Proverbs 31:13

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The praises of a virtuous woman; forming a Hebrew acrostic. The 22 years begin with the several 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet consecutively; M. Henry calls it, 'a locking-glass for ladies.' Lemuel's "mother" (Proverbs 31:1) suggested the model of "a virtuous woman" - Hebrew, chail: brave, strenuous, good. WHO CAN FIND? - it is a rare treasure (Ecclesiastes 7:28). Verse 11. THE HEART OF HER HUSBAND DOTH SAFELY TRUST IN HER - he can with implicit confidence leave to her the management of his household concerns, and devote himself to his public and weightier duties. Confidence reposed makes good wives the more diligent in their duties. Husband...

Verse Proverbs 31:13. _SHE SEEKETH WOOD AND FLAX, AND WORKETH WILLINGLY, C._] II. This is the _second_ part of her character, giving the _particulars_ of which it is composed. 1. She did not buy _ready woven cloth_: she procured the _raw_ _material_, if _wool_, most probably from her own _flocks_ if _flax,_ most probably from her own _fields_. 2. Here she manufactured; for she _worketh willingly with her_ _hands_. And all her labour is a _cheerful service_; her _will_, her _heart_, is in it. It needs no arguments to prove that women, even of the highest ranks, among the Greeks, Romans, and Israelites, worked with their hands at every kind of occupation necessary for the support of the family. This kind of employment was not peculiar to the vir

WORKETH WILLINGLY WITH HER HANDS - Or, worketh with willing hands. The stress laid upon the industrial habits of Israelite matrons may perhaps belong to a time when, as under the monarchy of Judah, those habits were passing away....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 31:1 PART VIII. SECOND APPENDIX TO THE SECOND COLLECTION, containing "the words of Lemuel" on the subjects of impurity and intemperance. PROVERBS 31:1 _The_ _superscription. _THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL, THE PROPHECY WHICH HIS MOTHER TAUGHT HIM. Who is intended by "Lemuel king" is much disputed. Those who connect the following word _massa _("oracle") with the preceding _melek _("king"), translate "King of Massa," as Proverbs 30:1 (where see note). Of the country, or the ki

SHE SEEKETH WOOL AND FLAX,.... To get them, in order to spin them, and work them up into garments; she stays not till they are brought to her, and she is pressed to take them; but she seeks after them, which shows her willingness to work, as is after more fully expressed. It was usual in ancient times for great personages to do such works as these, both among the Grecians z and Romans: Lucretia with her maids were found spinning, when her husband Collatinus paid a visit to her from the camp a: Tanaquills, or Caia Caecilia, the wife of King Tarquin, was an excellent spinster of wool b; her wool, with a distaff and spindle, long remained in the temple of Sangus, or Sancus, as Varro c relates: and a garment made by her, wore by Servius Tullius, was reserved in the temple of Fortune; hence it became a custom for maidens to accompany newly married women with a distaff and spindle, with wool u...

VII. THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL TAUGHT HIM BY HIS MOTHER CHAPTER 31 The Virtuous Woman “The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him”; this is the superscription of this chapter. Who is King Lemuel? No king by that name is known. We do not hesitate in saying that it is Solomon. It means “unto God” one who is devoted to the Lord. In all probability Solomon's mother called her boy by this name, and here is the record therefore of the instruction given by Solomon's mother. The warning is once more, and that very earnestly (shown by the thrice asked “what?” What shall I say unto you?) against licentiousness, against wine and strong drink. The brief words of the mother's exhortation end with a request to act righteously as king, to stand up for those who are appointed to destruction, to plead the cause of the poor and needy. The final portion of the book of Proverbs is a...

THIRD DIVISION. THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN. Proverbs 31:10. This, the last division of the appendix, is in form an acrostic poem, each verse commencing with a letter of the Heb. alphabet in order. There are several more or less perfect specimens of such literary exercises in the OT_ e.g._ Psalms 111 f., Lamentations 1-4, and especially Psalms 119. Though some of the acrostics may, as their imperfect state suggests, have been early_ e.g._ Nahum 1:2 yet in general they belong to the latest period of OT literature. The ideal mistress of the house is represented as a shrewd manager and business woman, trusted by her husband, praised by her children, obeyed by her servants, caring for the poor, and admired by the people. The only religious note is in...

WILLINGLY WITH HER HANDS. with her hands' good will....

VIII. The Virtuous Woman. Chap. Proverbs 31:10-31 This short Appendix differs from the other Sections of the Book of Proverbs in having one subject throughout, and in being in form acrostic or alphabetical. Each verse begins with a letter, taken in order, of the Hebrew alphabet. There is nothing in the contents of the Section to throw light upon either its age or authorship. The alphabetical arrangement cannot safely be regarded as a proof of a late date of composition. A similar arrangement occurs in several Psalms and in the opening Chapter s of the Book of Lamentations; and some at least of these must be assigned to a comparatively early date. It is more probable that the arrangement in question, belonging as it does for the most part to didactic poems, was a device adopted to assist the memory. (See _The Book of Psalms_, Vol. i. Introd. p. xlviii. in this Series; and Bp

WORKETH WILLINGLY WITH HER HANDS— _From which she forms that which her hands require._ Houbigant. The LXX render it, _She maketh precious or useful work with her hands._...