Proverbs 31:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

NIV: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

NASB: Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

CSB: Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

NLT: Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

KJV: Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

NKJV: Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

It is appropriate to see a reference to "fearing" the Lord near the end of Proverbs, as the book began with a similar reference. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ is the beginning of knowledge." This means properly understanding His role as Creator, and reverently seeking His will.

This comes at the end of a long chain of verses describing a rare, "excellent" woman (Proverbs 31:10). This godly wife is said to be trustworthy (Proverbs 31:11), hardworking (Proverbs 31:15), savvy (Proverbs 31:16), caring (Proverbs 31:20), prepared (Proverbs 31:21), dignified (Proverbs 31:25), and wise (Proverbs 31:26). As a result, she is praised by her family (Proverbs 31:28–29). Only here, at the end, is her physical appearance noted—and only to note that her moral and spiritual character are infinitely more important. Even the most beautiful woman's good looks will fade as age takes its toll. However, spiritual beauty never wears out. In fact, it grows when someone honors and seeks the Lord's will (Proverbs 3:5–8). A woman can grow ever increasingly spiritually beautiful as she properly follows God (Proverbs 1:5).

If a woman wants to stay youthfully attractive in old age, cosmetics will only go so far. And they can only be external and superficial. Yet by honoring God with her life, a woman will be beautiful and charming eternally. Peter understood this fact. He advised women: "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" (1 Peter 3:3–4).

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.