The
Woman of Valor. Proverbs 31:10-31
This
is a chapter often ignored in a lot of contemporary discussions related to
Christian values and Christian teaching on the role of men and women. Make no
mistake. We are in crisis here and have been more impacted by the pagan
viewpoints that have been promoted in our culture over the last 100 years than
we are willing to admit. That is an increasing problem that is occurring within
evangelical churches. And it doesnÕt just impact issues of what does it mean to
be a woman and what does it mean to be a man, and what is the proper role and
responsibility of men and women in marriage, and authority issues and things of
that nature. It has spilled over, as perceptive people knew it would, into the
whole issue of identification of gender.
From
the point of the fall there was a fragmentation in mankindÕs understanding of
the roles of men and women. When Eve listened to the serpent instead of staying
under the umbrella of the authority of Adam she set a precedent for women
acting independently of the authority of their husband. That is not a popular
concept today but it is clearly taught in Scripture. But authority is so poorly
understood in our culture today that when you hear somebody teach the biblical
viewpoint balloons over some peopleÕs heads can almost be seen going up: thatÕs
so patriarchal, or thatÕs so old fashioned.
Another
problem is that even in the Christian community there is often a stereotypical
pattern established for what men are supposed to do and what women are supposed
to do that in and of itself is not necessarily biblical. It is often
misrepresented that if you listen to the Bible women are just supposed to stay
home and be barefoot and pregnant. That is a misrepresentation of Scripture.
Proverbs
31 looks at a different facet of the issue of the role of women. It is a
glorious passage and is a challenge not only to women, in terms of setting a
standard or goal for what a virtuous and valorous woman is like, but it is
written in the context of a motherÕs advice to her son that this is the kind of
woman he is to look for in a wife.
The
chapter begins in verse 1, ÒThe
words of King Lemuel ÉÓ We donÕt know who King Lemuel was, his exact identity.
ÒÉ the oracle which his mother taught him.Ó This includes the entire chapter,
not just the first nine verses. His mother is giving him guidance and direction
on how to find a virtuous wife and what that woman looks like.
There are basically three sections in
the chapter. The first is a general introduction in the first three verses. Verses
10-12 emphasize her value, that she is highly valued; she is rare. It is rare
to find a woman who exhibits these qualities and characteristics. Women like
this are out there and these values are attainable by every woman, especially
one who is a church age believer filled by God the Holy Spirit and capable of
pursuing spiritual maturity.
Then in vv. 13-27 we see the specifics
of her life. In these specifics we come to understand what it means to be a
virtuous or valorous woman, a woman of integrity. It is defined by her
character and by her life.
Then there is a summary praised of the
virtuous, valorous woman in vv. 28-31.
Proverbs 31:10 NASB ÒAn
excellent wife, who can find? ÉÓ The implication here is that it is rare, hard
to find. ÒÉ For her worth is far above jewels. [11] The heart of her husband
trusts in her ÉÓ Emphasis on the intimacy, the honesty and trust that takes
place within this union because of her character and his. ÒÉ And he will have
no lack of gain. [12]
She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.Ó
There is more to this than meets the
eye in English. There is a lot that is going on in this particular poem that is
almost untranslatable. The word chayil, translated ÒvirtuousÓ is a word that
can have a wide range of meanings and so it is difficult to find one English
word that does it justice. That is why we have been saying Òvirtuous/valorous.Ó
There are different things that are indicated by the style, and one thing we
should note is that Proverbs 31 is a poem that is written as an
acrostic—a poem where each verse or line begins with the next letter in
the alphabet. So the first line in Proverbs 31:10 begins with a word that
starts with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet—aleph. The next verse begins with the
second letter in the Hebrew alphabet—beth.
Some think that this is merely done in
order to facilitate memory and memorization of the passage. But it was also
done as a way of forcing the writer, as well as the reader, to think precisely
about what is being said. When you are forced by the style of poetry to slow
down and reflect upon how it is written and why it is written this way then you
pay more attention to the context; we see more things.
The word chayil is often used in the context of
war. It is a word that is often used to describe a warrior, a man of great
courage and accomplishment on the battlefield; someone who has learned the
skill of combat and excelled at that skill. So it is translated as valiant or
courageous, valor, virtue, strength, wealth. It has a wide range of meaning, so
it is not always easy to compress those senses into one English word. So this
is a woman who is the personification of the application of wisdom, which is
the main idea in the entire book of Proverbs. So this is a woman who has
learned the Word of God and has worked at skillfully applying it in every area
of life. She is competent. It is not simply a matter of virtue.
