The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
2 What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb?
What are you doing, son of my vows?
3 Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to take strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
7 let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31 ESV
Proverbs 31: 10-31
In the first nine verses of Proverbs 31, the mother gives instruction to her son on how to be a truly great king. It is a lesson in the preservation of integrity. She warns him of the loss of such through promiscuous behavior, giving his strength to women and drink, like Samson did with Delilah, David with Bathsheba, and Solomon with so many ungodly women. She teaches him of honor and just dealings for the poor and needy. Now in the final verses she will tell him what a wise man looks for in a wife.
The 22 verses (Proverbs 31:10-31) each begin with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This acrostic construction was used in several psalms (such as Psalms 9-10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145 and Lamentations 4). The purpose was to make the passage memorable (easier to memorize), and to express poetic skill. This is, “An Alphabet of Wifely Excellence” (Kidner)
10 An excellent wife, who can find - Some translate excellent as virtuous, and the same Hebrew words giving the sense of strength, valor, might, and this being in Proverbs, wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord. This is a list for all godly young men seeking a wife, made easy to memorize, and for all young ladies aspiring to be godly women. Who can find? Like wisdom, she is more rare, more precious than jewels.
11-12 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain - Because she is wise and honorable, he need not worry about the state of his affairs. She is not working against him, but with him, so not only is his house in order, but it is also profitable. This trust is not blind as they say of love, but she is proven of character. She is his confidant and wise counselor. The virtuous woman is the contrast of the contentious wife of earlier Proverbs; she is not an egotist, not a complainer, but rather a good steward, ever growing in the fear of God. She will improve with age.
“Her commitment to her husband’s well being is true, not false; constant, not temperamental; reliable, not fickle.” (Waltke)
13 She seeks wool and flax and works with willing hands - She recognizes a family need, and she has a talent for making clothes. It is a willing effort, not begrudging. This is not a blanket example that all women should make their clothes from scratch; this may and does look quite different in our age. What is more remarkable is that this is from the mouth of a queen, and she does not see working with one's hands as beneath her, but rather a badge of honor. Whatever we do, we should do all to the glory of God, and it should be our delight to meet the needs of others.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant - She goes out of her way to find what's good for her family, price and quality. There were no cars, trains, or buses back then, so to travel would be a labor of love. Since she is diligent it is also scheduled, and as merchants she would know the season for what she seeks in advance.
15 She rises while it is yet night - If she is going afar the next day, then she will not let her absence cripple the affairs of the house. One of the best ways to judge a manager is that her crew does not need her presence to be efficient. She provides portions, and this, from her position as a leader, should include not only food but delegation. It is a wise leader that provides for her staff's physical needs and the direction and expectation that will help them succeed while she is away.
16-19 She considers a field and buys it - From the work of her hands, knowledge of trade, she has bought her materials wisely, and the clothing she produces is profitable. Her eye is always looking forward, and with her earnings she buys a field to add yet another dimension of diversity in her families portfolio. Her money is reinvested into what she loves, her family, and with what she has left over she purchases the vines, plants the field.
20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy - She is able to teach her son about the poor, because she has not avoided them herself. This is a woman of compassion. She is not demanding that someone else do something about this, but demonstrating what ought to be done.
. Her hard work was not only for her own needs and the needs of her family; she also worked to help the poor and the needy. “This was the hand that was diligently at work in the previous verse with an acquired skill; it is not the hand of a lazy, wealthy woman. She uses her industry in charitable ways.” (Ross)
21-22 She is not afraid of snow for her household - They are prepared, wool in winter, linen in summer. Charity begins at home, and once the needs of her house are met she is then free to help others.
23 Her husband is known in the gates - He is considered wise in his choice of women, and blessed to have such a wife. Other proverbs have shown the contrast of having an angry wife, that it is better to dwell in the corner of a roof top alone. Marriage is where two become one, and so elders, pastors and deacons are always vetted not solely on their words and doctrine, but also on the state of their family. He is great because she is great. He is esteemed because his wife is a woman worthy of esteem.
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 1 Timothy 3: 1-7
24 This gives more insight into her industrious nature. She knows the tradesmen, has shown the quality of her work and made arrangements with sellers.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing - She is physically strong from her work, but also mentally strong from it, both the knowledge and relationships obtained.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom - It is a blessing to be married to her, her child, her employee, her friend, for her advice is good, and her practice is it's testimony. She is a teacher and that of kindness. This woman does not need to raise her voice, for she is dignified, calm and able to get her point across with compassion. The law of kindness is to love thy neighbor as thy self.
“This is the most distinguishing excellence of this woman. There are very few of those who are called managing women who are not lords over their husbands, tyrants over their servants, and insolent among their neighbours. But this woman, with all her eminence and excellence, was of a meek and quiet spirit. Blessed woman!” (Clarke)
27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness - She is the guard of the home, recognizing where there is work to be done, doing or arranging. She knows her children and their affairs, teaches them right and good, protects them from wrong, or those that would lead them astray.
28-29 Her children rise up and call her blessed - This is her great reward, that she has raised them well, and they, that are most close to her, must acknowledge her integrity. She is admired, and rightly so, this is not mere ritual, but the fruit of a great reality. For her husband, though a man well traveled and versed, he has found no one that compares to her.
30-31 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain - There are those that play the game, and men that fall for all that is painted upon the outside, but she has taken care of the weightier things, the fear of God and the love of her family.
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