Folly's Lie

"The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, 'Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!' And to him who lacks sense she says, '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 Sheol" (Proverbs 9:13-18).

The woman Folly is described as boisterous and seductive yet ignorant. She has the looks and the volume but has no understanding when it comes to real life. All she can do is lure people into a disappointing life with her lie.

In contrast to Lady Wisdom who spends time preparing the banquet and inviting everyone to enjoy the long term benefits of her feast, woman Folly offers instant gratification to the passer by. She mimics Lady Wisdom by also standing on the high place of the city but what she offers is death rather than life. All she can offer people is the lie that "stolen water is sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."

The metaphor of drinking from one's own fountain is about enjoying sex inside a marriage relationship. To steal water is to have sex with someone other than your spouse. We are not to believe woman Folly when she tells us that immorality is as sweet as godliness. She is not to be believed when she tells us that a secret life is no problem.

All who have believed her lie have stepped into her deadly trap. They have found themselves in the pit of despair known as the "depths of Sheol." Let the "water" you drink be yours alone and when you eat "bread," be sure it is bread you eat at Wisdom's table, not Folly's.