Proverbs 31:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

NIV: She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

NASB: She watches over the activities of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

CSB: She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle.

NLT: She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.

KJV: She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

NKJV: She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

An excellent wife (Proverbs 31:10) has been depicted in the context of an ancient Israeli household. The principles, however, are timeless, such as reliability (Proverbs 31:11), competence (Proverbs 31:13), efficiency (Proverbs 31:24), preparation (Proverbs 31:21), and wisdom (Proverbs 31:26). This verse repeats a common theme of praising her for being hardworking (Proverbs 31:13, 15, 17, 18). The book of Proverbs often warns about laziness (Proverbs 18:9; 19:15). The godly woman described in this passage is anything but sluggish.

Such diligence in service to others is what Jesus taught His disciples, both by words and example. Mark 10:35–37 tells us that James and John requested prominent positions in glory. Their request made the other disciples indignant with James and John (Mark 10:41). Jesus explained that whoever would be great among the Twelve must be their servant, and whoever would be first among them must be slave of all (Mark 10:42–44). Jesus not only taught service but also modeled it. He told his disciples, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

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.