TRV
- מַיִםma·yimwatersH4325N-mpNoun Plural Masculine Absolute
- גְּנוּבִיםge·nu·VimstolenH1589V-Qal-PassPrtcpl-mpVerb Qal Participle Passive Plural Masculine Absolute
- יִמְתָּקוּyim·Ta·kuthey are sweetH4985V-Qal-Imperf-3mpVerb Qal Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine
- וְלֶחֶםve·Le·chemand bread ofH3899Conj-w ¦ N-mscNoun Singular Masculine Constructוְandלֶחֶםbread of
- סְתָרִיםse·ta·Rimsecret placesH5643N-mpNoun Plural Masculine Absolute
- יִנְעָםyin·'Amit is delightfulH5276V-Qal-Imperf-3msVerb Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine
English is a literal word-by-word gloss of the Hebrew, not the KJV's wording. Why?
This is the original text the KJV's translators worked from — each Hebrew word with its own literal English meaning in this verse, prepared by scholars at Tyndale House, Cambridge. The KJV translates whole sentences, not word by word, so its wording differs: one Hebrew word can become several English words, and the KJV may choose “the LORD” where the gloss reads “Yahweh”. Both are faithful — they answer different questions. For the KJV's own rendering, switch to the KJV text.
Study this verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Proverbs 9:13–18. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have heard what Christ has to say, to engage our affections to God and godliness, and one would think the whole world should go after him; but here we are told how industrious the tempter is to seduce unwary souls into the paths of sin, and with the most he gains his point, and Wisdom's courtship is not effectual. Now observe,
I.Who is the tempter - a foolish woman, Folly herself, in opposition to Wisdom.
Carnal sensual pleasure I take to be especially meant by this foolish woman (Pro 9:13); for that is the great enemy to virtue and inlet to vice; that defiles and debauches the mind, stupefies conscience, and puts out the sparks of conviction, more than any thing else. This tempter is here described to be, 1. Very ignorant: She is simple and knows nothing, that is, she has no sufficient solid reason to offer; where she gets dominion in a soul she works out all the knowledge of holy things; they are lost and forgotten. Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take away the heart; they besot men, and make fools of them. (2.) Very importunate. The less she has to offer that is rational the more violent and pressing she is, and carries the day often by dint of impudence. She is clamorous and noisy (Pro 9:13), continually haunting young people with her enticements. She sits at the door of her house (Pro 9:14), watching for a prey; not as Abraham at his tent-door, seeking an opportunity to do good. She sits on a seat (on a throne, so the word signifies) in the high places of the city, as if she had authority to give law, and we were all debtors to the flesh, to live after the flesh, and as if she had reputation, and were in honour, and thought worthy of the high places of the city; and perhaps she gains upon many more by pretending to be fashionable than by pretending to be agreeable. "Do not all persons of rank and figure in the world" (says she) "give themselves a greater liberty than the strict laws of virtue allow; and why shouldst thou humble thyself so far as to be cramped by them?" Thus the tempter affects to seem both kind and great.
II.Who are the tempted - young people who have been well educated; these she will triumph most in being the ruin of.
Observe, 1. What their real character is; they are passengers that go right on their ways (Pro 9:15), that have been trained up in the paths of religion and virtue and set out very hopefully and well, that seemed determined and designed for good, and are not (as that young man, Pro 7:8) going the way to her house. Such as these she has a design upon, and lays snares for, and uses all her arts, all her charms, to pervert them; if they go right on, and will not look towards her, she will call after them, so urgent are these temptations. (2.) How she represents them. She calls them simple and wanting understanding, and therefore courts them to her school, that they may be cured of the restraints and formalities of their religion. This is the method of the stage (which is too close an exposition of this paragraph), where the sober young man, that has been virtuously educated, is the fool in the play, and the plot is to make him seven times more a child of hell than his profane companions, under colour of polishing and refining him, and setting him up for a wit and a beau. What is justly charged upon sin and impiety (Pro 9:4), that it is folly, is here very unjustly retorted upon the ways of virtue; but the day will declare who are the fools.
