Reflections on Proverbs 31
By Deborah Teat
Have you ever studied a ruby? Those beautiful red gems that seem almost clear when you look at them? Throughout the centuries, rubies have been hailed as some of the most precious stones on earth.
It�s no wonder Solomon chose rubies to compare the Proverbs 31 woman to. But consider this: he
didn�t say her worth was equal to rubies. He didn�t say it was just a little bit higher than rubies.
He said her worth was far above rubies. That�s pretty neat, isn�t it? To think that that woman was
worth more than gemstones intrigues me. Why was this? How did this woman receive such great honor?
Let�s look at this passage.
Proverbs 31: 10-31
�Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. �
�The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.�
When I was younger I thought of this verse as referring only to married women.
After all, if you aren�t married, you obviously have no husband, right? But this verse goes far
deeper than that. The phrase �no need of spoil� literally reads in Hebrew �no lacking of booty
or plunder�. The word �trust� also means �confident� in Hebrew.
In other words, he was successful because he could trust his wife. She was not squandering her
affections on other men. She saved them for him alone. She was dependable. She kept his confidence.
This is something we can and should learn before we are married. Are we saving our hearts for our
future husband? Can people depend on us to keep their confided private matters to ourselves?
Do we guard what is not ours to share? I�m not saying that if you know something should be told to an authority don�t tell it. Rather, my point is simply gossip is a dangerous web to weave. It will always
turn back around on us. Let�s strive to be dependable and trustworthy now.
�She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.�
�Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.�
All the days of her life? How can a wife accomplish that? She�s not married to him all of her life!
This phrase refers to understanding that our present actions not only affect us, they affect people in
years to come. They will affect our children; they will affect our future husbands. Do we consider each thing we do in light of eternity? Do we take care concerning those things that will influence us either
closer to God or further away? When we argue with our parents over something, are we realizing the
way we react to their authority over us is the way we will react to our future husband�s authority?
Are we learning to practice submission now? Are we cultivating character that will bless our future husbands? Remember, �all the days of her life� doesn�t begin once we get married. It�s now, in the moment-to-moment things, when we live our life in reference to eternity, and how our actions will affect those to come. Her husband was known in the gates because his wife was the woman she was.
Would our future husbands be known easily, because of our character?
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