Proverbs 31:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

NIV: She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

NASB: She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

CSB: She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings.

NLT: She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.

KJV: She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

NKJV: She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.

Women in Old Testament cultures were often—but not always—disallowed from directly purchasing or owning property. However, the trusting husband of a godly woman (Proverbs 31:10–12) could leave those matters to her and sign off on her choices. This verse speaks to her business sense and responsibility. Rather than being hasty, or casual, she applies common sense and careful thought to the transaction. After buying the field, she uses it for a productive purpose. In this case, that is represented as a vineyard.

In a modern context, married couples should discuss and decide how they will spend their household finances and who will handle them. Even if the husband is the primary source of income, it's possible the wife may be the better manager of finances. Ideally, the husband can trust her to write checks, save, and invest. Of course, both husband and wife should view any income as stewardship, and honor the Lord with appropriate offerings. This verse commends responsible use of resources along with other valuable character traits (Proverbs 31:13, 15, 19¬–20).

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 5/5/2024 6:08:35 PM