Proverbs 9:17
“"Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant."”
— Proverbs 9:17
About this verse
Proverbs 9:17 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the Kingdom (~1000 BC) period. The setting is city gate. These words are attributed to Folly. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include temptation, forbidden. Notable phrases: stolen water is sweet.
Speaker
Folly
Era
Kingdom (~1000 BC)
Emotion
seeking
Type
wisdom
Emotional genome
Comfort power
Quotability
Memorability
Crisis relevance
Standalone
This verse is part of a bigger story
Proverbs 9 has more verses that reveal the full context — who wrote it, what was happening, and why this moment matters.
Read Proverbs 9 →This verse was found through the Bible Genome. Take time to reflect on what speaks to you.
Emotionally similar
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— James 2:14
“For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:2
“for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."”
— Genesis 3:5
“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?”
— Luke 9:25
“He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"”
— Matthew 16:15