Who can find a virtuous wife?
Proverbs 31:10-31
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
In this study, we have dug into the Proverbs 31 woman and found that she is a strong, valiant woman. She is discerning and wise; kind with her words and actions both to family and to strangers. We have seen how she responds to dark times. We have also seen what her family thinks of her. Don’t you want to be this woman? Let’s look at the final verse together as we conclude:
“Give her of the fruit of her hands,
v. 31
And let her own works praise her in the gates.”
The fruit of her hands. The lives she has touched, the people she has helped, her husband, her children, her household; they all praise her. Best of all, God is pleased with this woman. She will receive the fullness of her reward in eternity. While she’s here, she doesn’t let her right hand know what her left hand is doing, but her reputation precedes her and she is praised by those around her.
As I stated at the beginning of the study, the principles we learn here are for all Christian men and women, not just married women. The Bible has much to say about how we are to live as Christians, but I consider this passage to be the most practical. I hope this study has blessed and challenged you. For myself, I know that I will never see this passage the same way again. If you would like to continue studying, here are some other passages to consider:
Proverbs (read one chapter a day; you’ll finish the book in a month)
Titus (yes, the whole book)
Abrigail Julian: 