I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness. And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.
– Ecclesiastes 7:25-26
“O be careful little ears, what you hear.” These simple words to a song for children speak volumes to adults. Voices that get our attention are powerful influences, for good or bad. These voices come from many sources, including the media we consume, the people we encounter through occasional interactions, and the people we bring into the inner circle of our daily living. Wisdom says that we must always be mindful of what these voices are telling us.
This brief passage is an obvious reinforcement to the idea that Solomon was the author of Ecclesiastes. Naturally there are scholarly considerations that have led to other conclusions. I am happy to leave the options open rather than spend time debating the question. Having said this, what we know of King Solomon and his life—namely his marriages—make him a prime candidate to pen words like these. Ask any common church-goer what they can tell you about Solomon, and the list of responses will likely be short. They know he was a king of Israel, that he was known for his great wisdom, and that he built a temple for the Lord. Finally, we know that Solomon had many wives. Many, many wives. This ultimately was the source of his demise.
When we encounter passages like this in the Bible, it could lead us to the conclusion that the biblical writers had something against women. Though none of the authors themselves were perfect in character, the Bible itself has nothing against women. Anyone who pauses five seconds to think will conclude that men have an equally great capacity for dangerous influence as do women. So why the piercing words here about women? Perhaps a few verses from 1 Kings will enlighten us.
“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, ‘You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.’ Solomon held fast to these in love” (1 Kings 11:1-2).
“Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites” (1 Kings 11:5).
“Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods” (1 Kings 11:7-8).
Let’s break this down for a moment. Ashtoreth was a goddess of (among other things) fertility. Worship of her frequently involved participants having sex with male and female prostitutes. Milcom worship incorporated idols and other imagery in the shape of a bull. (Apparently no one learned anything from the golden calf incident in Sinai.) Worship of Chemosh and Molech (particularly the latter) could involve human sacrifice, usually that of children. These things were not only allowed, but supported by Solomon during his reign as king of Israel. This from a man whose prayer at the beginning of his tenure was for “an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9). He certainly was not leaning into the Lord’s wisdom when endorsing the worship of these detestable gods. If the words of Ecclesiastes 7 are connected to 1 Kings 11, it sounds like we have another case of “Adam’s excuse” (it was the woman’s fault!).
Of course, this is admittedly conjecture. The Bible makes no explicit connection between Ecclesiastes 7 and Solomon’s participation in idol worship. Even so, the writer of Ecclesiastes clearly knows the temptation (and apparently the consequences) of devious influences. We can blame the effect of such influences on natural weaknesses, such as a man admitting the power of a woman’s persuasion. In reality, we all have potential weaknesses, and we must be wise to know what they are because the gateway to our hearts can fall when our weak points are assailed. Proverbs 4:23 advises us to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” That, too, is good advice.
Nearly all people, with the exception of an extreme recluse, allow others into their lives. This is a good thing. We were designed for relationship. Many relationships will be on the spectrum of casual; a few will become deep. The words of Ecclesiastes do not advise us against letting people into our lives. Rather, they advise us to be cautious of what influences those people bring. The one who desires to be pleasing to God will maintain a vigilant guard against people whose voices and lifestyles will lead astray. If we sense that a person’s influence will end up being “snares, nets, and chains” to us, we would do well to proceed with caution. Snares, nets and chains are much easier to deal with before we fall into them rather than after. Be careful, therefore, about who has your ear. Unchecked, they will eventually have your heart.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 