Proverbs 31 Verses 10-31 A Woman of Noble Character September 29, 2024

13 The Search for Wisdom Class Presentation Notes AAAAAaa

Background Scriptures:

· 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NASB) 3 Your adornment must not be merelyexternal—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

· Proverbs 12:4 (NASB) 4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.

· Proverbs 18:22 (NASB) 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD.

· Proverbs 19:14 (NASB) 14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Main Idea:

· An excellent woman who fears the Lord has an advantage over all others; she occupies a position of honor and blessing that age and appearance cannot take away.

Study Aim:

· To understand that a woman of noble character is clothed with strength and dignity. That means that strength and dignity are so natural she wears them like a well-fitted garment.

Create Interest:

· The excellent woman described is the embodiment of all the wisdom instruction contained in the previous thirty chapters. Thus, this is a portrait of an exceptionally wise woman who fears the Lord (v.30).

· Wisdom is to be learned, but more importantly, it is to be lived. The most important place wisdom is to be lived out, demonstrated, and taught is in the home. And because family relationships are the most important relationships in life, the character of the wife and mother is of utmost importance. Here is how a wise woman conducts herself within and outside of her home.

· This last passage in Proverbs is a masterfully crafted poem. It is an acrostic: each of its twenty-two verses begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order. This was an often-used tool to aid memorization. Whether or not this poem was written by the king is unknown. It is possible that he dictated his mother’s advice to a poet who penned and arranged the final product. Although we may not know its author, we know its source. Ultimately, it is the work of the Holy Spirit, who inspired and preserved it forever for all young men and women who seek to be wise; and for all husbands, sons, and daughters who are exceptionally blessed to call such a woman Dearand Mother.[1]

Lesson in Historical Context:

· The West has been given the impression that women don’t really count unless they make it in some specific way in their own right outside the home.

o In that context, Proverbs’ depiction of the strong woman arouses varying reactions, because it’s a picture of a woman who exercises a lot of responsibility, yet it portrays the home as her base.

· One consideration we have to bear in mind is that women (and men) in the West are the victims of a cultural assumption linked with urbanization and industrialization that not only divided the world of home and family from the world of paid employment and the public world but also implied that the latter was the world that counted.

§ So, if you simply stayed home and worked there (as women mostly did) you were doing something much less significant than if you worked in the world (as men mostly did). Thus, for women to count as productive human beings, they needed to be working in the world.

· Proverbs presupposes a different sort of society—not necessarily wholly better or wholly worse, but different. Imagine an Israelite village of a couple hundred people belonging to three extended families which then comprise a number of households. Each extended family has its senior male figure, and the households also have one. The males of the family spend the daylight hours out in the fields, while the females spend their days in the village baking, cooking, sewing, and looking after the children who are too young to go out into the fields.

o There’s no implicationthat the skilled work the women do in the village is less important than the skilled work the men do in the fields.

§ Presumably the senior figures among the men and among the women exercise the leadership as people go about their tasks.

§ It will then be vital to a woman that her husband knows what he’s doing and vital to a man that his wife knows what she’s doing.[2]

· There is much we can learn from this background to apply to our lives😊.

Bible Study:

Proverbs 31:10-12 (NASB) 10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.

· 31:10: An excellent wife, who can find? Who can find? is a rhetorical question that suggests the answer—no one. Compare Job 28:20, where the question is used of personified Wisdom that is known only to God. Yet this woman is clearly “found.” In 18:22 and 19:14, a wife is considered a gift from God.

o For her worth is far above jewels. The comparison of personified Wisdom to precious jewels is often made: rubies in 3:15 (Qere) and 8:11 (cf. 18:19; 16:16).

