Proverbs 31:10-31

Proverbs 31:10-31

[10] Who can find  a virtuous  woman?  for her price  is far  above rubies.  [11] The heart  of her husband  doth safely trust  in her, so that he shall have no need  of spoil.  [12] She will do  him good  and not evil  all the days  of her life.  [13] She seeketh  wool,  and flax,  and worketh  willingly  with her hands.  [14] She is like the merchants'  ships;  she bringeth  her food  from afar.  [15] She riseth  also while it is yet night,  and giveth  meat  to her household,  and a portion  to her maidens.  [16] She considereth  a field,  and buyeth  it: with the fruit  of her hands  she planteth  a vineyard.  [17] She girdeth  her loins  with strength,  and strengtheneth  her arms.  [18] She perceiveth  that her merchandise  is good:  her candle  goeth not out  by night.  [19] She layeth  her hands  to the spindle,  and her hands  hold  the distaff.  [20] She stretcheth out  her hand  to the poor;  yea, she reacheth forth  her hands  to the needy.  [21] She is not afraid  of the snow  for her household:  are clothed  with scarlet.  [22] She maketh  herself coverings of tapestry;  her clothing  is silk  and purple.  [23] Her husband  is known  in the gates,  when he sitteth  among the elders  of the land.  [24] She maketh  fine linen,  and selleth  it; and delivereth  girdles  unto the merchant.  [25] Strength  and honour  are her clothing;  and she shall rejoice  in time  to come.  [26] She openeth  her mouth  with wisdom;  and in her tongue  is the law  of kindness.  [27] She looketh well  to the ways  of her household,  and eateth  not the bread  of idleness.  [28] Her children  arise up,  and call her blessed;  her husband  also, and he praiseth  [29] Many  daughters  have done  virtuously,  but thou excellest  [30] Favour  is deceitful,  and beauty  is vain:  but a woman  that feareth  she shall be praised.  [31] Give  her of the fruit  of her hands;  and let her own works  praise  her in the gates. 

What does Proverbs 31:10-31 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

There is much in Proverbs about unwise women. Solomon personified both wisdom and folly as women earlier (chs8-9). Perhaps God wanted us to finish reading this book-assured that women are not essentially evil or foolish-but that they can be very good, wise, and admirable. Jewish husbands and children traditionally recited this poem at the Sabbath table on Friday evenings. [1]," Beth Mikra31 (1985-86):339-47.]
The form of this discourse is an acrostic poem. Each of the22verses in the Hebrew Bible begins with the succeeding consonant of the Hebrew alphabet. Such a device not only made for more interesting and beautiful reading, but also aided the Hebrew reader in memorizing this passage. The genre of this section is perhaps a heroic poem. [2]
The woman in view in this passage is probably no single historic individual. This seems clear from the fact that the writer described her impersonally in Proverbs 31:10 as "an excellent wife," rather than as Lemuel"s mother or some other specific lady. Furthermore, throughout Proverbs the writers described people generally. They did not use particular individuals as examples, positively or negatively.
Some scholars believe this chapter does not describe women at all but deals with wisdom personified as a woman. [3] It is interesting, however, that even those who hold this symbolic view occasionally speak of the woman in this poem as a real woman. I believe this view is too extreme. Wherever a writer personified wisdom elsewhere in the book it is always clear to the reader that he was using personification as a literary device (cf. Proverbs 8:1; Proverbs 9:1; Proverbs 9:13). That is not the case here. Lemuel"s mother seems to have been describing the eminently wise woman, not just Wisdom as a woman. The woman in view seems to be a role model who epitomizes wisdom. [4]
In this chapter, the wife in view does the things that the wife of a prince or courtier in the ancient Near East would do.
"The woman here presented is a wealthy aristocrat who runs a household estate with servants and conducts business affairs-real estate, vineyards, and merchandise-domestic affairs, and charity. It would be quite a task for any woman to emulate this pattern." [5]
Lemuel said nothing of her intellectual interests or pursuits because those things were not significant for his purpose, which was to stress her wisdom. He did not mention her relationship to God or to her husband. The absence of her husband"s involvement in domestic matters fits her station in life as an aristocrat. He would have been busy with public affairs in the ancient Near East.
Probably Lemuel"s mother intended the qualities and characteristics that follow to be a guide to him as he considered marrying. They provide a standard of godly wisdom for women. However, this standard is not within every woman"s reach, since it assumes certain personal abilities and resources that are not available to all. It is idealistic.
The poem presents the height of female effectiveness. Within the sphere of the household we see that the wife has opportunity for great influence and achievement, not only succeeding herself but enabling her husband to succeed as well.
I do not believe we should interpret this poem as denigrating a woman"s work outside the home. It simply addresses a certain kind of woman in a particular social and historical context whose arena of activity was domestic, in the largest sense, almost exclusively. It also advocates characteristics that women can demonstrate in many different contexts in life. Women can manifest them in any period of history and in any culture.