Proverbs 31:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.

NIV: Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

NASB: Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.

CSB: Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.

NLT: Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.

KJV: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

NKJV: Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.

This passage depicts a godly woman, called an "excellent wife" (Proverbs 31:10) who combines a rare set of valuable traits. Almost every description in this passage applies directly to her, but this reference is about her husband. Other comments note that this ideal wife supports her husband, seeks his good, and earns his absolute trust (Proverbs 31:11, 16, 27–28). This would reflect well on him, in contrast to a spouse marked by bitterness (Proverbs 21:19) or laziness (Proverbs 19:15). In response, her husband and children also speak well of her and enhance her reputation (Proverbs 31:28). It's likely this woman's husband can participate in public service thanks to her competence at managing the home.

At a city's gates, civil matters were decided by a community's elders. It was the common area used by almost all the residents, travelers, and merchants. The decision concerning Boaz's claim to Ruth as his wife was settled at Bethlehem's gate. Ruth 4:11 says, "Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, 'We are witnesses. May the Lᴏʀᴅ make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.'" Second Samuel 15:2 tells us Absalom "used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate." He presented himself there as a would-be judge of disputes, garnering the people's favor in his conspiracy to overthrow David. Genesis 19:1 reports that Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom when two angels came to Sodom and urged him to escape before God's coming judgment.

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.