Proverbs 31:10-21

TEXT Proverbs 31:10-21

10.

A worthy woman who can find?

For her price is far above rubies.

11.

The heart of her husband trusteth in her,

And he shall have no lack of gain.

12.

She doeth him good and not evil.

All the days of her life.

13.

She seeketh wool and flax,

And worketh willingly with her hands.

14.

She is like the merchant-ships;

She bringeth her bread from afar.

15.

She riseth also while it is yet night,

And giveth food to her household.

16.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it;

With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17.

She girdeth her loins with strength,

And maketh strong her arms.

18.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable;

Her lamp goeth not out by night.

19.

She layeth her hands to the distaff,

And her hands hold the spindle.

20.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor;

Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household;

For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 31:10-21

1.

Would such a woman be put into the slave market (Proverbs 31:10)?

2.

Trust in her in what sense (Proverbs 31:11)?

3.

Good and not evil in what ways (Proverbs 31:12)?

4.

What was flax used for (Proverbs 31:13)?

5.

How far (Proverbs 31:14)?

6.

What about her and late-morning sleeping (Proverbs 31:15)?

7.

Was she acting independent of her husband or for her husband (Proverbs 31:16)?

8.

How does Proverbs 31:17 contrast her with many women?

9.

Why goeth not out (Proverbs 31:18)?

10.

What are the distaff and spindle (Proverbs 31:19)?

11.

Did this busy woman think only of her family (Proverbs 31:20)?

12.

What is the connection between the two statements in Proverbs 31:21?

PARAPHRASE OF 31:10-21

10-21.

If you can find a truly good wife, she is worth more than precious gems! Her husband can trust her, and she will richly satisfy his needs. She will not hinder him, but help him all her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She buys imported foods, brought by ship from distant ports. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household, and plans the day's work for her servant girls. She goes out to inspect a field, and buys it; with her own hands she plants a vineyard. She is energetic, a hard worker, and watches for bargains. She works far into the night! She sews for the poor, and generously gives to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household, for she has made warm clothes for all of them.

COMMENT ON 31:10-21

Proverbs 31:10. From here to the end of the chapter sets for the beautiful description of a virtuous woman, wife and mother. It is the Bible's longest and best description of her. It has been a favorite of many Christian women, and every Christian girl should know it well. Each of the verses of this detailed description begins with the different letters of the Hebrew alphabet. To describe it in English, Proverbs 31:10 begins with A, Proverbs 31:11 with B, Proverbs 31:12 with C, etc. to the end. Other passages on the virtuous woman: A worthy woman is the crown of her husband (Proverbs 12:4); A prudent wife is from Jehovah (Proverbs 18:22); Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning...but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves (1 Peter 3:3-5).

Proverbs 31:11. The first part of this description relates her to her husband, and the first thing it says is that he can trust her. The husband of such a wife goes forth to his daily occupations, having full confidence in her whom he leaves at home that she will act discreetly and promote his interests while he is absent (Pulpit Commentary). See the contrast in Proverbs 7:18-19. The man is not at home; He is gone on a long journey...Come, let us take our fill of love until morning. His confidence in her integrity and her attention to the family's interests shows up in he shall have no lack of gain. Proverbs 31:13 onward shows the important part she plays in the sound financial condition of the home. Contrast her relationship to this with the spendthrift wives who fairly wreck their husbands financially.

Proverbs 31:12. She is altogether an asset to him and in no sense a liability. Again, she brings him joy and not sorrow by her behaviour and by her contributions. Her good is unmixed: she will do him good and not evil...Her good is...constant and permanent...all the days of her life (Clarke). All the days of her life shows that she will still be his wife in years to come; she will be faithful to the marriage vow: Until death do us part. She will not only do good to him while he is strong and able but also when he is older and infirm.

Proverbs 31:13. Wool and flax (from whence comes linen) were made into yarn or thread, the yarn or thread into cloth, and the cloth into garments. This made it a big job to make clothes for the family, but she did it willingly and cheerfully. She was neither lazy nor complaining.

