Ah yes, to those godly women.... Thought to post my notes from Proverbs 31 as my wife had just done something that reminded of Proverb 31:20. I kept this close to heart during the courtship period, hope you enjoy some perspective on Proverbs 31.
Proverbs 31
1 The words of Lemuel, the king of Massa, which his mother taught him.
2 What, my son?
What, son of my womb?
What, son of my vow?
3 Don’t give your strength to women,
Your ways to that which wipes out kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
For rulers to crave strong drink;
5 lest they drink and forget the decrees
And violate the legal rights of the needy.
6 Give strong drink to those who are perishing,
And wine to the bitter of heart.
7 Let them drink and forget their poverty
And no longer remember their hard work.
8 Open your mouth for the speechless,
And legal rights of all fragile human beings.
9 Open your mouth: judge righteously,
And defend the needy and destitute.
It would be a tremendous temptation for a king to use his power to amass a number of wives, concubines, and other women. But women can get even a king into trouble. Solomon is an example of that, with his multitudinous wives, who ultimately led him astray. This is also illustrated by David, whose pursuit of Bathsheba was responsible for many of the palace intrigues that plagued his later years and successions. In any case, the sages surely would argue that even the king had the same responsibility to act with integrity in sexual relationships as their teaching required for other young men.
Lemuel’s mother also warns him about the danger of alcoholic drinks. The problem has to do with one’s ability to make good decisions if under the influence of alcohol. A clear mind is important to the wise person. The Bible as a whole is not at all opposed to alcohol and even praises what might be understood as slight intoxication, but heavy drinking is frowned upon. It is very important for a king to know what he is doing as he makes decisions, because his decisions have important ramifications for many. Lemuel’s mother commends the use of alcohol to the poor may be seen in part as a strategy to discourage her royal son, “Don’t act like those derelicts who drink to forget their hardships. Act like the king you are.” The king is the human representative of God, who protects the rights of those who lack power (the needy and the destitute).
10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
“Noble” has military overtones. The basic meaning of the term is “strength” and “power.” We see a woman who is engaged in the battle of life, dealing with people and winning an advantage for her family. The value of rubies is metaphorical, the “price” or “value” of wisdom.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Her husband’s attitude is first described toward the woman. The heart stands for one’s core personality and not emotions; the husband is confident to make himself totally vulnerable and trusts her to follow through and take care of him and the household.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
As long as she lives, she will bring him good things, not evil things. Good things and evil things can encompass a wide variety of moral and material blessings.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
The woman is not stuck at home, but goes out into the public square, the market, in order to obtain the materials she needs. She not only does the labor, but she also does it joyfully.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
The woman works with her hands to produce products she can sell in the public market, and then she buys food and brings it back to sustain her household.
15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
She is early to rise, she does so in order to provide sustenance for her household, including her maidservants. “The early bird gets the worm” like the modern saying.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is one who goes out to find land that is worth managing; real estate and agricultural ventures, and then with her own resources she plants a vineyard, again presumably as a business venture.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She is praised in a way as an expression of physical energy and power.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
The woman’s results are successful in her involvement in trade. We have earlier been told that she works hard and does not sleep much, getting up early in the morning and the woman also stays up late at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
The “doubling spindle,” also called “distaff is a wooden staff onto which the wool or flax was attached before it was spun into thread. Though on the surface, this description of the woman’s industry seems domestic in nature, it may have an additional nuance. Anat, the warrior goddess of Ugarit, used her distaff and whorl as a weapon. This may underline imagery of the warrior, which laces this description of the “noble woman”
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
The sages have taught that the wise must be generous to the poor. Here the “noble woman” shows her wisdom by being concerned by the needs of the destitute.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
This wise woman’s only fear is Yahweh. The fear of Yahweh drives out all other fears. Specifically, the woman is not afraid of the weather because she prepares for it. It is not unusual for it to snow in the central hill country of Israel, though it is not frequent. However, even though not frequent, the woman is ready, having already made warm clothes for all members of her household. She plans ahead.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
The promiscuous woman tells the man she is trying to seduce, “I have ornamented my bed with bed coverings.” This context may indicate that the word ‘bed coverings’ has sensual overtones, but if so, they are rather understated. Her clothing is made of the finest and expensive materials. Purple was so expensive, indeed, that most of its use took place among royalty. At least, these material points to significant wealth.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
He is a leader in the community. He sits with the elders in the gate indicates that he is an elder himself. The gates of a city were the public meeting area and served as a kind of city hall. There the elders would make decisions and render judgments that affected the whole city. The implication is that her husband can achieve such a significant status only with the support of his wife. She takes care of the household while he works in the community. Her reputation also enhances his.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
The poem again speaks of her dealing in garments. She is a business woman selling clothing
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
Perhaps this is what has suggested the more metaphorical use here. She conducts and carries herself as though clothed in strength and honor. Since clothing may display style and status, so her demeanor displays strength and honor. People who looked at her would recognize these qualities in her. “Strength and honor,” the confidence she has as she faces the future. The future is unknown. The one thing that everyone knows about the future is that it will bring difficulties and obstacles. Yet in spite of that knowledge, she is fearless because her wisdom (which implies a relationship with God” “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge”) will sustain her.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Wise speech is a broad category, but it would include words that are godly, righteous, and also strategic to successful living. She would impart good advice to those who would listen to her. “Covenantal” entails “kindness or “loyalty,” “faithfulness,” and “goodness.” The words are kind by flowing from the covenant between God and his people.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
The woman is vigilant as she looks out for the needs of her household. She may not be concerned about the future, but that does not mean that she takes a laissez-faire attitude towards it.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
Such a woman elicits praise from those closest to her and those who most benefit from her abilities and competence. Her children and husband praise her.
29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Here he acknowledges that she is not the only noble woman, but she stands out among all of them.
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
People and men in particular; are typically attracted to superficial attributes like charm and beauty. However, charm may hide a nasty personality, and beauty is meaningless unless it is also accompanied by godliness. Common experience shows that the meaningless of physical beauty derives in large part from its relative brevity. The verse does not mean that a noble woman is abrasive and ugly; it simply contrasts these relatively worthless traits (charm, beauty) with what is truly important: fear of Yahweh. This is true of all people, male and female, but here there is a reminder that a woman who deserves to be called noble is motivated by a proper relationship with her God.
31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Such a woman deserves reward, and the final verse of the poem calls for it. She should benefit from her hard work. She should also be praised not just at home but also publicly.
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