Harlot's Attire

The Attire of An Harlot
By Stacey Shiflett
Proverbs 7:10: "And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart."

In Proverbs 7, Solomon is warning his son about the dangers of sexual immorality. This wise and concerned father is telling his son that sin is all around, and that he must recognize it when he sees it.

One of the things he warned his son about was women dressed in the attire of an harlot. Strangely enough, it doesn't say she was a harlot, though it's obvious by her actions that she was. The interesting thing is she is described by her attire; her clothing.

One of the things that bother me as a preacher is the fact that many times I get accused of being judgmental and casting judgment on people without really knowing them or knowing all the facts. Here we see Solomon, undoubtedly the wisest man that ever lived, is judging a woman by her clothing, by looking out of his window in the dark of night! Furthermore, he's teaching his son to judge them by their clothing!

In my effort to convey the truth without giving anybody a reason to judge me for judging others, I'm going to do something that is perfectly fair and sensible. Instead of trying to figure out what this harlot was wearing, I'm going to turn it around. We are going to play a game of elimination in order to show what a good, godly woman should wear. The way we will do this is simple. We will try to determine what the harlot in Proverbs 7 WAS NOT wearing!

I know, many will say that I have no idea what I am talking about because we don't know for sure what harlots wore in those days. That's fine. I agree. That's why I'm going to make an application to the day and age in which we live and make this modern and practical. Everybody agrees I'm sure that the Word of God applies today, and that it's teachings and warnings should be heeded. So in saying that, let's make a couple of safe assumptions.

Assumption 1: We have harlots today.

Assumption 2: Harlots wear clothes.

Assumption 3: Harlots wear wrong clothes.

Assumption 4: Christians should not.

How are we doing so far? In order to accurately judge what a godly, Christian woman should wear, let's examine Scripture. As I'm sure you do, I believe the Bible is the Final Authority for ALL matters of faith and practice. (That would even include our wardrobe.)

So, what did that harlot in Proverbs 7 have on? One thing we know she wasn't wearing. She wasn't wearing clothing that was modest. We can safely assume that. You see, harlotry has often been called the oldest profession in the world. That may very well be true. It certainly is not new.

Women thousands of years ago learned one simple fact. Men are affected by what they see. Men respond to what they see. The Bible has a lot to say about men's eyes. Notice this verse. Proverbs 27:20 "he11 and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied."

What about this one? Matthew 5:28: "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

So you see, men are affected by what they see. Now, according to Proverbs 7:7, this young man was clearly not the sharpest kid on the block. It says: "And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding." But one thing about this guy was working perfectly normal. His eyes were fine.

Modest clothing is commanded in the word of God for godly, Christian women. In 1 Timothy 2:9 it says: "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; ..." Needless to say, the harlot in Proverbs 7 DID NOT have on modest apparel. She was dressed in a way that even in the dark of night (Bible says in the preceding verse: "In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:), she could be seen and seduce this young man.

We don't know what she was wearing, but we do know what she wasn't wearing! She wasn't wearing modest apparel.

What is modest apparel? Does anybody know? Are there any clues? Absolutely! The Greek word for 'modest apparel' in this verse is katastole (pronounced kat-as-tol-ay’). It means: a lowering, letting down; a garment let down, dress, attire. – Bible Greek Lexicon

Now I don't profess to be a Greek scholar, or even a Bible scholar for that matter. However, I think it's pretty clear what women are supposed to wear according to these verses; long, loose, modest dresses.

You might say, well, how long is long? Who's to say something is long or short? That's an excellent point. That's why we must refer to our Bible for that answer. Let's see what God says.

Isaiah 47:1-3: "Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, ... O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. ... uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man."

We can see from these verses that God considers a woman uncovering her leg or her thigh to be 'nakedness'. I think we must agree that God's description of 'modest apparel' in the Bible would have to mean that whatever it is a woman wears, it must be long and cover her legs.

Having said that, we can safely conclude that the harlot in Proverbs 7 did not have on a long skirt or a long, loose flowing dress. As we said earlier, we cannot conceive the fact that if she did, Solomon would have described her as a woman dressed in the attire of an harlot.

One thing is very clear to me, as a man and as a preacher of the Gospel. Too many women and girls today are wearing the attire of an harlot. They are dressing themselves in a fashion that causes men to lust after them. They dress in a way that draws attention to their bodies. God is not pleased with that!

Dear sister in the Lord, do yourself a favor. Drive through the streets of your city late at night and look at the women standing on the street corners. Look at what they are wearing. Look at how they dress themselves. Notice what they picked out while they were shopping for clothing. Notice what they knew lustful, wicked men would be attracted to. Observe what they realized would appeal to their wicked, sinful desires. Their wardrobe includes shorts, mini-skirts, low blouses, sleeveless shirts, tight clothing, blue jeans, pants and other sinful attire. Nothing godly.

Now go home, look in your closet. What do you see? Do you see anything that even closely resembles what those women were wearing? Do you have clothing in your house that reveals your legs? Do you have skirts or dresses that are not long enough to fit the description of modest apparel? Do you by any chance have any clothing that would be too tight, too see-through, too clingy, too masculine to be worn by a godly, chaste, virtuous lady?

If so, you need to throw it out. You need to ask God to forgive you for wearing the attire of an harlot. You need to realize the awfulness of allowing the unbelievers and Hollywood and the harlots and lesbians of this world to influence your wardrobe.

Is your clothing modest? Is it feminine? Is it ladylike? Is it loose, flowing, and long? Is it a dress? God forbid that any born-again lady dress herself in the attire of an harlot.