What is the meaning of Proverbs 30:20?

This is the way of an adulteress:

“Such is the way of an adulterous woman…” (Proverbs 30:20)

- Scripture singles out “the way”—a habitual pattern, not a one-time stumble (Proverbs 5:6; 7:27).

- The verse sits among Agur’s observations about things that leave no trace (30:18-19). In contrast, adultery does leave a trace before God (Hebrews 4:13).

- God consistently warns that sexual sin may look secret, yet its consequences run deep (Proverbs 6:32-33; Numbers 32:23).

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She eats

“…She eats…”

- The act is treated like grabbing a meal—common, casual, routine.

- Sinful appetite is pictured as food elsewhere: “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant” (Proverbs 9:17).

- Eating highlights physical gratification with no thought for covenant faithfulness (Hebrews 13:4).

- David’s brief “taste” with Bathsheba led to cascading pain (2 Samuel 11–12), underscoring that what seems quick and harmless never is.

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and wipes her mouth

“…and wipes her mouth…”

- She removes the evidence, just as a diner wipes away crumbs—trying to erase all traces (Proverbs 28:13).

- The wiping points to calculated concealment: “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper” (28:13).

- Like Achan hiding plunder (Joshua 7:20-21) or Ananias and Sapphira masking deceit (Acts 5:1-10), hidden sin courts judgment.

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and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

“…and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ ”

- Hardened conscience: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).

- Self-justification reveals a seared heart (1 Timothy 4:2) and denial of truth (1 John 1:8).

- Proverbs links adultery with lack of remorse: “She laughs without fear; she does not ponder the path of life” (Proverbs 5:6; 7:13-14).

- God notes when people “were not at all ashamed… they did not even know how to blush” (Jeremiah 6:15).

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summary

Proverbs 30:20 paints a sober portrait: habitual sin treated as ordinary, quickly hidden, and shamelessly denied. The verse warns that secret immorality dulls the conscience and invites judgment, urging each reader to keep a tender heart, confess sin promptly (Psalm 32:5), and walk in the light of God’s unchanging standards (1 John 1:7).