Proverbs 31:10-31
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
Now that we finished our study in the Book of Ruth, it is appropriate that we pause briefly to consider what the Bible describes as the virtuous or excellent woman in Proverbs 31:10-31. The Jewish Bible places great value and significance on this section of Scripture. As such, the Book of Ruth immediately follows the Book of Proverbs. This proverb is accredited to King Lemuel, as it says in Proverbs 31:1 and 31:4. However, we do not exactly know who King Lemuel is and he remains a mystery. To suggest possibilities does not discredit the inspiration of Scripture or even how God preserves Scriptural truth. Take, for example, the New Testament writer, Luke, who wrote his Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts to Theophilus. Theophilus is a Greek name that means ‘lover of God.” Whether Theophilus was a real person, or maybe this is a name dedicated to all who love God, is irrelevant because the truth of Scripture is never compromised. Lemuel, on the other hand, is a Hebrew name that means ‘dedicated’ or ‘devoted to God.’ Therefore, we can rest assured that Proverbs was written by a king who was devoted to God. Some commentators suggest that Lemuel is one of the good kings of Judah who is referred to as being totally devoted to God. Others say the writer was not a Hebrew. Either way, we know from verse 31:1 that he was taught by his godly mother.
Verse 31:10 opens by asking a rhetorical question: ‘An excellent wife who can find?’ We must note, that she who is excellent or virtuous (as translated by the King James Version) is rare, beautiful, and more precious than jewels. I say she is rare because she is so devoted to God and her character shines forth as an example of godliness. In today’s world, that is rare. She is also beautiful as it says in 1 Peter 3:3-5,
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves.”
Inner beauty is a rare trophy most treasured and adored! And she is more precious than jewels. Many use jewels to adorn themselves for beauty. But that is not necessary for the virtuous woman. For example, consider Hadassah, that is Esther, who was very lovely to look at and was raised by her uncle, Mordecai the Jew (Esther 2:7). When she and many others were collected by the Persians to replace the debunked queen, Esther did not ask for any jewels or raiments, except for what the king’s eunuch decided. In the same way, Godly women today, and their husbands, need to put on Christ, rather than the “braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or clothing to wear”
Verse 31:11 says that an excellent woman has the trust of her husband in all matters. She will only do what is good for her husband and will never harm him. She is trustworthy. The virtuous and excellent woman is praised for how she behaves. She is industrious and not lazy. Verse 31:27 says “…she does not eat the bread of idleness.” This means, she is productive and provides for her home. She teaches her children the wisdom of God in her actions as well as her words. She has the honor, love, and respect of her husband and her children. They call her ‘blessed!” Even though other women may have also done excellent, nevertheless, this virtuous woman has exceeded and surpassed them all. Verse 31:30 best summarizes this virtuous woman, which says, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” This is the godly woman all men of God desire. This is a woman of excellence!
Ruth the Moabite is an example of a virtuous and excellent wife. We studied Ruth’s character and her behavior. She loved her mother-in-law so much that she clung to her and would not let her go. She would not go back to her false gods. Ruth told Naomi in Ruth 1:16-17, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Boaz and the whole townspeople commended Ruth because of her love and faithfulness to Naomi. Ruth worked in the fields and gleaned grain food for her and Naomi. She worked from morning to night, except for a short rest. The beauty of Ruth as a virtuous woman and wife will forever be chronicled in Scripture. As we mentioned, the Hebrew Bible appropriately and liturgically places the Book of Ruth after Proverbs 31 because Ruth is the answer to the question: “An excellent wife who can find?” Let us all praise God for those women who are a model of excellence for their homes!
In application, we also, men and women, need to pursue and imitate God. The Apostle Paul describes this by saying in Philippians 3:8-10,
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”
We are not to boast in our righteousness or place honor upon ourselves. Rather, we are to be found in Christ; that is, hidden in Christ because everything else is counted as garbage.
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Father God, I praise and worship You for building in each and every one of us a godly character that imitates and mimics Your Son, Jesus Christ. I praise You for godly, virtuous women who make a home upon the foundation of Jesus Christ as their Lord God and Savior. Create in me a love for Your Word and change me by the power of Your Spirit. May I honor and glorify You all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen!
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Can The World See Jesus In You, by Lelia N. Morris in 1917
