Proverbs 31:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

NIV: Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

NASB: The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.

CSB: The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good.

NLT: Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.

KJV: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

NKJV: The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.

The godly, "excellent" wife (Proverbs 31:10) is trustworthy. She gives her husband no reasons to doubt her integrity or her competence. The following verses expand on this idea to include hard work (Proverbs 31:13, 27), skill (Proverbs 31:19), compassion (Proverbs 31:20), and wisdom (Proverbs 31:26). Her efforts are crucial to the success of the household. Those tasks are not presented as easy (1 Corinthians 7:34), which is why her success is so valued.

The "gain" spoken of here is more than financial. As the next verse indicates, this woman sincerely seeks the good of her husband—something he is called on to do, as well (Ephesians 5:25). A godly wife is a faithful partner, as Priscilla was with Aquila (Acts 18:24–26).

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 5/3/2024 8:38:52 PM