Folly is an unruly woman;
she is simple and knows nothing.
Summary: Folly seems harmless enough, but this voice that calls to us opposes wisdom and leads to eternal death.
This passage must have been a difficult one to translate. Out of almost sixty English versions of the Bible, the NIV is the only one to use the word “unruly.” Other translations use words like “clamorous,” “noisy,” and “loud.”
In the verses that follow, Proverbs 9: 14-18 tell us more about this woman; who she is and what she does. She calls to those who are minding their own business (verses 14-15) and tries to entice them into chasing ill-gotten gains (verses 16-17). Those who answer her call end up in the “realm of the dead.”
When choosing the word “unruly” for their translations, I would guess that the translators took the verses that follow into consideration. The person calling to the wise is more than simply noisy. She is calling people to disobedience and, ultimately, death.
When we get to verse eighteen, the NIV once again stands apart from other translations. What the NIV tells us is the “realm of the dead,” which most other translations describe as Sheol, or hell. The “dead” in this case are not just physically dead but eternally separated from God. (These are the people that Revelation 20: 14-15 tells us will be “thrown into the lake of fire.”)
So who is this woman who calls to us? “Folly” is the name used in the NIV, but a more technically accurate description might be “Anti-Wisdom.”
Everything Folly calls us to do opposes God’s will. The picture Solomon paints is of someone who has disobeyed God and gotten away with it. Because there are no immediate consequences, she assumes that there will never be any. This is the “simple” part of her personality. Where the wise understand that there are eternal consequences to our decisions, Folly sees only the things that are right in front of her. When Solomon tells us she “knows nothing,” he means nothing of eternal truths.
Application: Be aware that God allows people who oppose him to live among us.
Food for Thought: How are simple people the same or different than innocent people?
Innocent people are not necessarily naïve. They are people who steer away from evil. A simple person does not avoid evil. As I see it in the biblical texts, simple refers to someone who is spiritually foolish. They are definitely not innocent. And they are not wise.
Of course, one is ultimately declared just or innocent through applying Jesus’ righteousness to their life through faith. It is His righteousness that makes us innocent before God. Romans 3: 21 – 26; 1 John 1: 9.
Rich,
I appreciate the emphasis on Jesus’ righteousness. Truly none of us are innocent before God. Well said!
04-09-2022, Proverbs 9:13, How are simple people the same or different than innocent people?
In the Bible, simple and innocent appear to be conditions of the heart. All people are either innocent or guilty of sin through Christ. However simple is used to describe both the godly and the ungodly lives or actions.
We know we are all born with our sin nature however children who have never had an opportunity to act on this are declared innocent, righteous.
Psalm 106:38, Romans 3:23, Matthew 18:3, 19:14
All others can only be seen by God as innocent or righteous through the blood of Christ.
John 3:16, Romans 5:9
Simple is used to describe both those who lack understanding and those who purposely choose to make themselves simple regarding evil as they seek the wisdom of God over the folly of the world.
Proverbs 14:15, 14:18, 21:11, 22:3, Romans 16:19
Ron,
Well done! I love the verses that you selected as references.
You draw an important distinction between the condition of our heart, and the actions we choose. That is an interesting detail that helps explain the biblical perspective.
It was very enjoyable as I spent time with the Lord, doing the research and seeing how He has chosen to preserve His written word over the thousands of years.
As always, great summary and question young man!
Keep it up,
Ron
Thank you, Ron! I appreciate the encouragement. 🙂
Looking through some Proverbs, I think the simplest definition of a simpleton is someone lacking wisdom. Innocent people can be best friends with wisdom, but simple people lack wisdom.
Rich,
Interesting. Lacking wisdom is associated with a lack of fear for the Lord (Proverbs 1: 7). So in the sense I am getting from your comment, “simple” is an ignorance of God while evil is an opposition to God. Am I understanding your thought correctly?
Hi. Yeah. I think that is what I am getting from the Proverbs. “Simple” is an ignorance of God which would lead to a lack of godly wisdom.