Proverbs 31:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

NIV: She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

NASB: She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.

CSB: She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.

NLT: She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

KJV: She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

NKJV: She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.

In a traditional western wedding ceremony, the bride and groom pledge love and loyalty until death parts them. The excellent wife (Proverbs 31:10) honors her husband by working for his benefit "all the days of her life." Philippians 2:3–4 provides a New Testament parallel to this idea. These verses say, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." The godly wife always seeks to uplift and support her husband. She does not act with spite or revenge. She does not insist on having things go her way. Instead, she demonstrates the truth that "love never ends" (1 Corinthians 13:8).

This is an obligation shared by both spouses, of course: to work for each other's good. To "love," biblically, includes practical actions which care for others (John 15:12).

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 4/28/2024 10:03:37 AM