For one thing, many of them attended Christian fellowship without their husbands they “often converted to Christianity while their male relatives remained pagans, lest they lose their senatorial status.” One historian wrote that, in his opinion, the church was attended by the “silly and mean and stupid,” and “disproportionately populated by women.” Certainly, the church attracted individuals who needed to be cared for - sheltering vulnerable people has always been a function of the church.īut it took great courage to be a Christian woman.
They have had to truly love the Lord in order to endure the ridicule and isolation they sometimes face(d). But even if they never marry, every female who sincerely loves the Lord is developing the characteristics of a Proverbs 31 woman.Īt many times and in many locations around the world (even now), professing faith in Christ has been risky for women. The writer is hopeful that the young men of his community will seek out this sort of wife, and that the young girls will aspire to her ideal. His greatest concern has to do with the woman’s character and how she interacts with people. Marriage is an especially intimate relationship, yet aspects of an intimate relationship are not mentioned by the writer in this piece of wisdom literature. Should an unmarried woman, or a wife with no children, still aspire to the qualities of a Proverbs 31 woman? One reason a woman might skip past Proverbs 31 is that not all women marry, and not all who marry become parents. Honestly, it’s not even the woman who’s married and has children.” They are a celebration of who she is.” The Proverb does not describe “a woman with a spotless house” or “with perfectly behaved children wearing matching, designer outfits. She argues that these words of wisdom, which were read aloud at the Sabbath, are not “meant to tell a woman she is supposed to be more. “But what if I told you that the heart behind Proverbs 31:10-31 is one of celebration, not condemnation?” asks Lysa Terkeurst. What woman can live up to the example given in this Proverb? Every wife and mother looks back at certain events in her life and cringes with painful regret. Above all, she fears the Lord for “a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Characteristics of a Proverbs 31 Woman She is sharp but honest, engaged in business for the benefit of her household. She is loving, dignified, and her virtues increase her husband’s reputation: “Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land” (v.23). She possesses “a range of manual, commercial, administrative, and interpersonal skills.” This woman “opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy” (v.20).
She does not wait to be served but rises early, even before sunrise, to delegate tasks and engage in business. What sort of woman is the wisdom literature talking about, what are her qualities, and do they exclusively apply to wives and mothers? What Is the Meaning of a Proverbs 31 Woman?Ĭommentary from the ESV Study Bible regarding Proverbs 31 tells us that the ideal woman is virtuous, strong, and selfless. This final Proverb echoes Proverbs 1:7 - “fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 31 paints the picture of an ideal woman, the best example of a virtuous wife and mother.
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