The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. Ver. 1. _The words of King Lemuel._] Lemuel's lesson, Bathsheba's catechism. Lemuel she calls him, because God had owned him. "I will be his father, and be shall be my son"; 2Sa 7:14 and was "with him" so long as he was "with God,... [ Continue Reading ]
What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Ver. 2. _What, my son? and what, the son of my womb?_] An abrupt speech, importing abundance of affection; even more than might be uttered. There is an ocean of love in a parent's heart, a fathomless depth of desire after the... [ Continue Reading ]
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. Ver. 3. _Give not thy strength to women._] Waste not unworthily the fat and marrow of thy dear and precious time, the strength of thy body, the vigour of thy spirits, in sinful pleasures and sensual delights. See Proverb... [ Continue Reading ]
Proverbs 31:4 [It is] not for kings, O Lemuel, [it is] not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Ver. 4. _It is not for kings to drink wine,_] _i.e., _ To be "drunk with wine, wherein is excess," Eph 5:18 where the apostle determines excessive drinking to be downright drunkenness,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted._ Ver. 5. _Lest they drink and forget the law._] Drunkenness causeth forgetfulness (hence the ancients feigned Bacchus to be the son of forgetfulness), and stands in full opposition to reason and religion: when t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts._ Ver. 6. _Give strong drink to him, &c._] To those that stand at the bar, rather than to them that sit on the bench. Wine maketh glad the heart of man. Judges 9:13 Psa 104:15 Plato calls wine and music... [ Continue Reading ]
Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Ver. 7. _Let him drink and forget his poverty._] And yet let him drink moderately too, lest he increase his sorrows, as Lot did, and not diminish them, for drunkenness leaves a sting behind it worse than that of a serpent or of... [ Continue Reading ]
Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Ver. 8. _Open thy mouth for the dumb,_] _i.e., _ Speak wisely and freely for those that either cannot or may not speak for themselves. Thus Nicodemus spoke for our Saviour; Joh 7:21 Paphnutius in the council for t... [ Continue Reading ]
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Ver. 9. _Plead the cause of the poor and needy._] These are God's great care, as appears in many texts. Job comforted himself in this, that he had been "eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a father to the poor," &c. Job... [ Continue Reading ]
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above rubies. Ver. 10. _Who can find a virtuous woman?_] Good wives are rare commodities, and therefore precious and highly to be prized, even above rubies. The Hebrews put _rarum pro charo,_ as in 1Sa 3:1 Proverbs 25:7; "Let thy feet be preciou... [ Continue Reading ]
_The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil._ Ver. 11. _The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her._] He is confident of her love, care, and fidelity. He dare trust her with his soulsecrets, &c.; he doubteth not of her chastity, secrecy, or care... [ Continue Reading ]
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Ver. 12. _She will do him good, and not evil, &c._] She is constant in her conjugal affection, and sticks to him, as Sarah did to Abraham, in all changes and chances whatsoever. She "leaves not off her kindness to the living, and to the de... [ Continue Reading ]
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Ver. 13. _She seeketh wool and flax._] This was held no shame for Solomon's wife. Augustus Caesar taught his daughters to spin and card; he wore no garments but what his wife and daughters made him. The like is reported of Charles th... [ Continue Reading ]
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. Ver. 14. She is like the merchants' ships.] That is, She gets wealth apace; yea, though she stir not off her stool, and studies how to buy everything at best hand, though she send far for it. Of the Low Country men it is said, _Pete... [ Continue Reading ]
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. Ver. 15. _She riseth also while it is yet night._] That is, Betime in the morning - "a great while before day," as our Saviour also did to pray. Mar 1:35 _ And a portion to her maids._] She neith... [ Continue Reading ]
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. Ver. 16. _She considereth a field and buyeth it._] Here is the fruit of her pains and providence. The _manus motitans,_ the "stirring hand maketh rich," Pro 10:4 and "a wise woman buildeth her house." Pro 1... [ Continue Reading ]
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. Ver. 17. _She girdeth her loins with strength._] She flies about her work, and sets on it with a courage. We have read of women in whom, besides their sex, there was nothing woman-like or weak; such were Semiramis, Zenobia, Blandina,... [ Continue Reading ]
She perceiveth that her merchandise [is] good: her candle goeth not out by night. Ver. 18. _She perceiveth that her merchandise is good._] She feels the sweet of it, and is heartened to redouble her diligence, as a draught horse feeling his load coming, draws the harder. The good soul doth the same... [ Continue Reading ]
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. Ver. 19. _She layeth her hands to the spindle._] _a_ Notwithstanding her late purchase, and planting a vineyard Pro 31:16 and other out businesses. _See Trapp on "_ Pro 31:13 _"_ The two cardinals, Wolsey and Campeius, coming from... [ Continue Reading ]
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Ver. 20. _She stretcheth out her hand to the poor._] She laboureth with her hands to that purpose, Eph 4:28 and findeth by experience that not getting but giving is the way to thrive. See my Common Place of Alm... [ Continue Reading ]
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household [are] clothed with scarlet. Ver. 21. _She is not afraid of the snow._] As she is liberal to the poor, so her chief care is for those of her own house, that they may be accommodated. For she knows that to stretch beyond the stapl... [ Continue Reading ]
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing [is] silk and purple. Ver. 22. _Her clothing is silk and purple._] Suitable to her husband's condition, who is a principal man. Pro 31:23 That is excellent counsel that Tertullian gives women, _Vestite vos serico pietatis, byssino sanctitatis,... [ Continue Reading ]
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. Ver. 23. _Her husband is known in the gates._] Is renowned and noted for his wife's worth, besides that he is a ruler in Israel.... [ Continue Reading ]
She maketh fine linen, and selleth [it]; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Ver. 24. _She maketh fine linen and sells it._] Such sindons as our Saviour's dead body was wrapt in, and for girdles. _read _ 2Sa 18:11 Isa 3:24 Jer 2:32 It was anciently no shame for a queen to make gain of her han... [ Continue Reading ]
Strength and honour [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Ver. 25. _Strength and honour are her clothing._] See Proverbs 31:22. She is not of those, _quae fulgent monilibus, sordent moribus,_ that are well habited but ill mannered. No; she is inwardly decked with spiritual atti... [ Continue Reading ]
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness. Ver. 26. _She openeth her mouth with wisdom._] Her mouth is not always open, but duly shut and discreetly opened - her words are few, true, and ponderous; the stream and current of her conference tends either to wisdom o... [ Continue Reading ]
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Ver. 27. _She looketh well to the ways of her household._] She hath an oar in every boat, an eye in every business; she spies and pries into her children's and servants' carriages, and exacts of them strict convers... [ Continue Reading ]
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her. Ver. 28. _Her children arise up, and call her blessed._] As they grow to any height, and consider their beholdingness, so they bless her, and bless God for her: they bless the time that ever they were born of her,... [ Continue Reading ]
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Ver. 29. _Many daughters have done virtuously._] By the benefit of a better nature, or civil education, or for praise of men, or for a quiet life, sure it is that all unsanctified women, though never so well qualified, have failed, b... [ Continue Reading ]
Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Ver. 30. _Favour is deceitful._] Some marry by their eyes, and some by their fingers' ends. _Dos, non Deus,_ makes such marriages, but they commonly prove unhappy. There is _esh, esh,_ fire, fi... [ Continue Reading ]
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. Ver. 31. _Give her of the fruit of her hands._] God would have desert dignified, good parts praised. Here he seals up his approbation and good liking of what her husband and children had said of her in the former ver... [ Continue Reading ]