The Meaning of Proverbs 31:10 Explained

Proverbs 31:10

KJV: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

YLT: A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies is her price.

Darby: Who can find a woman of worth? for her price is far above rubies.

ASV: A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who can find  a virtuous  woman?  for her price  [is] far  above rubies. 

What does Proverbs 31:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 31:10-31 - "her Works Praise Her"
The ideal woman, as portrayed here, is a wife. She is the stay and confidence of her husband. Not only when she comes as a young bride into his home, in the glory and beauty of her youth, nor only when her womanly beauty holds his admiration, but long after and to the end of life she does him good. She is always busy. She is thrifty in administering his earnings. If he brings the money to her, she expends it economically for their common weal. When a friend of mine was sixty, his wife came to him with an annuity which she had purchased for them both, by her wise administration of the money entrusted to her through forty years of married life.
It is in the home-place that the man's strength is gathered for public life. The woman in the home communicates the inspiration and strength which make him "known in the gates." Her secret, unobtrusive loyalty, counsel, and thrift inspire a growing depth of appreciation; so that the man who chose her in the spring will say of her amid the snows of age, "Other women may be good and true, but "˜thou excellest them all.'" [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 31

1  Lemuel's lesson of chastity and temperance
6  The afflicted are to be comforted and defended
10  The praise and properties of a good wife

What do the individual words in Proverbs 31:10 mean?

A wife virtuous who can find and far above rubies for her worth [is]
؟ אֵֽשֶׁת־ חַ֭יִל מִ֣י יִמְצָ֑א וְרָחֹ֖ק מִפְּנִינִ֣ים מִכְרָֽהּ

؟ אֵֽשֶׁת־  A  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
חַ֭יִל  virtuous 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
יִמְצָ֑א  can  find 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
וְרָחֹ֖ק  and  far 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָחֹוק  
Sense: remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones.
מִפְּנִינִ֣ים  above  rubies 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural
Root: פְּנִיּיִם 
Sense: a precious stone.
מִכְרָֽהּ  for  her  worth  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מֶכֶר  
Sense: merchandise, value, price.