And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
And, behold, there met him a woman (with) the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. How readily those meet who are akin in feelings and aims! As he seeks evil, so it "meets" him by God's just appointment. The woman had all the open marks of an harlot: the bare neck, and breasts half exposed, the mincing tripping gait, and thin dress, and other incentives to excite admiration and lust: therefore the youth was the more inexcusable in being caught by such a one. She disclosed herself wholly to him, except her "heart." "Subtil" - literally, 'guarded' (Hebrew, nªtsurat (H5341), from naatsar (H5341)). Though she steals the heart of others, she herself by no means loses her own; nay, it is with it that she devises so many subtleties: so in the midst of lust she keeps it well guarded, and ready for all schemes (Proverbs 30:18-20; Ecclesiastes 7:26, "I find (Solomon spoke by bitter experience) more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets"). Though the whorish woman is inferior in intellect to the man, yet she makes up for the defect by cunning, and by acting on man's bad propensities.