Why is Proverbs So Negative About Women?

Not long ago I preached on the four lists in Proverbs 30:8-32. Tucked among those lists is Proverbs 30:20 which says,

This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.”

 So, a fairly new believer asked me a simple question afterward. “Why is the Bible so hard on women?” I am glad she felt the freedom to ask the question. I would much rather get it out in the open than have women wonder silently. Let’s tackle the question for a moment.

First, consider the primary context of Proverbs. These are wise sayings given from a father to a son. Notice how many times the words, “My son” are used. And that is not just any son, in context, it is the crown prince. So, it is natural that a father would give a son instructions about the type of woman who might try to take advantage of his wealth and power. The principles given, like in the rest of the book, could be easily applied to a young woman and the dangers of young men, and they should be.

The more appropriate question would be, “Is the Bible, and specifically Proverbs, harder on women than men?” The answer is “no!” There are many more condemnations of men than women in the book. We just don’t usually think of them as specifically male condemnations. Our tendency is to think of the masculine as generic in scripture. It is not that the Bible is harder on women, or for that matter easier on women than on men. Both men and women are challenged when sinful and commended when godly. This is a testimony to the equal value of men and women before God.

Especially as 21st-century Americans, we tend to notice the warnings about sexual temptations more than the other warnings. It is true that there are more warnings about the “adulteress” than the “adulterer.” I think there are two reasons for this. First, it is a book addressed to a son, so his sexual temptations would understandably be with women. Second, sexual temptation seems to be more of a male thing than a female thing—especially in that time. None of the warnings about the wicked woman indicate that ALL or even MOST women are this way. They acknowledge what we all know—what every wife knows—SOME women are this way and they are a danger to marriages, especially the marriages of men who are in positions of power, honor, and wealth. Men who have achieved great status often become arrogant and that arrogance makes them susceptible to this type of sin. These verses that are perceived as being hard on women are actually warnings to men about their own sin potential more than they are condemnations of women.

The Bible is especially kind and honoring to women. Proverbs 31 is a testimony to the glory and value of a godly woman to her husband, family, and in culture. Song of Solomon honors the beauty of romantic love between husbands and wives. There are a number of prominent women in scripture who are very much honored including Sarah, Ruth, Esther, Rahab, Deborah, the three Marys, Martha, Eunice, Lois, and many more. In the ancient culture, this was remarkable.

The Bible says that finding a wife is an excellent thing (Proverbs 18:22), but never really emphasizes that finding a husband is an excellent thing (it is, but it is not the same emphasis).

Like all the warnings in scripture. Our primary reaction should not be to feel picked on by the Bible. The scripture deals with all people alike. What we should do is look through those passages so that we can better understand ourselves and how to be pleasing to our Lord. After all, that is all that matters.

Listen to the audio version of this article here: Why is Proverbs So Negative About Women? (substack.com)