Proverbs 30:21

"“So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’"

Key Reflection

In first-century Israel, an adulterous woman’s actions were seen as a public scandal, much like her eating and then hastily wiping her mouth to conceal evidence of her sin. By proclaiming she has done nothing wrong, the adulteress attempts to evade accountability and maintain a facade of innocence, even in the face of obvious evidence. This vivid imagery highlights how societal norms viewed such acts as not just morally reprehensible but also deeply damaging to one's reputation and family honor.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

For four which it cannot bear -Better: four it cannot bear. Here the common element is that of being intolerable, and the four examples are divided equally between the two sexes. Each has its examples of power and prosperity misused because they fall to the lot of those who have no training for them, and are therefore in the wrong place.

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