III.What the temptation is (Pro 9:17):
Stolen waters are sweet. It is to water and bread, whereas Wisdom invites to the beasts she has killed and the wine she has mingled; however, bread and water are acceptable enough to those that are hungry and thirsty; and this is pretended to be more sweet and pleasant than common, for it is stolen water and bread eaten in secret, with a fear of being discovered. The pleasures of prohibited lusts are boasted of as more relishing than those of prescribed love; and dishonest gain is preferred to that which is justly gotten. Now this argues, not only a bold contempt, but an impudent defiance,
1.Of God's law, in that the waters are the sweeter for being stolen and come at by breaking through the hedge of the divine command. Nitimur in vetitum - We are prone to what is forbidden. This spirit of contradiction we have from our first parents, who thought the forbidden tree of all others a tree to be desired.
2.Of God's curse. The bread is eaten in secret, for fear of discovery and punishment, and the sinner takes a pride in having so far baffled his convictions, and triumphed over them, that, notwithstanding that fear, he dares commit the sin, and can make himself believe that, being eaten in secret, it shall never be discovered or reckoned for. Sweetness and pleasantness constitute the bait; but, by the tempter's own showing, even that is so absurd, and has such allays, that it is a wonder how it can have any influence upon men that pretend to reason.
IV.An effectual antidote against the temptation, in a few words, Pro 9:18.
He that so far wants understanding as to be drawn aside by these enticements is led on, ignorantly, to his own inevitable ruin: He knows not, will not believe, does not consider, the tempter will not let him know, that the dead are there, that those who live in pleasure are dead while they live, dead in trespasses and sins. Terrors attend these pleasures like the terrors of death itself. The giants are there - Rephaim. It was this that ruined the sinners of the old world, the giants that were in the earth in those days. Her guests, that are treated with those stolen waters, are not only in the highway to hell and at the brink of it, but they are already in the depths of hell, under the power of sin, led captive by Satan at his will, and ever and anon lashed by the terrors of their own consciences, which are a hell upon earth The depths of Satan are the depths of hell. Remorseless sin is remediless ruin; it is the bottomless pit already. Thus does Solomon show the hook; those that believe him will not meddle with the bait.
Historical interpretation
Five Centuries of Reception
6 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Scripture sets down bread and water in clear reference simply to the heresies that use bread and water in their offertory contrary to the rules of the church. There are some who actually celebrate the Eucharist with plain water. “Jump up; do not linger in her place.” Scripture is using the ambiguous word place to designate the synagogue rather than the church. Then it adds, “In this way you will be crossing a foreign water,” regarding heretical baptism as foreign and improper, “and traversing a foreign river”—one which takes you astray and dumps you in the sea, where everyone who allows himself to be led away from the firm ground of the truth is deposited.
“The foolish and bold woman comes to want bread.” What bread? Surely that bread which comes down from heaven. And he immediately adds, “The earth-born perish in her house, rush into the depths of hell.” Who are the earth-born that perish in her house? They of course who follow the first Adam, who is of the earth, and not the second, who is from heaven.
I came upon that brazen woman, empty of prudence, who, in Solomon’s obscure parable, sits on a seat at the door outside her house and says, “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” This woman seduced me, because she found my soul outside its own door, dwelling externally in the eye of my flesh and ruminating within myself on such food as I had swallowed through my physical senses.
Bread is used in a good sense in “I am the living bread which came down from heaven,” but in a bad sense in “hidden bread is more pleasant.” Many other things are used in the same way. Those examples that I have mentioned create little doubt as to their meaning, for things ought not to be used as examples unless they are clear. There are, however, instances in which it is uncertain whether the signification is to be taken in a good sense or in an evil sense.
What does water signify but human knowledge? This is in accord with Solomon’s words implying the voice of heretics: “Stolen waters are sweeter.” What does the Lamb’s raw flesh indicate but his humanity that has been thoughtlessly and irreverently disregarded? Everything which we think of profoundly we cook, as it were, in our minds. The flesh of the Lamb was not to be eaten raw or boiled in water, because our Redeemer is not to be judged merely a human being, nor are we to use human science to explain how God could have been made man.
