Wisdom Contrasted with Folly.
THE BANQUET OF FOLLY. — And as for him that wanteth understanding, lacking in this essential part of a proper life, she saith to him, v. 17. Stolen waters are sweet, that is, forbidden pleasures, as praised by folly, especially in the form of immoral acts, illicit intercourse, seem pleasant enough for the time being, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant, literally, “bread of secrecy,” because both the unjust gain and the forbidden enjoyment are emphasized, Cp. chap. 3, 15-20. V. 18. But he, the person who hearkens to the invitation of folly, knoweth not that the dead are there, the children of death, who are moving forward to the horrors of the realm of death and everlasting destruction, and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
That is the end of folly and of all who accept her invitation, while the faithful, who follow the call of wisdom, will attain to true prosperity and live a life of true usefulness and happiness in the world.