The writer of Proverbs 30:18, 19 said that “the way of a man with a young woman” was ‘beyond comprehension.’ In what sense is that true?

Many have puzzled over these words, including some scholars. The complete passage in the New World Translation reads: “There are three things that are beyond my comprehension [or, “too wonderful,” ftn.], and four that I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the open sea, and the way of a man with a young woman.”​—Prov. 30:18, 19.

Previously, we understood the phrase “the way of a man with a young woman” as having a negative sense. Why? The context mentions negative things that never say “enough.” (Prov. 30:15, 16) And verse 20 speaks of “an adulterous woman” who claims to have done nothing wrong. Hence, we reasoned that like a soaring eagle, a snake on a rock, or an ancient ship in the open sea, the man may leave no trace of his activity. Based on that reasoning, we understood that the expression “the way of a man with a young woman” referred to something bad​—a cunning young man who might seduce a naive young woman without her realizing what was happening.

However, there is good reason to view the passage in a positive light. The writer was simply marveling at the things mentioned.

The original Hebrew supports the view that this verse means something positive. According to the Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “beyond my comprehension” at Proverbs 30:18 “indicates an event that a person . . . finds extraordinary, impossible, even wonderful.”

Professor Crawford H. Toy of Harvard University in the United States also concluded that this Bible passage does not here describe something negative. He stated: “The point is rather the wonderfulness of the things named.”

So it seems reasonable to state that the words recorded at Proverbs 30:18, 19 are describing things that are truly wonderful, even beyond our comprehension. Like the Bible writer, we are awed by how an eagle can soar, how a legless serpent can glide over a rock, how a heavy ship can travel across the sea, and how a young man and a young woman can fall in love and have a happy life together.