Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. This, I believe, better reflects the original intent of Proverbs 31, and therefore honors Scripture well. Ruth was a destitute foreigner whose daily work involved gathering, threshing, and winnowing wheat.
For most of her story, she is neither a wife nor a mother. Circumstantially, her life looked nothing like the life of the woman depicted in Proverbs She had no husband; she was widowed. She worked all day in the sun, gleaning leftovers from other people's fields, which was a provision made for the poorest of the poor in Israel.
And yet guess what Boaz says of Ruth before she gets married, before she has a child, before she becomes a wealthy and influential woman:. Ruth is identified as a woman of valor, not because checked off some Proverbs 31 to-do list by getting married, keeping a clean house and producing children, but because she lived her life with incredible bravery, wisdom, and strength.
She lived her life with valor. Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. Have you ever heard of the acronym for B. Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth? Easy to remember. I like it. Because while there are many, many verses of instructions for Godly living in the Bible, not every Bible verse is a command or instruction.
And while we can absolutely benefit from every verse in the Bible, not every verse in the Bible was written to or about us. Treat others well, and find yourself a good, Godly woman.
This helps cover the many costs of running this site and allows me to help provide for my growing family. Thank you! Plus, not only do Jewish men use Proverbs 31 to sing praises over their wives for being such wonderful Godly women, but Jewish women also use the passage to praise each other as well! Woman of valor! Rather she is simply a compilation of the best traits of Godly women as a whole.
In fact, if you read through the entire book of Proverbs, you meet three other allegorical characters first: Wisdom, Folly and the Adultress.
Rather, she completes the set. You mess up sometimes? Welcome to the club! None of us are perfect. Proverbs 31 is simply the highlight reel of the BEST things this Wife of Noble Character did in various seasons over the course of her entire life. But if you look at the Proverbs 31 woman, she is confident, capable and self-assured.
The Wife of Noble Character honors her husband. She reflects well on him. We often think that the Proverbs 31 Woman is the perfect example of a wife and mom. But count how many times her family is actually mentioned. A full HALF 11 of the verses in this passage are about how hard the virtuous woman works—both inside and outside of the home. Her own clothing is rich and fine: it is silk and purple, according to her place and rank. Though she is not so vain as to spend much time in dressing herself, nor makes the putting on of apparel her adorning, nor values herself upon it, yet she has rich clothes and puts them on well.
She needs not fear the cold of the most pinching winter, for she and her family are well provided with clothes, sufficient to keep out cold, which is the end chiefly to be aimed at in clothing: All her household are clothed in scarlet, strong cloth and fit for winter, and yet rich and making a good appearance. They are all double clothed so some read it , have change of raiment, a winter suit and a summer suit.
She trades abroad. She makes more than she and her household have occasion for; and therefore, when she has sufficiently stocked her family, she sells fine linen and girdles to the merchants v. Those families are likely to thrive that sell more than they buy; as it is well with the kingdom when abundance of its home manufactures are exported.
It is no disgrace to those of the best quality to sell what they can spare, nor to deal in trade and send ventures by sea. She lays up for hereafter: She shall rejoice in time to come, having laid in a good stock for her family, and having good portions for her children. Those that take pains when they are in their prime will have the pleasure and joy of it when they are old, both in reflecting upon it and in reaping the benefit of it. She takes care of her family and all the affairs of it, gives meat to her household v.
She gives also a portion an allotment of work, as well as meat to her maidens; they shall all of them know their business and have their task. She looks well to the ways of her household v. She is charitable to the poor, v. She is as intent upon giving as she is upon getting; she often serves the poor with her own hand, and she does it freely, cheerfully, and very liberally, with an out-stretched hand. Nor does she relieve her poor neighbours only, and those that are nigh at hand, but she reaches forth her hands to the needy that are at a distance, seeking opportunities to do good and to communicate, which is as good housewifery as any thing she does.
She is discreet and obliging in all her discourse, not talkative, censorious, nor peevish, as some are, that know how to take pains; no, she opens her mouth with wisdom; when she does speak, it is with a great deal of prudence and very much to the purpose; you may perceive by every word she says how much she governs herself by the rules of wisdom. She not only takes prudent measures herself, but gives prudent advice to others; and this not as assuming the authority of a dictator, but with the affection of a friend and an obliging air: In her tongue is the law of kindness; all she says is under the government of that law.
The law of love and kindness is written in the heart, but it shows itself in the tongue; if we are kindly affectioned one to another, it will appear by affectionate expression. It is called a law of kindness, because it gives law to others, to all she converses with. Her wisdom and kindness together put a commanding power into all she says; they command respect, they command compliance.