Proverbs 31:14. Even as she sought wool and flax (Proverbs 31:13), evidently wanting good materials to work with, even so she provides her family with good food, some of which came from distant places. Their markets contained items made possible by merchant-ships. She had planned mealsnot just thrown-together ones or krick-krack eating.

Proverbs 31:15. We notice three things: (1) she gets up earlyis no late-sleeper who is only concerned about herself instead of her family; (2) she cooks a good breakfast for the familya good breakfast is a good foundation for the family's day's activities: they do not leave the house with empty stomachs; (3) she gets the family's maidens busy with their work for the day. By that time some of our society-loving women finally get out of bed, she has a half-day's work already done. She is filling her God-indended role in the home.

Proverbs 31:16. In this she is probably not acting independent of her husband, but since he is one of the elders of the land (Proverbs 31:23), she acts as his agent to investigate the worth of a particular field, to purchase it, and to plant it with vines for a vineyard.

Proverbs 31:17. All of this activity and working with her own hands elevated her out of being a weak, sickly woman. She was strong and healthy and able to uphold her part of the family's work and projects. And she didn-'t think she needed to be liberated!

Proverbs 31:18. She is a busy woman. She not only gives tasks to the maidens (Proverbs 31:15), but she herself works. She not only works outdoors, planting vineyards, etc. (Proverbs 31:16), but she makes garments and sells them (Proverbs 31:24). No wonder her lamp goeth not out by night! Yet she is not just a slave who works but has no responsibility to see that the business is profitable: she so manages things that her merchandise is profitable.

Proverbs 31:19. In Proverbs 31:13 we saw that she seeketh wool and flax (the raw materials). In this verse she is using the distaff and the spindle to make the thread or yarn. Proverbs 31:24 tells of her going on to make the actual garments and delivering them to the merchant to sell to the public. The distaff-and-spindle system of making thread preceded the spinning wheel: The spindle and distaff are the most ancient of all the instruments used for spinning, or making thread. The spinning wheel superseded them (Clarke). The distaff held the wool to be made into thread or yarn, and the spindle was what the finished thread or yarn was collected on. Before the spinning wheel, which mounted both of these on its solid framework, they were two independent pieces that had to be held and handled by the hands, under the arm, on the lap, etc. during the operation.

Proverbs 31:20. More Hebrew parallelism: stretcheth out her hand is the same as reacheth forth her hands; to the poor is the same as to the needy. She works for her family (Proverbs 31:20), but she does not forget others who are needy. Again, she is interested in business (personal, legitimate gain), but in so doing she is not unmindful of those who are having financial difficulties. We are taught to remember the unfortunate also: Matthew 25:34-36; Acts 11:29; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Ephesians 4:28; 1 John 3:17.

Proverbs 31:21. They did not have the severe winters that we do; on the other hand, they didn-'t have the weather-tight houses and furnaces that we have. So they had to have warm clothing to cope with their times of colder weather. Her children were well and comfortably clothedthey were not neglected waifs of the street. The scarlet color would be warmer than plain white garments and dressier too. Every good mother wants her family to look nice.

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 30:10-21

1.

What subject is discussed in these verses (Proverbs 31:10)

2.

How does each verse from Proverbs 31:10 to the end of the chapter begin (Proverbs 31:10)?

3.

What is the first thing affirmed of the virtuous woman (Proverbs 31:11)?

4.

What does Proverbs 31:12 say of her goodness to her husband?

5.

What caused making clothing to be such a big job in those times (Proverbs 31:13)?

6.

What is said of her spirit in Proverbs 31:13?

7.

How concerned was she that her family was well fed (Proverbs 31:14)?

8.

What three things are affirmed of her in Proverbs 31:15?

9.

Why is she doing all this work instead of her husband (Proverbs 31:16)?

10.

Why is she a strong, healthy woman (Proverbs 31:17)?

11.

Comment upon the busy life that she leads (Proverbs 31:18).

12.

What was made with the distaff and spindle (Proverbs 31:19)&

13.

What does Proverbs 31:20 tell us about this busy woman?

14.

What about her family's clothing (Proverbs 31:21)?