Proverbs 31 - Printer Friendly

The first nine verses of this chapter contain wisdom given to a king named Lemuel, as spoken by his mother. This fits with other mentions in the book of Proverbs which commend a godly mother's instructions (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 30:17). Lemuel's mother searches for the right words for her son, then delivers some key advice. Among these are warnings about the destructive dangers of adultery and intoxication. A king who deals in those risks destruction and failure as a leader. Instead, his focus ought to be on lending his abilities to those who are weak (Proverbs 31:1–9).

Among the more famous passages in the Bible, the end of Proverbs chapter 31 describes an "excellent wife." She is remarkable, in part, because of how rare it is to find such qualities (Proverbs 20:6). Over the course of the passage, she is noted with traits directly opposed to the "fools" mentioned in earlier passages. The list is not meant to reserve these qualities for women, only. Nor is the meaning that these traits, alone, determine a woman's worth. Rather, these speak of attributes any person would benefit from, and mark ideals to which they should aspire (Proverbs 31:10).

This ideal woman is trustworthy, hardworking, diligent, prepared, caring, kind, wise, and honorable. Some depictions include traits stereotypically—and inaccurately—considered to be masculine, such as business savvy or strength. A woman with the characteristics described in this poem is honored by both her family and the wider community (Proverbs 31:11–31).

Proverbs 31:1–9 contains several teachings echoed previously in this book. The wisdom is related by King Lemuel, as told to him by his mother. This is not the first time a mother's teaching has been mentioned (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 30:17). The counsel is a good setup for the rest of the chapter, which is an acrostic poem celebrating the virtues of a wise, industrious, godly wife and mother.

Proverbs 31:10–31 is from an unidentified author. This famous passage describes various virtues and attitudes of a godly, excellent woman. Just like the deeply faithful man (Proverbs 20:6), such a woman is uncommon. She stands in vivid contrast to the adulterers and fools often described in Proverbs. Her life is marked by integrity, honor, trust, productivity, common sense, practical love, and hard work. Those strengths last much longer than appearances. The verses of this section form an "acrostic:" each begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

This final chapter fits well with the rest of the book of Proverbs. It reiterates subjects found elsewhere in these lessons. Of note is that the entire chapter is connected to godly women. Topics include the importance of godly parenting, morality, righteous treatment of the needy, justice, and diligence. The first section are the words of King Lemuel's mother. The last is the famous depiction of an "excellent wife," exhibiting ideal traits of diligence, godliness, and competence. That description is arranged as acrostic poem: each verse begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Proverbs chapter 31 comes after a long list of Solomon's teachings (Proverbs 25—29) and the words of Agur (Proverbs 30). This final section is connected to two women: the mother of King Lemuel and the ideal of a godly, "excellent" wife. Themes found in this passage are reflected in other lessons from the book of Proverbs. Of note, commendable traits such as business savvy, strength, and wisdom are explicitly associated with women, despite being stereotypically considered masculine. The content after verse 10 is explicitly structured as a poem.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.