A foolish woman [is] clamorous
Some by this woman understand folly itself, as opposed to wisdom;
others blind reason, ignorant of divine things; others carnal
sensual pleasure, which entices and draws men to that which is
evil; others heresy and superstition; others the old serpent, the
devil; she seems to be the same with the strange woman and harlot
before described, ( Proverbs
2:16 ) ( 5:3 ) (
7:5 )
and being set in direct opposition to Wisdom, or Christ, seems to
design antichrist, who is described in the book of the Revelation
as the great whore; and all the characters here agree with the
same. Antichrist is represented as a "woman", ( Revelation
17:3 Revelation
17:4 Revelation
17:6 Revelation
17:18 ) ; and is "foolish"; for whatever worldly cunning and
craft, and wicked subtlety, there may be in the Romish
antichrist, yet he is destitute of all spiritual wisdom and
knowledge; and is "clamorous" and noisy, has a mouth speaking
great swelling words of vanity and blasphemy, boasting of
infallibility, works of supererogation, merits, miracles, wealth,
and riches; and very pressing and importunate to gain proselytes
to his religion; the priests and Jesuits are compared to noisy,
clamorous, croaking frogs, ( Revelation
16:13 ) ; [she is] simple, and knoweth
nothing;
a woman of follies, extremely foolish and simple, and most
grossly ignorant; knows nothing that is good, as the Targum; that
is, spiritually good; knows not God aright; is without the fear
and love of him, and faith in him; nor knows Christ, and the way
of righteousness and life by him; nor the Spirit of God, and the
operations of his grace upon the heart; nor the Gospel, and the
doctrines of it; nor the ways, worship, and ordinances of God.
The Septuagint and Arabic versions are, "she knows not shame";
but is bold and impudent, having a whore's forehead, and on it
written, "Mystery, Babylon, the mother of harlots, and
abominations of the earth", ( Revelation
17:5 ) .