Proverbs 31:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."

NIV: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

NASB: 'Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.'

CSB: "Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!"

NLT: 'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!'

KJV: Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

NKJV: “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”

The prior verse noted that a godly, rare woman (Proverbs 31:10) exhibits traits that inspire honor and praise from her family (Proverbs 31:28). Here is recorded an example of praise from her husband. This is the rough equivalent to saying, "you are the best wife in the entire world."

God always intended companionship in marriage to be a blessing. First Peter 3:7 exhorts husbands to "live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." Showing honor to one's wife includes respect and consideration. This can include complimenting her in private and praising her in public. The husband of a faithful, hardworking, godly woman should tell her how much he values her and her contributions to their life. Also, he should tell others why he appreciates her so much.

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.

Accessed 11/21/2024 9:36:33 AM