The NASB
translates the term as a Ògodly woman.Ó But that term in English gives more of the
idea of a spiritually mature woman than a physically and economically competent
woman. This is a woman who knows how to live life and live it well, not just a
woman who has a great spiritual life but is engaged in her culture, in her
community and commerce in a way that benefits all those who are around her. So
it is not simply a matter of simple spiritual maturity.
Her value is said to be far above
rubies in the KJV, but in the Hebrew it is peninim which is a word for corals. A
coral was something very rare and valuable in the ancient world and so the
emphasis here is that she is a rarity. It is not usual, not common to find a
woman who exhibits these qualities. There is one woman in the Scriptures,
though, who is mentioned as being a chayil woman, and that is Ruth (Ruth 3:11).
What we see here is that this woman is a valiant, trustworthy woman. She is
energetic, she works hard not only in the home but outside of the home; she is
resourceful, which leads to economic prosperity and wealth. We see a sense in
which all of her efforts are oriented towards the success of the family and the
prestige and influence of her husband is enhanced. That is an important
principle to learn.
We live in an age today when
individuality has been so overstressed in many areas that the concept of
marriage as a team effort has often been lost. It only takes one person to
destroy a marriage but it takes two to make that marriage successful. When they
are working together towards the standard of having a successful marriage to
the glory of God they can achieve that. But if the substitute individual goals
and individual agendas for the biblical goal of a solid spiritually based
marriage they run the risk of it collapsing and falling apart.
ÒThe heart of her husband trusts in her
ÉÓ This is the Hebrew word batach which means to trust or rely on someone, or to have
confidence in someone. In all but one other use of this word in the Scripture
it emphasizes trust in God. Outside of this particular verse and Judges 20:36
the Scripture condemns trust in anyone or anything apart from God.
She is so faithful and trustworthy
within the family that her husband relies and has great confidence in her. She
herself is one who fears the Lord and because of her spiritual and physical confidence
this also implies a rich spiritual relationship between the husband and the
wife.
The second part presents the cause of
his trust. ÒÉ And he will have no lack of gain.Ó Here we have an interesting
word, one that is normally used to refer to the spoils of war. It pictures that
what she is doing is engaging within the home and outside of the home in
something analogous to a combat relationship in order to win spoils for the
benefit of the family. As a result, we are told in verse 12 in summary, ÒShe
does him good and not evil.Ó The word translated ÒgoodÓ is the Hebrew word tob, which
does not in and of itself imply moral goodness or righteousness. When God
created the heavens and the earth He said that they were good. They were
neither moral nor immoral, they are what He intended them to be. That is the
core meaning of the word. Later on when
God talks about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden
of Eden the word tob
is used in juxtaposition with ra, the word for evil. So then it picks up from the context a moral
connotation. But here in Proverbs we see that it is emphasizing what she does
for him. She does him good; she does that which benefits him and which benefits
the family. It is the family and the prosperity of the family that is the goal
in her decisions. And she does it ÒAll the days of her life.Ó There is a
consistency here, a pattern that goes throughout her life. It characterizes her
relationship with him.
At this point the poem goes on into
some specifics to itemize the deeds of the virtuous, valiant woman. This shows
that she is valuable, not just to herself, not just to her husband, but her
industriousness overflows to be a blessing to the community around her. She
contributes in such a way that it ultimately leads to the blessing for her
husband and empowers him to a position of influence and leadership in the
entire land. In fact, what we see here is a great illustration of the idea
first presented in Genesis chapter two, that the woman is the helper for the
husband. He is the one given the mission, the responsibility, and her role is
to enhance and aid him in accomplishing GodÕs will and plan for his life. We
see in Deuteronomy 33:29 that same word azar is used in reference to God: NASB
ÒBlessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD,
Who is the shield of your help [azar]....Ó In the Old Testament that word azar is only
applied to one other person—God. God is consistently referred to as out
help. This is not a position of subservience but a tremendous position of
honor.
The word is also used in a compound
word, Ebenezer,
in 1 Samuel 7:12 where Samuel and Israel are under attack by the Philistines.
