Commentary - Proverbs 31:10-31

Bird's-eye view

The book of Proverbs concludes not with a final pithy saying, but with an extended, magnificent poem describing the ideal woman. This is the capstone of the entire book, the embodiment of wisdom in shoe leather. After thirty chapters of exhortation to find wisdom and avoid folly, we are shown what that wisdom looks like when it takes up residence in a wife and mother. This passage is an acrostic poem, with each of the twenty-two verses beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, signifying a complete and well-rounded portrait. This is not a checklist to produce guilt in godly women, but rather a vision of Spirit-filled fruitfulness, a portrait of valor. The central point, the engine that drives this entire enterprise of glorious domesticity, is found near the end: "a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised" (v. 30). All her celebrated industry, strength, and wisdom flow from this central, foundational reality.

This woman is a far cry from the modern caricatures of a stay-at-home mom. She is a force of nature, a savvy entrepreneur, a manufacturer, a real estate investor, a manager, a theologian, and a charitable benefactor. Her home is not a place of retreat from the world, but rather the headquarters of a productive and influential economic and spiritual dominion. She is a true helpmate, whose competence and character not only build up her own household but also elevate her husband's standing in the community. This is biblical womanhood in its robust and glorious fullness, a picture of what God can accomplish through a woman wholly consecrated to Him.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 31:10-31 serves as the grand finale to the entire book. The book begins with a father exhorting his son to seek Lady Wisdom and to avoid the strange woman, Lady Folly. For thirty chapters, the son is taught the practical, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of living skillfully in God's world. Now, at the very end, the abstract teaching is made concrete. The "excellent wife" is Lady Wisdom embodied. She is the answer to the question, "What does it look like when a person truly lives out the fear of the Lord?" This poem is presented as the "words of King Lemuel, the oracle that his mother taught him." So, we have a queen mother instructing her son, the king, on what to look for in a wife. This is not just good advice for any young man; it is royal counsel about the kind of woman required to help a man exercise dominion in the highest echelons of society. She is the ultimate helper fit for him, the one who makes his rule possible and effective.

Key Issues

The Capstone of Wisdom

It is significant that this portrait of a godly woman is an acrostic. This is not just a literary flourish. In Hebrew poetry, an acrostic is often used to signify completeness or fullness, A to Z. This is the A to Z of godly womanhood. The Holy Spirit is giving us a comprehensive picture. This is not a list of spiritual "gifts" as we might think of them, but rather a portrait of Spirit-produced character. This is what sanctification looks like in a wife and mother. She is not a collection of abstract virtues, but a woman of concrete, practical, and valuable action. The world gives us two basic models for womanhood: the subjugated drudge or the liberated careerist who scorns the home. The Bible gives us a third, glorious option: the woman of valor whose home is the base of operations for her world-altering work.

Verse by Verse Commentary

10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above pearls.

The poem opens with a rhetorical question that emphasizes the rarity and immense value of such a woman. The phrase "excellent wife" is eshet chayil in Hebrew. This is crucial. Chayil is a military term; it means strength, valor, might, army. This is a "woman of valor." We are not talking about someone who is merely nice or sweet. This is a woman of substance, strength, and great competence. Her value is not measured in ordinary terms, but is "far above pearls" or rubies. In a world that values women for their external beauty, the Bible begins by valuing this woman for her character and capability.

11-12 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She deals bountifully with him for good and not evil All the days of her life.

The first sphere of her excellence is her marriage. The foundation is trust. Her husband has absolute, settled confidence in her. He does not worry about her management of the household, her faithfulness, or her judgment. This trust results in "no lack of gain." She is an economic asset, not a liability. She contributes to the family's prosperity. This is not a one-time event, but a constant reality. She consistently does him good, not evil, for his entire life. This is covenant faithfulness in action.

13-14 She searches for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar.

Here begins the description of her industry. She is a textile producer. She proactively sources raw materials ("searches for wool and flax"). And her work is not drudgery; she does it "in delight." This is joyful productivity. She is also the household's chief procurement officer. Like a merchant ship, she engages in long-distance trade to bring in the best provisions, not just settling for what is convenient. She is resourceful and enterprising.

15 And she rises while it is still night, And gives food to her household And a portion to her young women.

Her diligence is further emphasized. She is up before the sun, not out of frantic anxiety, but out of responsible planning. She is a manager, providing for her family ("food to her household") and directing her staff ("a portion to her young women"). This is a picture of a well-ordered and productive household, and she is the one directing it.

16 She makes plans for a field and buys it; From the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

This verse is a direct assault on any small-minded view of woman's work. She is a real estate investor and an agricultural developer. She "makes plans for a field," meaning she evaluates the investment. She "buys it" with her own earnings, "from the fruit of her hands." She then develops the property, planting a vineyard, which is a long-term investment. This woman is a capitalist, and a very shrewd one at that.

17-18 She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.