· 31:11: The heart of her husband trusts in her, (vv. 11–12) is noted again in verse 23 (prestige) and in verse 28 (his praise of her). His trust in her is magnified because of the gain (And he will have no lack of gain.) she continually brings him.[3]

Proverbs 31:13-16 (NASB) She manages her husband’s household well 13 She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. 14 She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. 15 She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

· 31:13. She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. She is involved in weaving and sewing as indicated in verses 13, 19, 22, 24. She uses wool and flax, and linen (vv. 22, 24) made from flax. With eager hands is literally, “with the delight of her hands,” suggesting that she enjoys her work.

· 31:14. She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. The noble wife also does shopping. She is like … merchant ships that brought unusual and fascinating merchandise from other places. She too brought interesting and unusual items home from her shopping.

· 31:15. She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens. Though she has household help she herself gets up early, before daybreak, to help prepare breakfast and food for other meals, and to delegate work (portions) to her servants.

· 31:16. She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard She has outstanding business ability as she considers and buys a field. The earnings of her hands (planting a vineyard is better “with her earnings” (Smith-Goodspeed).

o The wife’s considering and buying a field have caused some to question the validity of this poem because women, it is argued, were not permitted to do that in those days.

o However, in this wealthy household she apparently had money to invest. Then from of her earnings from various investments (cf. “trading,” v. 18, and “sells,” v. 24) she plants a vineyard. She has a business mind, and she works hard.[4]

Proverbs 31:16-19 (NASB) She is diligent and hard-working 17 She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. 18 She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

· 31:17: She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. are to be understood as her efforts to fasten her skirt and sleeves so that she is unhampered in her work.

· 31:18: She senses that her gain is good; In the village the acquisition of fabric and foodstuffs, and their manufacture, will involve bartering (cf. vv. 18, 24). A family will not necessarily be self-sufficient but will use its surplus to obtain things it needs but doesn’t produce. The woman is in charge of this process and of the process whereby the family spots a way of extending its land and plants an extra vineyard as we observed in (v. 16).

o Her lamp does not go out at night does not mean that she works all night, but that there was plenty of oil in her house so that her lamp could burn through the night (cf. 13:9; Matt. 25:8).

· 31:19: The spindle and distaffwere instruments used in the hand spinning of thread for weaving cloth she made for her family.[5]

Proverbs 31:20 (NASB) She is compassionate and caring 20 She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

· She is as intent upon giving as she is upon getting; she often serves the poor with her own hand, and she does if freely, cheerfully, and very liberally, with an out-stretched hand. Nor does she relieve her poor neighbors only, and those that are close at hand, but she reaches out her hands to the needy that are at a distance, seeking opportunities to do good and to communicate, which is as good housewifery as anything she does.[6]

· But the virtuous woman he wrote about was not greedy. Shrewd and thrifty though she was, and keen as her eye was to business, her heart went out to the poor. She was a “Dorcas” in Israel long before there was a Dorcas in the church (Acts 9:36).

o Acts 9:36 (NASB) 36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.

· There wasn’t a poor person or needy family in all that part of the country that did not have ample reason to bless her hard-working hands.

Proverbs 31:21 (NASB) She has keen foresight: She provides for the future welfare of her household 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

· Her household is clothed in scarlet: Some wonder why scarlet clothing would be connected to the fact that she is not afraid of snow for her household. It has been suggested that the scarlet color of the clothing makes her children easy to find in heavy snowbut given the relatively light snowfall in that part of the world, this is unlikely.

o It is possible that this does not describe a color, but doubly thick garments.[7]

o Another possibility due to the translation from the word scarlet is that the original Hebrew wording suggests that the woman Solomon was describing provided a double change of raiment.

· She is not afraid of the snow for her household: Snow is not at all uncommon in Israel. Two winters out of three, snow can be expected in Jerusalem. From time to time up to seventeen inches of snow can fall and it can linger in the hollows and shadows for two or three weeks.

o In Solomon’s day warm garments were needed to brave the cold outside and inside, where usually the only heat to be had was from charcoal burning in a dish.

o A cold spell in winter could be a great hardship, but not in the ideal woman’s home. Her children could go out and throw snowballs or make a snowman as children do all over the world. If they got soaking wet, they could always change their clothes. If her beloved shepherd came in from the frozen hills where special measures had to be taken to protect the plants and the animals from unusual cold, he could always change his raiment.

o She always had a warm cloak ready for him. And there were always extra garments available for the poor and needy in special times of hardship and woe.[8]

Proverbs 31:22 (NASB) She makes herself attractive 22 She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

· She makes coverings for herself; She makes “tapestry” to beautify her home. The word tapestry is of uncertain meaning. It could include carpets, coverlets, and quilts.

