10 Who can find H4672 a virtuous H2428 woman? H802 for her price H4377 is far H7350 above rubies. H6443
11 The heart H3820 of her husband H1167 doth safely trust H982 in her, so that he shall have no need H2637 of spoil. H7998
12 She will do H1580 him good H2896 and not evil H7451 all the days H3117 of her life. H2416
13 She seeketh H1875 wool, H6785 and flax, H6593 and worketh H6213 willingly H2656 with her hands. H3709
14 She is like the merchants' H5503 ships; H591 she bringeth H935 her food H3899 from afar. H4801
15 She riseth H6965 also while it is yet night, H3915 and giveth H5414 meat H2964 to her household, H1004 and a portion H2706 to her maidens. H5291
16 She considereth H2161 a field, H7704 and buyeth H3947 it: with the fruit H6529 of her hands H3709 she planteth H5193 a vineyard. H3754
17 She girdeth H2296 her loins H4975 with strength, H5797 and strengtheneth H553 her arms. H2220
18 She perceiveth H2938 that her merchandise H5504 is good: H2896 her candle H5216 goeth not out H3518 by night. H3915
19 She layeth H7971 her hands H3027 to the spindle, H3601 and her hands H3709 hold H8551 the distaff. H6418
20 She stretcheth out H6566 her hand H3709 to the poor; H6041 yea, she reacheth forth H7971 her hands H3027 to the needy. H34
21 She is not afraid H3372 of the snow H7950 for her household: H1004 for all her household H1004 are clothed H3847 with scarlet. H8144
22 She maketh H6213 herself coverings of tapestry; H4765 her clothing H3830 is silk H8336 and purple. H713
23 Her husband H1167 is known H3045 in the gates, H8179 when he sitteth H3427 among the elders H2205 of the land. H776
24 She maketh H6213 fine linen, H5466 and selleth H4376 it; and delivereth H5414 girdles H2289 unto the merchant. H3669
25 Strength H5797 and honour H1926 are her clothing; H3830 and she shall rejoice H7832 in time H3117 to come. H314
26 She openeth H6605 her mouth H6310 with wisdom; H2451 and in her tongue H3956 is the law H8451 of kindness. H2617
27 She looketh well H6822 to the ways H1979 H1979 of her household, H1004 and eateth H398 not the bread H3899 of idleness. H6104
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 31
Commentary on Proverbs 31 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 31
This chapter is added to Solomon's proverbs, some think because it is of the same author, supposing king Lemuel to be king Solomon; others only because it is of the same nature, though left in writing by another author, called Lemuel; however it be, it is a prophecy, and therefore given by inspiration and direction of God, which Lemuel was under in the writing of it, and putting it into this form, as his mother was in dictating to him the matter of it. Here is,
Pro 31:1-9
Most interpreters are of opinion that Lemuel is Solomon; the name signifies one that is for God, or devoted to God; and so it agrees well enough with that honourable name which, by divine appointment, was given to Solomon (2 Sa. 12:25), Jedediah-beloved of the Lord. Lemuel is supposed to be a pretty, fond, endearing name, by which his mother used to call him; and so much did he value himself upon the interest he had in his mother's affections that he was not ashamed to call himself by it. One would the rather incline to think it is Solomon that here tells us what his mother taught him because he tells us (ch. 4:4) what his father taught him. But some think (and the conjecture is not improbable) that Lemuel was a prince of some neighbouring country, whose mother was a daughter of Israel, perhaps of the house of David, and taught him these good lessons. Note,
Now, in this mother's (this queen mother's) catechism, observe,
Pro 31:10-31
This description of the virtuous woman is designed to show what wives the women should make and what wives the men should choose; it consists of twenty-two verses, each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order, as some of the Psalms, which makes some think it was no part of the lesson which Lemuel's mother taught him, but a poem by itself, written by some other hand, and perhaps had been commonly repeated among the pious Jews, for the ease of which it was made alphabetical. We have the abridgment of it in the New Testament (1 Tim. 2:9-10, 1 Pt. 3:1-6), where the duty prescribed to wives agrees with this description of a good wife; and with good reason is so much stress laid upon it, since it contributes as much as any one thing to the keeping up of religion in families, and the entail of it upon posterity, that the mothers be wise and good; and of what consequence it is to the wealth and outward prosperity of a house every one is sensible. He that will thrive must ask his wife leave. Here is,
Twenty chapters of the book of Proverbs (beginning with ch. 10 and ending with ch. 29), consisting mostly of entire sentences in each verse, could not well be reduced to proper heads, and the contents of them gathered; I have therefore here put the contents of all these chapters together, which perhaps may be of some use to those who desire to see at once all that is said of any one head in these chapters. Some of the verses, perhaps, I have not put under the same heads that another would have put them under, but the most of them fall (I hope) naturally enough to the places I have assigned them.