She is physically and mentally tough. "Girds herself with strength" is the language of a warrior preparing for battle. She is not afraid of hard physical labor. She has a keen business sense; she "senses that her gain is good," meaning she has a good grasp of her profit margins. Her lamp not going out at night doesn't mean she never sleeps, but that her enterprise is so productive and well-managed that it is constantly running and profitable.

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold fast the spindle.

This returns to her work in textiles, emphasizing her personal skill and hands-on involvement. She is not just a manager who delegates everything; she is a skilled artisan herself. She is proficient in the entire process of turning raw fiber into finished cloth.

20 She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

Her great productivity is not for selfish hoarding. Her industry fuels her charity. Because her household is prosperous and well-managed, she has a surplus to give to the poor and needy. This is a crucial point: biblical charity flows from biblical productivity. She is the opposite of the socialist, who wants to redistribute what others have produced. She is a capitalist who produces wealth in order to be generous.

21-22 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her diligence leads to security. She is prepared for the future, for hard times like winter. Her family is not just adequately clothed, but well-clothed, in "scarlet," a rich and costly dye. She also enjoys the fruit of her labor. She makes her own fine bedding, and her personal clothing is "fine linen and purple," fabrics associated with royalty and wealth. This is not worldly vanity, but the appropriate enjoyment of God's blessing that comes through diligent work.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits with the elders of the land.

This is a pivotal verse. Her work at home has a direct impact on her husband's public standing. Because she manages the domestic and business affairs so competently, he is freed to take his place as a civic leader ("in the gates," where business and legal matters were decided). His honorable reputation is, in large part, a result of her excellent work. They are a team, exercising dominion in their respective, complementary spheres. Her success amplifies his, and his honor reflects back on her.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And gives belts to the tradesmen.

Here we see her business in full swing. She is not just producing for her own household; she has a surplus that she sells in the marketplace. She is a manufacturer and a wholesaler, supplying linen garments and fine belts to merchants. She is a job creator and a contributor to the wider economy.

25 Strength and majesty are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.

Her true garments are not just the linen and purple, but the virtues of "strength and majesty." This is her character. And because of her character, her diligence, and her trust in God, she is not anxious about what is to come. She can laugh at the days ahead. This is the quiet confidence of a woman who has prepared well and who knows her life is in the hands of a sovereign God. This is postmillennial optimism in the heart of a homemaker.

26 She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the instruction of lovingkindness is on her tongue.

Her excellence is not limited to her hands. Her speech is also wise. She is a theologian and a teacher. The law of hesed, or covenant loyalty and lovingkindness, governs her tongue. She is not a gossip or a nag, but a source of gracious and wise counsel.

27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

This verse summarizes her management style. She is a vigilant overseer of her domain. Nothing escapes her notice. And the reason she is so productive is that she is the antithesis of lazy. Idleness is a foreign concept to her; it is a bread she refuses to eat.

28-29 Her children rise up and bless her; As for her husband, he also praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done excellently, But you have gone above them all.”

The verdict from those who know her best is unanimous praise. Her children bless her, recognizing her worth and legacy. Her husband offers the highest possible praise. He doesn't just flatter her; he evaluates her against all other women of valor and declares that she surpasses them all. This is the loving, public affirmation that her work and character deserve.

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

This is the key that unlocks the entire poem. What is the source of this incredible, multi-faceted excellence? It is not natural talent, good looks, or a charming personality. Those things are superficial and fleeting. The engine driving this woman of valor is her fear of Yahweh. Her life is oriented vertically. She lives in reverent submission to and awe of God. This relationship is what integrates and energizes all her skills and virtues. This is the one thing that is not vain, and it is the ultimate basis for her praise.

31 Give to her from the fruit of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

The poem concludes with a command to the community. First, give her the reward she has earned. Let her enjoy the profit and fruit of her labor. Second, give her public honor. Her own accomplishments are her greatest testimony. Let them speak for themselves in the public square, the very place where her husband sits as a leader. Her glory is not to be hidden, but to be publicly acknowledged.

Application

The Proverbs 31 woman is a mortal threat to two prevalent errors. The first is feminism, which tells women that fulfillment is found by escaping the home and imitating men in the marketplace. This woman shows that the home is not a prison but a command center for building a culture and an economy. The second error is a certain kind of insipid, sentimental evangelicalism that reduces biblical womanhood to being quiet, submissive in a doormat sort of way, and having a few domestic hobbies. This woman is not a quiet doormat; she is a woman of valor, a warrior who girds herself with strength and builds an empire from her kitchen.

For women, the application is not to be crushed by a to-do list you cannot fulfill. The application is to start with verse 30. Cultivate the fear of the Lord. Orient your life around God's glory. And then, in your particular station, with the gifts God has given you, work with joyful diligence. For men, the application is to be the kind of husband who is worthy of such a woman. A man who is threatened by a competent wife is a man who does not understand the biblical vision of marriage. A godly man treasures this kind of woman, trusts her completely, and praises her publicly. The goal for all of us, men and women, is to see that the fear of the Lord is not an abstract piety, but the foundation for a life of glorious, world-altering productivity for the glory of God.