Proverbs 23:28Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. A father describes predatory behavior he's witnessed in Jerusalem's streets - women who deliberately target married men to destroy families...
The emotion here: protective anger seeing marriages destroyed by calculated predators
The original word
ḥāṭap̄ (חָטַף) — to seize suddenly like a bird of prey snatching its victim
Why it matters
Ancient robbers hid by roads and wells where travelers had to stop - unavoidable places where people were vulnerable
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 23:28
She doesn't wait for men to come to her - she actively hunts them down in places they can't avoid
Common misconceptionPeople think this blames women, but it's warning men that some people actively hunt for victims - it's about recognizing predatory behavior regardless of gender.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 23:28
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 23:28 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 23:28 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include temptation, danger, unfaithfulness. Notable phrases: lies in wait; like a robber; increases unfaithful. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 23:28 mean to you, today?
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