Stolen waters are sweeter, etc. Wisdom has publicly set forth her table and mixed her wine; but the foolish woman, having nothing pure, gathers whoever she can to stolen waters and hidden bread, because the Catholic Church publicly spreads the feast of the divine words to the world, and has commanded the mysteries of the divinity and humanity of Christ to be celebrated. Or certainly, in the mixed wine, she offers to her listeners the historical and allegorical knowledge together, so that each one, according to his capacity, may be refreshed by the cups of life. But the doctrine of heretics secretly prefers the decrees of its public faith and profession, and when it has nothing spiritual to offer, it boasts of teaching knowledge sweeter than that of the Catholic pastors, so that what is forbidden to be said and believed openly in the Church is more willingly heard and acted upon. And so, ignorance is more sweetly received as it is thought to be knowledge, whose forbidden hearing it steals. The baptism of heretics can be signified in the stolen waters, and their sacrifice in the hidden bread. But literally, it asserts that the adulterous woman in stolen waters and hidden bread asserts that forbidden and illicit unions are sweeter.
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Summary
Proverbs 9:17 captures the deceptive and alluring invitation extended by Lady Folly, who entices the naive with the promise that "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." This verse masterfully encapsulates the seductive nature of sin, portraying forbidden acts as uniquely desirable and enjoyable precisely because they are illicit and concealed. It functions as a profound warning within the broader wisdom literature, exposing the superficial appeal of transgression that ultimately leads to destruction, standing in stark contrast to the life-giving invitation of Lady Wisdom.
Context
Literary Context
Proverbs 9 serves as the climactic conclusion to the introductory section of the book (chapters 1-9), which primarily functions as a father's earnest appeal to his son, urging him to embrace the path of wisdom and vehemently reject the enticements of folly. This chapter powerfully personifies Wisdom and Folly as two distinct women, each issuing a compelling invitation. Lady Wisdom, having built her house and prepared a lavish feast, dispatches her maidens to call the simple and those lacking understanding to partake in life, knowledge, and discernment, as detailed in Proverbs 9:1-6. In stark and deliberate contrast, Lady Folly is depicted as loud, ignorant, and brazenly seated at her door, beckoning passersby with promises that are alluring yet ultimately fallacious. Verse 17 articulates the core of Folly's enticing, yet profoundly destructive, message, setting the chilling stage for the grim reality unveiled in Proverbs 9:18, which reveals that her unsuspecting guests are, in truth, already in the depths of Sheol.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, wisdom was a highly esteemed virtue, frequently personified in various literary traditions, including Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom texts. The imagery of a woman inviting guests to her home for a meal was a familiar social custom, rendering the allegories of Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly immediately relatable to the Israelite audience. The phrase "stolen waters" commonly served as a potent metaphor for illicit sexual relations, particularly adultery, a pervasive moral and social concern within Israelite society, as evidenced by the numerous stern warnings against it found throughout the book of Proverbs (e.g., Proverbs 5:15-20). The concept of "secret" acts also deeply resonated with the cultural emphasis on honor and shame; hidden transgressions, while potentially evading immediate public scrutiny, were understood to carry profound internal guilt and inevitable divine judgment. The setting of a city gate or a house entrance, where women might publicly call out to individuals passing by, was a common and recognizable urban scene.
