Chapter Thirty-One

1–9. Instructions from a king to King Lemuel, taught to him by his mother. 10–31. Praise of the virtuous woman.

Proverbs 31:1. The words of King Lemuel. An instruction which his mother taught him: The name Lemuel, Hebrew Lemuel (v. 1) or Lemoil (v. 4), like the name Agur (XXX), was traditionally understood in the sense of a common noun (“dedicated to God”) and considered a symbolic name for Solomon. But in modern times it is usually seen as the proper name of a king of the Massa region in Edom (Gen 25:14).

Proverbs 31:2. What, my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? Proverbs 31:3. Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to those who destroy kings. Proverbs 31:4. It is not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine, and not for princes to crave strong drink, Proverbs 31:5. lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Proverbs 31:6. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to the one whose soul is bitter; Proverbs 31:7. let him drink and forget his poverty and not remember his sorrow. Proverbs 31:8. Open your mouth for the silent, for the rights of all who are left desolate. Proverbs 31:9. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy. The instructions of the king’s mother (evidently dearly loved by him and loved by him in return, v. 2) contain, so to speak, a charge of royal service in its most compressed form. Similar to Moses’ law concerning the king (Deut 17:14 and following), this charge commands the king to be cautious and abstemious from two sources of spiritual and physical enfeeblement: attachment to women (v. 3) and to wine (vv. 4–5); instead it commands that above all he have concern for justice in general and for justice and mercy especially in the hearing of cases of the poor (vv. 8–9). If wine is capable of bringing only harm to kings and rulers, dimming their consciousness and depriving them of the ability to use properly and to exercise the most important aspects of their role, for example, the judicial (v. 5), then wine—by virtue of its power to make glad the human heart (Ps 3:15)—has a beneficial effect for all kinds of those troubled in soul, inasmuch as it grants the grieving one temporary relief from the anguish that oppresses him. Later Judaism applied this utterance of vv. 6–7 to the condemned, to whom they gave wine to drink during their sufferings—to quench unbearable thirst and to dull consciousness; this work of compassion was also applied to the Suffering Savior on the cross (Matt 27:34). In vv. 8–9 the king is not only commanded to hold strictly to justice, especially regarding the poor, according to the sense of Moses’ law (see Deut 1:17), but is advised to do more: to be for the helpless poor man in court not only a truthful judge, but also a defender, an advocate—to show on the bench not merely formal righteousness, but the highest mercy, as Job testified of himself (Job 29:15-16). Prov 31:10-31 The alphabetic poem of these 22 verses, containing praise of the virtuous woman, mother of the household and mistress of the home, constitutes, in the apt expression of one researcher (Dederlin), “a golden charter of women.” And indeed, here the elevated view of biblical Hebrews of the dignity and position of a woman in the family, of her relation to her husband, children, and household members, is expressed more fully and more typically. We shall find no parallel or similar praise in all the world literature of antiquity; the image of the “virtuous woman” of Proverbs is surpassed only in the New Testament by the image of the Christian wife. As in other alphabetic biblical works (Ps 33:118 and others, Lam 1:4), in the section under consideration the individual verses do not closely follow one another, yet all are united by a common theme: the perfections of the virtuous woman are unfolded from certain aspects—tireless activity, all-encompassing care, mercy, and wisdom.

Proverbs 31:10. Who can find a virtuous woman? Her worth is far above jewels. Proverbs 31:11. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack gain. Proverbs 31:12. She does him good and not evil, all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:13. She seeks out wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands. Proverbs 31:14. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. Proverbs 31:15. She rises while it is yet night and distributes food in her household and a portion to her maidens. Proverbs 31:16. She sets her mind on a field and acquires it; from the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. Proverbs 31:17. She girds her loins with strength and strengthens her arms. Proverbs 31:18. She perceives that her labor is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. Proverbs 31:19. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her fingers grasp the spindle. Proverbs 31:20. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:21. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with double garments. Proverbs 31:22. She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. The virtuous woman (cf. Prov 15:4) is first depicted from the side of her domestic activity (vv. 11–22), and then from the side of her assistance and help to her husband in his public activity (v. 23 and following). The first virtue of a virtuous woman is the complete trust of her husband in her (v. 11); and here, as in what follows, housekeeping activity stands in the foreground. Out of love for her husband (v. 12), the wife-mistress of the house takes upon herself all kinds of housekeeping duties and performs them in the most perfect manner. First of all, according to the custom of antiquity, she herself prepares the materials—wool and linen—for the clothing of the household members (v. 13), just as she later—makes fabrics also for sale abroad (v. 24). Equally, the object of particular concern of the wife is the procurement and distribution to the household members of food; she distributes food to the servants early in the morning (vv. 14–15), giving them an example of her own diligence and hard work. The housekeeping activity of the worthy woman, not limited to the bounds of the home, extends further—to the acquisition of new pieces of land for planting grain and vineyards (v. 16). In her labor she feels herself strong, and meets with success in all things (vv. 17–18). Work, for example, spinning, for the wife-mistress often continues even at night (v. 19). With all her wealth, the virtuous woman satisfies not only her household, but shares also with the poor, extending a helping hand to all who have need of it; so that in regard to charity, as in other regards, the virtuous woman is an exemplary model. The household members of such a mistress fear neither winter nor frost, as all members of the family are clothed by her not only sufficiently warmly, but also beautifully (vv. 21–22).

Proverbs 31:23. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. Proverbs 31:24. She makes fine linen and sells it; she supplies merchants with sashes. Proverbs 31:25. Strength and dignity are her clothing; she laughs at the time to come. Proverbs 31:26. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:27. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. The husband of a worthy woman, not distracted by concerns about domestic and household matters, especially through the good reputation of the entire house created by the work of a good woman, acquires honorable prominence among the people, entirely dedicates himself to public activity—concentrated in the East at the city gates—and takes a place among the elders (v. 23). The wife-mistress produces by her hands so many products of spinning and weaving that she has them left over for sale to the Phoenicians (v. 24). Having success in the past and present (v. 18a), the talented and hard-working woman looks forward boldly to the future (v. 25). Not only in every deed, but in every word she thinks carefully, and speaks only what is useful and edifying (v. 26). She maintains strict order in her home, so that all household members, by her example, labor and by their labor acquire food (v. 27).

Proverbs 31:28. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her: Proverbs 31:29. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Proverbs 31:30. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her works praise her in the gates. The fruit and reward of the great virtues of a virtuous woman is the profound gratitude of her husband and children, who enthusiastically praise her various perfections. Among the latter, fear of God stands out especially, distinguishing the virtuous woman and constituting her true worth. With the honor of their worthy wife and mother, they make it known to all society (v. 31).