They had already been defeated by the Philistines in the past and now they fear
for their lives. The Israelite army begs Samuel to pray to God to give them
victory. Samuel offers a sacrifice and prays for GodÕs protection. God responds
and gives the Israelite army victory. The Philistines suffer a massive loss and
retreat back into their own territory. Then we are told that after the battle
Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name
Ebenezer [eben
= rock; ezer
= help]. It was a stone memorial to remind Jews that God is the one who helps
them. And he says, ÒThus far the LORD has helped us.Ó
This word shows up in a hymn we sing,
and often words in some hymns strike us as a little odd because we are not
biblically literate enough to understand what is being said. In the second
verse of the hymn Come thou fount of every blessing, by Robert Robinson in 1758, are
the words ÒHere
I raise my EbenezerÓ. A lot of people sing that and the only Ebenezer they know
of is Ebenezer Scrooge in DickensÕ Christmas Carol. But what he is saying here is
that just as the Jews in the Old Testament raised the monument to the fact that
God had helped them at this point, so far in life I have gotten to this point
because God has helped me, and He is the only one to help me. This is
reinforced in the next line in that verse, ÒHere by Thy great help IÕve come.Ó
So
the role of the virtuous wife is to enhance the husband to make him a success
in pursuing GodÕs calling upon his life.
We
see the emphasis here on what she does in the home. Proverbs 31:13 NASB ÒShe looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight. [14] She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from
afar. [15]
She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And
portions to her maidens.Ó
A little bit in terms of the
organization here. We see a parallel between vv. 13-15 in terms of vocabulary
with the next three-verse set. Her hand/palms are mentioned in verse 13, trade
is mentioned in verse 14, at night is mentioned in verse 15. Then hands/palms
are mentioned again in verse 16, trading in verse 17 and the first part of 18,
and then night is mentioned again in verse 18. By organizing it this way these
key terms expose for us the close connection between these six verses as they
talk about her industriousness and her economic value to the household.
She labors. Obviously this is more of
an aristocratic woman because she has maidservants. So it is a successful
household that has been very prosperous but she is not above doing the labor.
Once again we see reflected in this the emphasis in the Scripture on the value
of individual labor, the individual laborer, and the importance of taking care
of oneÕs self through hard work—the economic value of that. ÒShe looks
for wool and flax.Ó This indicates two different kinds of material used in the
production of clothing. She is using these two materials in order to weave them
together and create textiles for the purpose of clothing. So she has a business
that is within the home. It would be wrong to press that too far because we
live in a very different culture than they did. At that time almost everything
was done within the home or close to the home.
She is involved in production here and
the sale of what is produced. This is what is known as capitalism. She has
invested in these products, she works, and then she sells those products and
makes a profit. There is nothing wrong with making a profit. And she uses that
profit to make even more money. She makes it to invest it in other things to
make even more money to enhance the economic prosperity of the home. But it is
based upon the value of labor, not on the assumption that somehow somebody is
going to come in and take care of me.
As a result of this we read, ÒShe is
like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar.Ó This verse links the
manufacturing of textiles to her trade. She has developed a certain profit from
her weaving industry and she uses that in order to seek out food for the
family. This is not a matter of going down to the local markets and getting
local produce but she is seeking foreign delicacies. Because she has worked
hard and made a greater profit so that now she is able to use this to buy a
greater variety of food for her family. The word ÒfoodÓ here is lechem.
Then we read in verse 15 that after
planning and executing her various trades to buy food and nourishment for the
family there is a shift in the image from the person who is the trader to the
prowling lioness on the hunt. (We donÕt see that in the English) ÒShe rises also while it is still night
ÉÓ This isnÕt depicting the fact that she is just an early riser and getting a
start on the day before anyone else. It is the idea that she is seeking prey.
The word translated ÒfoodÓ in this verse is prey. She is pictured as a hunter,
like a lioness going out at night as a predator seeking provisions for her
family. The providing of food for her family is based on her ingenuity,
industriousness and her ability to go out and hunt, and work hard to provide
the needs of the family. ÒÉ And
gives food to her household And portions to her maidens.Ó She provides for
those who work for her. This is an implication here from Scripture that part of
the job for an employer is to provide well for those who help him be a success.
She has accumulated a certain amount of
wealth as a result of her industriousness, and so what is she going to do with
this capital? She is going to invest it—vv.16-18.
Proverbs 31:16 NASB ÒShe
considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.Ó From
her profits. So man y people think it is wrong for people or corporations to
make profits or for people to advance in wealth. Yet the Bible emphasizes that.
In fact, the gospel and missionary activity has expanded throughout the world
because numerous people of wealth have used their wealth to contribute to and
support missions. [17] She girds herself with strength And makes her arms
strong. [18]
She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.Ó
The word ÒconsidersÓ is the Hebrew word
zamam, a
word that indicates investigation, study. She goes out and look at available
real estate and she is going to make sure it is a good purchase. She
investigates and makes sure of all the different things that would make her
investment in the land profitable. She then plants her vineyard. So she is
expanding her business and giving it thought.