Key Themes
This verse profoundly contributes to several overarching themes woven throughout the book of Proverbs. It powerfully underscores The Deceptive Allure of Sin, highlighting how transgression, when presented by Folly, is made to appear incredibly attractive, satisfying, and even thrilling. The vivid imagery of "stolen waters" and "bread eaten in secret" eloquently speaks to the perceived sweetness and excitement inherent in forbidden acts, particularly when executed covertly. This resonates deeply with the universal theme of Forbidden Fruit, where that which is off-limits often seems paradoxically more desirable, echoing the foundational temptation narrative in Genesis 3:6. Furthermore, the phrase "eaten in secret" emphatically emphasizes the theme of Secrecy and Shame intimately associated with illicit activities; sin often thrives and flourishes in darkness, promising a private pleasure that supposedly evades public scrutiny, yet ultimately breeding corrosive guilt and spiritual decay. Finally, the verse brilliantly exposes the theme of False Satisfaction, revealing that the superficial "sweetness" and "pleasantness" offered by Folly are ultimately fleeting and illusory, leading not to genuine life but to profound emptiness, destruction, and ultimately, death, as warned in Proverbs 14:12.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive; carry away, [idiom] indeed, secretly bring, steal (away), get by stealth." In this context, the word emphasizes that the "waters" are acquired unlawfully, through illicit means, or by deception. The very act of being "stolen" imbues them with a forbidden thrill, suggesting a pleasure that derives directly from transgression and the violation of boundaries.
Typically meaning "water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen." In Proverbs, "waters" frequently serve as a metaphor for wisdom, life, or, most commonly in this context, sexual intimacy. "Stolen waters" is a well-established biblical idiom for illicit sexual relations, particularly adultery, as seen in Proverbs 5:15. Here, it broadly represents any forbidden pleasure or illicit gain.
Meaning "a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense); backbiting, covering, covert, [idiom] disguise(-th), hiding place, privily, protection, secret(-ly, place)." In this verse, it denotes concealment, privacy, or clandestineness. The "bread eaten in secret" suggests that the pleasure is enhanced by its hidden nature, avoiding exposure and the immediate consequences of public disapproval or divine judgment. This secrecy, however, is a hallmark of sin, which characteristically prefers darkness to light.
Verse Breakdown
"Stolen waters are sweet"
This clause presents the initial, profoundly deceptive appeal of forbidden acts. "Stolen waters" is a powerful and evocative metaphor for illicit pleasure, most commonly understood as sexual infidelity, but broadly applicable to any gain or experience obtained through dishonest or immoral means. The declaration that they "are sweet" highlights the immediate, sensory gratification and intense desirability that Folly promises. This perceived sweetness is not inherent to the act itself, but rather an enhanced perception due to its forbidden nature and the thrill of transgression. It speaks directly to the human propensity to crave what is off-limits and to find excitement in breaking boundaries.
"and bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant"
This parallel clause reinforces and expands upon the first, extending the metaphor to "bread," which represents sustenance, livelihood, or general provision. The phrase "eaten in secret" emphatically highlights the clandestine nature of the illicit activity. The "pleasantness" here mirrors the "sweetness" of the stolen waters, suggesting that the hiddenness of the act significantly adds to its perceived enjoyment. Sin often thrives and flourishes in the shadows, promising a private pleasure that seemingly avoids accountability and public shame. This secrecy, however, is a deceptive snare, as it isolates the transgressor, fosters deeper entanglement, and ultimately leads to inevitable exposure and ruin.
Literary Devices
Proverbs 9:17 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. Personification is central, as Lady Folly is vividly depicted as a seductive woman who speaks, calls out, and extends an invitation, thereby transforming abstract concepts of sin and temptation into tangible and relatable figures. The phrases "stolen waters" and "bread eaten in secret" function as powerful metaphors, with "waters" and "bread" representing various forms of gratification or gain, and the modifiers "stolen" and "in secret" signifying their illicit and hidden nature. There is also a strong element of irony at play; what Folly presents as "sweet" and "pleasant" is, in reality, deadly and destructive. The immediate, fleeting gratification offered is sharply contrasted with the ultimate, devastating consequences revealed in the very next verse (Proverbs 9:18), creating a dramatic tension and serving as a dire warning. The parallelism between the two clauses ("stolen waters are sweet" and "bread eaten in secret is pleasant") powerfully reinforces the message, using synonymous ideas to emphasize the pervasive and deceptive nature of sin's allure and its preferred mode of hidden operation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Proverbs 9:17 reveals a profound theological truth about the very nature of sin: it is inherently deceptive, presenting itself as uniquely desirable and deeply satisfying, especially when shrouded in secrecy and transgression. This verse underscores the perennial spiritual battle for the human heart, where the immediate, fleeting pleasure of disobedience vies powerfully against the lasting, true satisfaction found exclusively in God's wisdom and righteousness. The "sweetness" and "pleasantness" offered by Folly are nothing more than a mirage, a temporary sensory experience that cunningly masks a deeper spiritual emptiness and inevitable destruction. Theologically, it highlights humanity's fallen inclination towards forbidden things, a desire rooted in the original temptation in Eden to seek knowledge and pleasure outside of God's prescribed boundaries. It serves as a potent warning against the allure of illicit gain and hidden wrongdoing, emphasizing that what may seem attractive and gratifying in the moment carries profound and often eternal consequences.
