To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

PROVERBS 2:16KJV
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Proverbs 2:16 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 2:16 mean?

Proverbs 2:16 says that wisdom will protect you from a woman who is considered “strange” or foreign, especially one who uses flattering words to entice. The verse warns that being wise helps a person avoid falling for seductive speech from someone outside their community or moral boundaries.

In this part of Proverbs, a father is teaching his son about the value of wisdom. The “strange woman” refers to someone who is not part of the family or faith community, often seen as a symbol for temptation or unfaithfulness. The focus is on how wisdom acts as a safeguard against being misled by persuasive or deceptive words.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 2:16

  • “Deliver” (נָצַל, natsal, H5337) means to rescue or snatch away. The verse uses this word to show that wisdom actively saves a person from danger, not just warns.
  • “Strange” (זָר, zar, H2114) and “stranger” (נָכְרִי, nokhri, H5237) both describe someone foreign or outside the community, but “zar” often carries the sense of being alien or different in a moral or relational way.
  • “Flattereth” (חָלַק, chalak, H2505) means to make smooth or slippery, and in this context, it refers to persuasive, seductive speech that can lead someone astray.
  • “Words” (אֵמֶר, emer, H561) simply means spoken things, but here it highlights the power of speech to influence choices.

Why Proverbs 2:16 matters

  • Proverbs 2:16 clarifies that wisdom is not just about knowledge, but about protection from real-life dangers, including moral and relational traps.
  • The verse highlights the power of words—especially flattery—to mislead, showing that wisdom helps a person see through attractive but harmful speech.
  • This warning connects to the larger theme of Proverbs 2, where wisdom is portrayed as a shield against various forms of temptation and trouble, not just the obvious ones.

Where else these words appear

“stranger” Hebrew H5237 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 31:15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
  • 1 Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
  • Proverbs 5:10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

“words” Hebrew H561 · used in 47 verses

  • Genesis 49:21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
  • Job 33:3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
  • Proverbs 5:7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

“flattereth” Hebrew H2505 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 14:15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
  • 1 Kings 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
  • Proverbs 7:5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

“strange” Hebrew H2114 · used in 76 verses

  • Exodus 29:33 And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
  • Psalms 54:3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
  • Isaiah 29:5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.