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Strange woman (אִשָּׁה זָרָה ishah zara) (2:16; 5:3) refers to those who set aside what was in harmony with the Mosaic Law and thus distanced and estranged themselves from God. Therefore, the immoral sensual woman (prostitute) was not necessarily a foreigner. “The strange woman,” the prostitute, is described as one “who forsakes the companion of her youth” (2:17), which is referring to the husband of her young womanhood. She has ignored and disregarded the prohibition on adultery that was a part of the covenant of her God, the Mosaic Law covenant. – Ex. 20:14; Jeremiah 2:25; 3:13.

Strangers (זָרִים zarim) generally refers to an outsider, a foreigner, persons who are unfamiliar or unknown, previously unencountered. It can also be used as a simple reference to “another person.” (Prov. 14:10) Also, it was applied to those who forsook what was in harmony with the Mosaic Law and so were estranged from God. Thus, in Proverbs 2:16, the one morally estranged harlot or prostitute is referred to as a “strange (Heb. zār) woman.” The point being made here is simple, do not share your sexual affections with another. – Prov. 2:16; 5:17; 7:5.

Foreign (נָכְרִי nokri) woman: This is a woman who comes from a foreign country who did not owe an allegiance to the Israelite nation, and likely did not speak Hebrew fluently. Again, they are foreign, alien, i.e., pertaining to that which is not in the same kindred, land area, or religion as the speaker and so not in close association or limited association. Because initially, in Israelite history, immoral women who were morally alienated from God came from outside of Israel, but in time the term foreign woman came to include any prostitute or adulteress. Her smooth words were flattering and seductive. – Prov. 2:16.