wide path to life/destruction |
| Luke 1:79 | "to give light to those who sit in darkness... to guide our feet into the way of peace." | Guiding into the right path |
| 1 Cor 15:33 | "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'" | Danger of corrupting influences |
| 2 Tim 3:6-7 | "For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women... always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth." | Those who subtly mislead and target |
| Heb 12:13 | "and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." | Maintaining a straight spiritual walk |
| Jude 1:4 | "For certain people have crept in unnoticed... These ungodly people pervert the grace of our God..." | Deceptive infiltration by ungodly ones |
| Ps 119:105 | "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." | God's word illuminates the correct path |
| Eph 4:14 | "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning..." | Vulnerability to deceptive teachings |
Proverbs 9 verses
Proverbs 9 15 Meaning
Proverbs 9:15 describes Woman Folly actively and publicly calling out to people. She indiscriminately beckons anyone who happens to be passing by, specifically targeting those who appear to be walking diligently and straightforwardly on their own path. This signifies her persistent and insidious nature, luring even those who are seemingly well-intentioned or righteous away from their proper course.
Proverbs 9 15 Context
Proverbs chapter 9 concludes the initial instructional discourses of Proverbs (chapters 1-9) by powerfully juxtaposing two contrasting figures: Lady Wisdom and Woman Folly. The chapter is structured to highlight their parallel but opposite invitations. Verses 1-6 portray Lady Wisdom preparing a grand banquet and sending out her maidens to invite the simple and discerning to her life-giving feast, promising understanding and life. In stark contrast, verses 13-18 present Woman Folly, a loud and ignorant seductress who sits brazenly at her door, also sending out invitations. Verse 15 specifically elaborates on Folly's targets: those walking uprightly, suggesting her lure is aimed not just at the obvious transgressor, but at anyone, especially those diligently minding their own moral course. Historically, the imagery reflects the common practice of a harlot soliciting customers from her dwelling, transposed onto a spiritual allegory warning against destructive paths masked as desirable alternatives.
Proverbs 9 15 Word analysis
- To call (לִקְרֹא - liqro): This is the infinitive form of the Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara), meaning "to call out," "to invite," or "to proclaim." It signifies an active, deliberate vocal solicitation. Folly is not subtle or hidden; she loudly and openly beckons.
- to those who pass by (לְעֹבְרֵי דֶרֶךְ - le'overe derekh):
- לְ (le): A preposition meaning "to" or "for."
- עֹבְרֵי ('overe): The participle of the verb עָבַר ('avar), meaning "to pass over," "to go across," or "to go by." It literally means "those who are passing." This indicates an indiscriminate target pool; anyone traversing the path in front of her dwelling is a potential victim.
- דֶרֶךְ (derekh): Means "way," "road," or "path." Often used metaphorically in Proverbs to denote one's moral conduct or course of life. Folly intercepts those already on a journey.
- who are going straight on their way (הַמְיַשְּׁרִים אֹרְחוֹתָם - hamyashrim orkhotam):
- הַמְיַשְּׁרִים (hamyashrim): A Hiphil participle from the verb יָשַׁר (yashar), meaning "to be straight," "to be right," "to make straight," or "to make smooth." The Hiphil emphasizes actively "making one's way straight" or "walking uprightly." This is a crucial detail, indicating her victims are not necessarily those already morally lost, but those attempting to maintain a righteous, ordered, or proper course of life. It implies diligence and good intention on the part of those targeted.
- אֹרְחוֹתָם (orkhotam): The plural of אֹרַח (orakh), meaning "path," "road," or "course of life." Similar to derekh but often suggesting a well-trodden, established route. The suffix "ם" (-am) means "their."
Proverbs 9 15 Bonus section
- The description of Folly sitting at "her house" (v. 14) and "calling" (v. 15) draws a direct parallel with Wisdom's activities (v. 1-3). This structured contrast emphasizes that both Wisdom and Folly actively solicit; the crucial difference lies in their message, the quality of their offerings, and their ultimate destination.
- The term "straight" (יָשַׁר - yashar) is frequently used in Proverbs to denote righteousness, uprightness, and adherence to divine law. Thus, "those going straight on their way" are individuals striving for a morally correct life, making Folly's lure a direct assault on piety.
- The public and indiscriminate nature of Folly's call means that temptation is ever-present and not confined to specific situations or people groups. Even a stable, diligent person can be suddenly exposed to and vulnerable to Folly's persuasive whispers.
- This verse illustrates the insidious nature of sin's temptation: it doesn't always advertise itself as evil but often as an alternative, seemingly benign or even enjoyable deviation from the path of uprightness.
Proverbs 9 15 Commentary
Proverbs 9:15 paints a vivid picture of Woman Folly as a loud, aggressive, and opportunistic temptress. Unlike Lady Wisdom, who prepares a life-sustaining banquet for those seeking understanding, Folly merely sits at her doorstep, ready to ensnare anyone who comes within earshot. Her targets are not necessarily the morally depraved, but disturbingly, "those who are going straight on their way." This detail is critical: Folly aims to disrupt and derail even the righteous and diligent from their steady path of integrity and obedience. She offers a false, immediate gratification (implied by her "stolen water is sweet" invitation in v. 17) that seems harmless or even appealing but leads inexorably to the "depths of Sheol" (v. 18). This verse serves as a potent warning that temptations do not only come in obviously wicked forms or to those already straying. They often present themselves subtly to the upright, aiming to divert them from their focused pursuit of God's ways.