And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
And I find more bitter than death - (Proverbs 7:26-27; Proverbs 9:18.) "I find" that of all my sinful follies, none has been so ruinous a snare in seducing me from God as idolatrous women (1 Kings 11:3-4; Proverbs 5:3-4). Since "God's favour is better than life," she who seduces from God is "more bitter than death." Hengstenberg allegorizes "the woman" as an ideal personage, representing 'earthly, sensual, devilish wisdom,' in contrast to 'the wisdom from above' (James 3:15; James 3:17), answering to Koheleth, the Assembling one, an ideal Female. Hence, here only in the book Qoheleth is connected with the feminine verb (Ecclesiastes 7:27). Everywhere else the Assembling one is incarnate in the person of Solomon in the masculine. The strange woman answers to "philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men" (Colossians 2:8; cf. 1 Timothy 6:20; contrast Proverbs 2:16-17 with Jeremiah 3:4; Jeremiah 3:20). I prefer the literal sense primarily; secondarily, the literal harlot is in the wider application designed by the Spirit to be representative of all that seduce from God, the true Husband of the Church, whether worldly gain, pleasure, or wisdom so called. Compare Revelation 2:20, the symbolical Jezebel.
Whoso pleaseth God - as Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3; Genesis 39:9). It is God's grace alone that keeps any from falling.