How forcible are right words! In her tongue is the law of grace, or mercy so some read it , understanding it of the word and law of God, which she delights to talk of among her children and servants. She is full of pious religious discourse, and manages it prudently, which shows how full her heart is of another world even when her hands are most busy about this world.
That which completes and crowns her character is that she fears the Lord, v. With all those good qualities she lacks not that one thing needful; she is truly pious, and, in all she does, is guided and governed by principles of conscience and a regard to God; this is that which is here preferred far before beauty; that is vain and deceitful; all that are wise and good account it so, and value neither themselves nor others on it.
Beauty recommends none to God, nor is it any certain indication of wisdom and goodness, but it has deceived many a man who has made his choice of a wife by it. There may be an impure deformed soul lodged in a comely and beautiful body; nay, many have been exposed by their beauty to such temptations as have been the ruin of their virtue, their honour, and their precious souls.
It is a fading thing at the best, and therefore vain and deceitful. A fit of sickness will stain and sully it in a little time; a thousand accidents may blast this flower in its prime; old age will certainly wither it and death and the grave consume it. But the fear of God reigning in the heart is the beauty of the soul; it recommends those that have it to the favour of God, and is, in his sight, of great price; it will last for ever, and bid defiance to death itself, which consumes the beauty of the body, but consummates the beauty of the soul.
The happiness of this virtuous woman. She has the comfort and satisfaction of her virtue in her own mind v. She enjoys a firmness and constancy of mind, has spirit to bear up under the many crosses and disappointments which even the wise and virtuous must expect to meet with in this world; and this is her clothing, for defence as well as decency.
She deals honourably with all, and she has the pleasure of doing so, and shall rejoice in time to come; she shall reflect upon it with comfort, when she comes to be old, that she was not idle or useless when she was young. In the day of death it will be a pleasure to her to think that she has lived to some good purpose. Nay, she shall rejoice in an eternity to come; she shall be recompensed for her goodness with fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore.
She is a great blessing to her relations, v. Her children grow up in her place, and they call her blessed. They give her their good word, they are themselves a commendation to her, and they are ready to give great commendations of her; they pray for her, and bless God that they had such a good mother.
It is a debt which they owe her, a part of that honour which the fifth commandment requires to be paid to father and mother; and it is a double honour that is due to a good father and a good mother.
Her husband thinks himself so happy in her that he takes all occasions to speak well of her, as one of the best of women. It is no indecency at all, but a laudable instance of conjugal love, for husbands and wives to give one another their due praises. She gets the good word of all her neighbours, as Ruth did, whom all the city of her people knew to be a virtuous woman, Ruth.
Virtue will have its praise, Phil. A woman that fears the Lord, shall have praise of God Rom. It is here shown, 1. That she shall be highly praised v. Virtuous women, it seems, are precious jewels, but not such rare jewels as was represented v.
There have been many, but such a one as this cannot be paralleled. Who can find her equal? She excels them all. Note, Those that are good should aim and covet to excel in virtue.
Or, as some explain it, A man cannot have his house so well kept by good daughters, as by a good wife. That she shall be incontestably praised, without contradiction, v. Some are praised above what is their due, but those that praise her do but give her of the fruit of her hands; they give her that which she has dearly earned and which is justly due to her; she is wronged if she have it not.
Note, Those ought to be praised the fruit of whose hands is praise-worthy. The tree is known by its fruits, and therefore, if the fruit be good, the tree must have our good word. If her children be dutiful and respectful to her, and conduct themselves as they ought, they then give her the fruit of her hands; she reaps the benefit of all the care she has taken of them, and thinks herself well paid.
Children must thus study to requite their parents, and this is showing piety at home, 1 Tim. But, if men be unjust, the thing will speak itself, her own works will praise her in the gates, openly before all the people. Those are none of the truly virtuous women that love to hear themselves commended. The widows gave the best encomium of Dorcas when they showed the coats and garments she had made for the poor, Acts.
Those that do that which is good, let them have praise of the same Rom. Let none have an ill report from us, that have a good report even of the truth itself. Thus is shut up this looking-glass for ladies, which they are desired to open and dress themselves by; and, if they do so, their adorning will be found to praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Twenty chapters of the book of Proverbs beginning with ch. Some of the verses, perhaps, I have not put under the same heads that another would have put them under, but the most of them fall I hope naturally enough to the places I have assigned them. Of the comfort, or grief, parents have in their children, according as they are wise or foolish, godly or ungodly, ch.
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