Proverbs 31:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

NIV: A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

NASB: An excellent wife, who can find her? For her worth is far above jewels.

CSB: Who can find a wife of noble character? She is far more precious than jewels.

NLT: Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.

KJV: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

NKJV: Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

This begins a famous passage in the Old Testament. The ideals given in these verses are often referred to as a description of "a Proverbs 31 woman / wife." The virtues explained are not overtly male, but some are more stereotypically associated with men, such as business acumen and leadership. Yet, Scripture here explicitly applies these to a woman; this demonstrates that women are capable of those strengths, as well. While some commentators attempt to interpret "an excellent wife" to mean the Old Testament law, the church, or the Holy Spirit, there is no valid reason to do so. The depiction is straightforward: of a woman of virtuous, godly character.

Just as men of integrity are not common (Proverbs 20:6), this verse notes that few women attain these qualities. Abraham wanted to find the right wife for his son Isaac, so he sent a trusted servant on a mission to find her. His mission was successful, and he credited the Lord with the success (Genesis 24:48). When a man trusts the Lord and is guided to the right woman, he will discover that she is "far more precious than jewels."

Scripture uses poetic structure in this section. The last twenty-two verses of the chapter form an "acrostic:" each line begins with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet.

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.