Proverbs 31:10-31
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 is an acrostic poem that follows the pattern of each verse beginning with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This form of poetry was used in order to express the importance of the subject and to illustrate the complete handling of the topic. In this case, it would be the issue of the ideal wife. The father is instructing his son in terms of qualities that he should be looking for when it comes to a wife and partner. The book of Proverbs begins with an admonition to the son to find wisdom and personifies wisdom as a woman. The son has a choice between the woman of wisdom and the prostitute. The book is then capped by the description of the wise woman and her contribution to her family and community.
Rarity
Proverbs 31:10 “10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.”
The wife being described to the son is indeed a rarity. It is not that she cannot be found, but when she is, she should be valued as such.
Ephesians 5:25 “25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”
Virtuous Character
Proverbs 31:11–12 “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.”
The wife’s character is beyond reproach and consistent. The husband implicitly trusts her and recognizes that her partnership with him is a great benefit. The good always outweighs the bad. The marriage relationship is for the mutual benefit of each partner. Our individual strengths are complementary.
This woman’s character is in contrast to other description in Proverbs
Proverbs 21:9 “9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.”
Proverbs 27:15–16 “15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; 16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one’s right hand.”
Industrious
Proverbs 31:13–19 “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.”
Proverbs 31:24 “24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.”
Proverbs 31:27 “27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
This section of the poem highlights the industry of the woman. She is not only caring for kids but also managing servants, securing materials for production, dealing in land, farming, and turning a profit. The women of that day would have engaged in weaving and producing fabric and clothes. This wife and mother was exceptional in the sense that she was securing fine materials and also extending her reach into land deals.
The description of industriousness is not a detailed job description for the modern woman but an indication that the wife was an active contributor with the idea of expansion. This is not a description of a trophy wife who spends without contributing. She is also not doing it out of spite or with a negative attitude. Be cautious about who you are comparing yourself with. Instagram and TikTok are not real life.
The wife was simply contributing to the household in ways that produced an excess of income.
Generous
Proverbs 31:20 “20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.”
It is the sign of maturity that a marriage produces more that it consumes. Marriage was designed to produce children and be generous to others. Modern day temptation is to receive more than give.
The question is: are you industrious enough to produce excess? Plan as a family to produce more than needed. The church should look different from the world.
Confident, Not Anxious
Proverbs 31:21–22 “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.”
Proverbs 31:25–26 “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.”
Proverbs 31:30 “30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
The description of this woman is that she is not anxious about the future for three specific reasons. She is prepared; she has not only prepared herself but also her kids. She has gained wisdom. She is guided by faith.
More than a Beautiful Face
Proverbs 31:30 “30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
The reality is that our culture is hyper-focused on the part of women that is truly fading. This is not indicating that outward beauty is a bad thing or something that is irrelevant, but it is realistic about the characteristics that never fade and actually improve with age.
Job 12:12 “12 Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.”
Spend the most time on the things that will not fade with time.
Worthy of Praise
Proverbs 31:28–31 “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.”
This wife and mother was worthy of all the recognition she received from her children and from her husband. She was also to benefit personally from the work of her hands.
Give her the fruit of her hands, her clothing is fine linen and purple.