The Meaning of Proverbs 31:26 Explained

Proverbs 31:26

KJV: She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

YLT: Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness is on her tongue.

Darby: She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and upon her tongue is the law of kindness.

ASV: She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

She openeth  her mouth  with wisdom;  and in her tongue  [is] the law  of kindness. 

What does Proverbs 31:26 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 31:26 mean?

Her mouth she opens with wisdom and the law of kindness on her tongue [is]
פִּ֭יהָ פָּתְחָ֣ה בְחָכְמָ֑ה וְתֽוֹרַת־ חֶ֝֗סֶד עַל־ לְשׁוֹנָֽהּ

פִּ֭יהָ  Her  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
פָּתְחָ֣ה  she  opens 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
בְחָכְמָ֑ה  with  wisdom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
וְתֽוֹרַת־  and  the  law 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
חֶ֝֗סֶד  of  kindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
לְשׁוֹנָֽהּ  her  tongue  [is] 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.