Reflection and Application
Proverbs 9:17 serves as a timeless and urgent warning against the subtle, insidious, and deeply enticing invitations to sin that permeate every facet of our lives. It challenges us to look beyond the superficial immediate gratification and perceived sweetness of forbidden acts to discern their true, inherently destructive nature. In a world saturated with temptations that promise quick satisfaction, this verse reminds us that anything that offers pleasure outside of God's divine design, especially that which thrives in secrecy and avoids accountability, is ultimately a dangerous trap. True wisdom calls us to resist the deceptive allure of instant gratification and to courageously embrace the path of integrity, obedience, and transparency, which, though sometimes challenging and requiring self-denial, ultimately leads to genuine, abundant, and lasting life. We are called to cultivate a heart that truly delights in God's law, finding our deepest and most enduring satisfaction in His presence and His righteous ways, rather than in the fleeting, ultimately bitter, and destructive pleasures of sin.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the deeper meaning of "stolen waters" in this proverb?
While "waters" can generally refer to sustenance or life, in the specific context of Proverbs, "stolen waters" is a well-established and potent metaphor for illicit sexual relations, particularly adultery. For example, Proverbs 5:15 explicitly uses the phrase "Drink waters out of thine own cistern" to advocate for marital fidelity and purity. Therefore, Lady Folly's invitation to "stolen waters" is primarily an enticement to sexual immorality, highlighting its forbidden thrill and the perceived excitement of transgression. However, it can also be interpreted more broadly to encompass any illicit gain or pleasure obtained through dishonest or immoral means, emphasizing the deceptive sweetness of breaking boundaries and violating divine commands.
Why is "bread eaten in secret" considered "pleasant"?
The "pleasantness" of "bread eaten in secret" lies in the powerful allure of forbidden acts performed clandestinely. Secrecy often adds significantly to the perceived thrill of transgression, as it suggests successfully avoiding detection, judgment, and immediate consequences. It appeals deeply to a desire for private gratification that operates outside of public scrutiny or moral accountability. However, this secrecy is a profoundly deceptive charm, as it isolates the individual, fosters deeper entanglement in sin, and ultimately leads to profound shame, guilt, and spiritual death, as the grim reality of Proverbs 9:18 makes chillingly clear. What seems pleasant in secret ultimately brings ruin into the light.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Proverbs 9:17, with its vivid portrayal of Lady Folly's deceptive allure and her offer of "stolen waters" and "secret bread," finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound counter-narrative in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Folly offers fleeting, illicit pleasures that promise satisfaction but inevitably lead to spiritual death and ruin. In stark and glorious contrast, Jesus declares Himself to be the true and eternal source of living water and the very bread of life. He extends an open and gracious invitation to all who are spiritually thirsty to come to Him and drink, promising that those who believe in Him will never thirst again (John 7:37-38). He also profoundly proclaims, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). Unlike Folly's hidden and ultimately destructive feast, Christ's invitation is transparent, open, and leads not to death but to eternal life. He courageously exposes the darkness and deception of sin, bringing all things into the purifying light of truth (John 3:19-21), and offers a satisfaction that is not fleeting but eternal, a joy found in truth, righteousness, and His abiding presence, rather than in forbidden transgression. The "sweetness" of sin is a lie that leads to bitterness, but the grace of Christ is truly sweet, leading to abundant and everlasting life (John 10:10).