Girding herself with strength and
strengthening her arms is a picture of the fact that she is involved herself in
the labor, not just hiring others to do the work. She is applying everything
she has in order to make her venture successful. She ÒsensesÓ that her
merchandise is good. This is the Hebrew word taam meaning to taste or to enjoy, and
in this context she is enjoying the fruits of her own labor. ÒHer lamp does not
go out at nightÓ is an interesting idiom. Scripture teaches that it is not wise
to work late into the night (Psalm 127:2), especially if you arise while it is
still dark. We need to have the proper amount of sleep. So this is not a
literal phrase saying that her lamp doesnÕt go out all night but it is related
to a proverbial idiom in the ancient world that indicates that if you are poor
you canÕt afford oil for your lamp. Her lamp not going out at night indicates
that she has the resources to keep it going all night. It is a metaphor for the
fact that there is always enough money in the house.
Proverbs 31:19 NASB ÒShe
stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.Ó This
brings to a conclusion the emphasis on her cottage industry at home and lays a
foundation for going forward. These are different parts of the spinning wheel
creating the textiles.
Then the result of her prosperity.
Proverbs 31:20 NASB ÒShe extends her hand to the poor, And she
stretches out her hands to the needy.Ó Poor people donÕt give money to causes.
Poor people donÕt hire people for jobs. Those who have wealth supply wealth for
many different causes.
Proverbs 31:21 NASB ÒShe is
not afraid of the snow for her household ÉÓ She is prepared for disasters. ÒÉ For
all her household are clothed with scarlet.Ó You donÕt have scarlet linen
because it doesnÕt hold the dye well. This is wool, which is more expensive, so
they are well clothed with expensive clothing. [22] ÒShe makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine
linen and purple.Ó Purple stands for the kind of clothing—purple
wool—so again it is emphasizing the value of her clothing. She is clothed
well against the elements.
The focal point of all this. Proverbs
31:23 NASB ÒHer husband is known in the gates, When he sits among
the elders of the land.Ó The emphasis here is that because of her effort it has
enhanced her husbandÕs position in the community, and it enables him to better
do what he is doing to fulfill the call of God in his life.
Proverbs 31:24 NASB ÒShe
makes linen garments and sells {them,} And supplies belts to the tradesmen. [25] Strength and dignity
are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.Ó The emphasis here shifts from what
she does to who she is. What she does is a result of her internal character.
She will have joy in view of what is to come. She is not afraid of what might
happen in the future.
Proverbs 31:26 NASB ÒShe
opens her mouth in 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.Ó
All of this is structured in a way that
shows that she is bringing blessing upon her household and upon her husband. It
isnÕt just about her becoming a financial success on her own; it is for the
purpose of enhancing the family and her husband.
She is involved in charitable causes,
taking care of those who are truly in need. In then Mosaic Law there was a
minor safety net in terms of the tithe taken up every third year, but primarily
it was the responsibility of individuals to take care of the poor and the
widows. It was not a government program. Once you shift to a government program
it destroys individual incentive and an individual sense of responsibility for
taking care of those who are less fortunate.
The 21st verse indicates
that she is prepared for adversity, both physically as well as spiritually. ÒÉ
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.Ó They had been properly prepared
for whatever negative things and adversity might come. Verses 22 and 23
emphasize the fact that she has provided for herself and that her reputation
also enhances her husbandÕs reputation. The reason gates are mentioned is that
in the ancient world a lot of the commerce was conducted and where the courts
would sit were at the gates. So her Òhusband is known in the gatesÓ means that
his wisdom and advice is sought after. He has a position of power and
influence. That isnÕt because of her but it is enhanced by what she does.
In vv. 28-31 we see that because of her
emphasis on, first, spiritual values and wisdom and the way that works itself
out in terms of application, she receives glory and honor from her
children.
Proverbs 31:28 NASB ÒHer
children rise up and bless her; Her husband {also,} and he praises her,
{saying:}ÉÓ Because what she has done is sacrifice and give of herself for the
benefit of the family. And it is responded to in gratitude.
Proverbs 31:29 NASB ÒMany
daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.Ó He values his wife for what
she has done—her contribution to the family—and he praises her for
that.
The focus at the end is on the real
value, which is eternal: charm, external activities and beauty, are passing;
they are temporary and donÕt last. The real value is the spiritual value: the
woman who fears the Lord.
Proverbs 31:30 NASB ÒCharm
is deceitful and beauty is vain, {But} a woman who fears the LORD,
she shall be praised. [31] Give her the product of her hands ÉÓ The right to enjoy
the fruit of her labor. ÒÉ And let her works praise her in the gates.Ó Her
accomplishments at the end of her life is what will bring her eternal respect,
value and rewards because of what she has done.