Proverbs 31
31
1The words of Lemuel, king of Massa,#Massa: see note on 30:1–6. the instruction his mother taught him:
2What are you doing, my son!#My son: in the Septuagint, “my son, my firstborn.”
what are you doing, son of my womb;
what are you doing, son of my vows!
3Do not give your vigor to women,
or your strength#The Hebrew word here translated “strength” normally means “ways,” but the context and a cognate language support “authority” or “strength” here. to those who ruin kings.
4It is not for kings, Lemuel,
not for kings to drink wine;
strong drink is not for princes,
5Lest in drinking they forget what has been decreed,
and violate the rights of any who are in need.
6Give strong drink to anyone who is perishing,
and wine to the embittered;
7When they drink, they will forget their misery,
and think no more of their troubles.
8Open your mouth in behalf of the mute,
and for the rights of the destitute;
9Open your mouth, judge justly,
defend the needy and the poor!
IX. POEM ON THE WOMAN OF WORTH#An acrostic poem of twenty-two lines; each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. As with many other acrostic poems in the Bible, the unity of the poem is largely extrinsic, coming not from the narrative logic but from the familiar sequence of letters. The topic is the ideal woman described through her activity as a wife. Some have suggested that the traditional hymn extolling the great deeds of a warrior has been transposed to extol a heroic wife; the focus is on her exploits. She runs a household distinguished by abundant food and clothing for all within, by its trade (import of raw materials and export of finished products), and by the renown of its head, her husband, in the community. At v. 28, the voice is no longer that of the narrator but of her children and husband as they praise her. The purpose of the poem has been interpreted variously: an encomium to offset the sometimes negative portrayal of women in the book, or, more symbolically (and more likely), a portrait of a household ruled by Woman Wisdom and a disciple of Woman Wisdom, i.e., he now has a worthy wife and children, a great household, renown in the community.
10Who can find#Who can find…?: in 20:6 and Eccl 8:1 the question implies that finding such a person is well-nigh impossible. a woman of worth?#Prv 12:4; Sir 26:1–4, 13–18.
Far beyond jewels is her value.
11Her husband trusts her judgment;
he does not lack income.
12She brings him profit, not loss,#Profit, not loss: a commercial metaphor.
all the days of her life.
13She seeks out wool and flax
and weaves with skillful hands.
14Like a merchant fleet,#Like a merchant fleet: she has her eye on the far horizon, like the ship of a merchant ready to bring supplies into her larder. It is the only simile (“like”) in the poem.
she secures her provisions from afar.
15She rises while it is still night,
and distributes food to her household,
a portion to her maidservants.
16She picks out a field and acquires it;
from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17She girds herself with strength;
she exerts her arms with vigor.#The metaphor of clothing oneself is used to show the woman’s readiness. One can gird on weapons of war and might and splendor (Ps 69:7; Is 52:9).
18She enjoys the profit from her dealings;
her lamp is never extinguished at night.#Her lamp is never extinguished at night: indicates abundance of productive work and its accompanying prosperity; cf. 20:20; Jb 18:6.
19She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers ply the spindle.#The wife weaves linen cloth from flax and wool from fleece, which she cultivated according to v. 13. Distaff: staff for holding the flax, tow, or wool, which in spinning was drawn out and twisted into yarn or thread by the spindle or round stick.
20She reaches out her hands to the poor,
and extends her arms to the needy.
21She is not concerned for her household when it snows—
all her charges are doubly clothed.
22She makes her own coverlets;
fine linen and purple are her clothing.
23Her husband is prominent at the city gates
as he sits with the elders of the land.#The husband is mentioned for the first time since vv. 10–12 but as “her husband.” He will not be mentioned again until v. 28, where he praises her.
24She makes garments and sells them,
and stocks the merchants with belts.
25She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and laughs at the days to come.#Laughs at the days to come: anticipates the future with joy, free of anxiety.
26She opens her mouth in wisdom;
kindly instruction is on her tongue.
27She watches over#Watches over: Hebrew ṣopiyyâ, perhaps a pun on the Greek sophia (= wisdom). Bread of idleness: she does not eat from the table of others but from her own labors. the affairs of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband, too, praises her:
29“Many are the women of proven worth,
but you have excelled them all.”
30Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.#The true charm of this woman is her religious spirit, for she fears the Lord; cf. note on 1:7.
31Acclaim her for the work of her hands,
and let her deeds praise her at the city gates.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Proverbs 31
31
1Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
2‘What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
3Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
4Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
5Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
6Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
7He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!’
10A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.
11The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.
12She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.
13She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.
14She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.
15Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.
16She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
17She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
18She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
19Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
20Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.
21She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.
22Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
23Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.
24Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.
25Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.
26Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.
27She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.
28Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
29‘Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.’
30The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
31Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!
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