“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:29-31) How does she excel them all? “…in real beauty, in true riches, in purity of doctrine, in simplicity of worship, in holiness of life and conversation, in undefiled religion, in doing good…
“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” “Her children arise up — Whose testimony is the more considerable, because they have been constant eye-witnesses of her whole conduct, and, therefore, must have seen her misdemeanours, if there had been any, as well as her virtues; and call her blessed — Both for her own excellences, and for many happy fruits which they have gathered from her wise and godly education of them….
“She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:27 “She diligently observes the management of her domestic business, and the whole carriage of her children and servants. Whereby he also intimates, that she spends not her time in gadding abroad to other people’s houses, and in idle discourses about the concerns of other persons, as the manner of many women is, but is wholly intent upon her own house.” (Benson Commentary)…
“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Proverbs 31:26 “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; she is neither sullenly silent, nor full of vain and impertinent talk, as many women are, but speaks directly and piously, as occasion offereth itself.” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary) Out of her mouth flow pearls of wisdom. She loves teaching her children about the Lord and His ways throughout the day. She ponders what to say before she…
“She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.” Proverbs 31:21,22 “She is not afraid of the snow or of any injuries from the weather. All her household are clothed with scarlet; she hath provided enough, not only for their necessity and defence against cold and other inconveniences, which is here supposed, but also for their delight and ornament;…
“She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.” Proverbs 31:19 Truthfully, I had decided to skip this verse since it doesn’t pertain to our day and age at all! But that same day, I received the most interesting comment on one of my Facebook posts and decided to use it for this post. It’s excellent! This is what she wrote: The Proverbs woman didn’t have a business. She didn’t have a career. Making linen took…
“Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” Proverbs 31:25 Matthew Poole’s Commentary is the only one I am using in this post since he spelled it out so clearly. All of the quotes are from him. “Strength; not strength of body, which is no ornament of that sex, save only as she preserves her health and strength by sobriety and exercise, which other men waste by intemperance and idleness; but strength of mind,…
“Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.” Proverbs 31:23 “Instead of being a hindrance to her husband’s advancement, she furthers it. Her influence for good extends to him also. Having no domestic anxieties, he is set free to do his part in public life.” (Ellicot’s Commentary) Recently, the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance’s wife, told the press that her husband helps fifty-fifty with household chores and the children….
“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Proverbs 31:20 “To relieve their necessities. Her designs are generous and noble; for she labours not only to supply her own and her household’s necessities, or to support her own state, much less to feed her pride and luxury; but that she may have wherewith to supply the wants of others, who crave or need her assistance. Which also procures God’s blessing upon…
Women who are finding my blog for the first time try to convince me that women in the Bible had careers as women do these days, and will use several of the verses about the Proverbs 31 woman to prove their point. If the Proverbs 31 woman had a career, so should they, they claim. Let’s examine the old commentaries to see what they have to say about it in our continuing study of this godly woman. I don’t believe…