A "strange woman"

joyce Voysey

Proverbs uses the phrase “strange woman” 8 times with reference to an adulteress or harlot.  How are we to interpret this metaphysically?  Is it a reference to all sensuality or immorality?  One is reminded of the same phrase in the Chapter Christian Science Practice in Science &Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.  When Mrs. Eddy uses the phrase (p. 362: 6), she is not quoting from Luke’s account, but quoting from Proverbs! 

With what love she has written about the woman who approached Jesus with the pot of fragrant oil in humbly anointing his feet.

Hello!  Here is another reference to Proverbs perhaps.  On page 363 of S&H Mrs. Eddy talks about the reformation of the “strange woman”: “In the absence of other proofs, was her grief sufficient evidence to warrant the expectation of her repentance, reformation, and growth in wisdom?” – growth in the quality constantly talked about in Proverbs – wisdom.

Dummelow’s (One Volume Bible Commentary) review of Proverbs Chapter 5 reminds me of the Chapter Marriage in S&H, particularly p. 58:12 “There is moral freedom in Soul.”

That “strange woman” keeps coming into the picture.  Does she stand for all temptation, or perhaps for all error?  Elsewhere error is defined as “the devil,” isn’t it?  How does S&H define devil?  Here we have it on page 584: 17: “DEVIL.  Evil; a lie; error; neither corporeality nor mind; the opposite of Truth; a belief in sin, sickness, and death; animal magnetism or hypnotism; the lust of the flesh, which saith: “I am life and intelligence in matter. There is more than one mind, for I am mind, – a wicked mind, self-made or created by a tribal god and put into the opposite of mind, termed matter, thence to reproduce a mortal universe, including man, not after the image and likeness of Spirit, but after its own image." 

Is this “strange woman” the image of Solomon’s own temptation?  According to Wikipedia, Solomon was not always wise – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon

According to the Bible, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. The wives are described as foreign princesses, including Pharaoh's daughter and women of Moab, Ammon, Sidon and of the Hittites. These wives are depicted as leading Solomon away from Yahweh toward idolatry.^[14] The only wife mentioned by name is Naamah, who is described as the Ammonite.^[15] She was the mother of Solomon's successor, Rehoboam.

According to 1 Kings 11: Solomon's "wives turned his heart after other gods", their own national deities, to whom Solomon built temples, thus incurring divine anger and retribution in the form of the division of the kingdom after Solomon's death. (1 Kings 11:9-13)

1 Kings 11 describes Solomon's descent into idolatry, particularly his turning after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. In Deuteronomy 17:16-17, a king is commanded not to multiply horses or wives, neither greatly multiply to himself gold or silver. Solomon sins in all three of these areas. Solomon collects 666 talents of gold each year, (1 Kings 10:14) a huge amount of money for a small nation like Israel. Solomon gathers a large number of horses and chariots and even brings in horses from Egypt. Just as Deuteronomy 17 warns, collecting horses and chariots takes Israel back to Egypt. Finally, Solomon marries foreign women, and these women turn Solomon to other gods.

Is Proverbs a record of God’s advice (or commands) to Solomon rather than Solomon’s advice to others?  After all, Solomon did ask God for wisdom, didn’t he – understanding actually (see I Kings 3:9) – and he was given a “wise and understanding heart.”  His purpose in getting understanding was that he might “discern between good and bad.” (I Kings 3:9)  Proverbs abounds with insights into both good and bad.