Proverbs 9 – Two Women, Two Invitations, One Choice

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Introduction: Who’s Talking in Proverbs 9?

To rightly interpret Proverbs 9, the reader must pay close attention to the pronouns used throughout the chapter, as these reveal the identity of each speaker.
This chapter is structured around a triadic exchange of voices: Solomon as narrator, Lady Wisdom, and Lady Folly.
The narrator speaks in third-person terms, such as “she,” “he,” and “whoso,” and never refers to himself or his audience with “I” or “you.”
Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly each speak in the first person, with direct appeals using “I,” “my,” and implied or explicit “you.”
The shifts in pronoun usage provide a structural roadmap for determining who is speaking at any given moment.
Verses 4 and 16 contain identical lines, “Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither,” and though they appear to be part of the women’s speeches, the grammar and voice suggest these are Solomon’s introductions to their invitations.
Recognizing the speaker is critical, for Proverbs 9 presents not just literary imagery, but a theological confrontation that demands discernment between truth and deceit.

Solomon maintains consistent third-person narration throughout the chapter, avoiding any self-reference and speaking as an external observer and commentator.
Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly, by contrast, shift into first-person speech, directly addressing the simple and presenting their invitations in intimate terms.
The use of identical introductory lines in verses 4 and 16, both in the narrator’s voice, shows deliberate symmetry between the two invitations, designed to highlight their external similarities and internal divergence.
These textual signals warn the reader that though both women call from similar locations and to the same audience, their houses and their ends are polar opposites.
Misidentifying the speaker is more than an interpretive error—it risks leading the reader to heed the wrong voice and suffer spiritual ruin.