· The noun appears in the context of the qualities of a virtuous woman. The woman makes her own coverings among other qualities. The family is secure, kept warm because of this woman’s resourceful efforts.[9]

o Regardless of the actual meaning, it suggests she is creating a home that reflects her taste, and which beautifies the environment in which her family moves. The virtuous woman takes great care to be sure that her home and its atmosphere are welcoming and warm for her family. Children do not have to walk on eggs around her because of a bad temper or angry disposition. She is not a negative, critical person who demeans her children. Home is a safe haven for them.

· She herself is dressed in “fine linen” and purple. Clothes throughout Scripture suggest character. The first couple dressed in fig leaves, revealing the poverty of character that marked them at that moment.

o This woman is dressed in fine linen—she is marked by stainless character; and she is dressed in purple—she is regal in her bearing.

o Something about her draws out the respect of all. She is not imperious and proud, but stately and fine.

o Having done her best and having carried out the Word of God to her family and the poor, she moves and carries herself in the confidence on having pleased God.

Proverbs 31:23 (NASB) She honors and respects her husband’s ability 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.

· Her husband sits in the gates among the elders. He is accorded status and respect when he sits among the elders.

· She is known for her faithfulness at home. Man and woman both have a place in the economy of God, and when either one steps out of place, there is confusion and trouble. Of course, the headship of the man does not meandictatorship; rather it means example and leadership in love[10]

· She has never done anything to compromise his position among the elders of the land. Her life has been such that he has never had to keep silent or to bend the truth with others because his conscience accused him about his own family.

· Among the qualifications which Paul through the Spirit of God gave concerning the overseer and deacon is the need to “rule his own house” (1 Tim 3:4, 12).

o All must be marked by subjection to the Word of God.

o The man who is leading God’s people or serving in a public manner who has a wife whose life is such that it has never compromised his ministry, has found the virtuous woman.

o For a man to be able to teach “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) without fear of anyone pointing to his wife as an exception to what he is preaching is a tremendous blessing which nothing else can possibly equal.

§ Those whom God has so blessed can rush ahead to the experience of v. 28 and rise up and praise them.

· It may well be that his total confidence in her abilities also leaves his mind free to attend to the affairs of the leadership of the city.

o He is not distracted by the micro-management of the home but is able to leave all in her capable hands.[11]

Proverbs 31:24 (NASB) She helps earn the family’s income when needed

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,And supplies belts to the tradesmen.

· Proverbs 31:14, 18 hint that she had developed a business making and selling garments. She was skillful and industrious enough to supply merchants with luxury items like linen garments and sashes.

Proverbs 31:25-29 (NASB) She has a strong testimony 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. 26 She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 29 "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."

· 31:25. Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. The wife in this household had no fear of cold in verse 21; here she has no fear of the future. The days to come may be uncertain (Prov. 27:1), but she has the character to face them with confidence. Although her literal wardrobe is impressive, the figure of speech here shows her clothedeven more regally with strength and dignity.

· 31:26. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. In verse 20, she is a giver of help; here she is a giver of wisdom, like Lady Wisdom in chapter 1. She shares her wisdom with her husband and instructs her children and servants.

· 31:27. She looks well to the ways of her household. This verse provides a one-sentence glimpse of her diligence, presented in more detail in verses 13–19. She gives herself both in management of others (watching over the household affairs) and in her own labor.

o And does not eat the bread of idleness, is a Hebrew expression for laziness, and nothing could be further from this woman than idleness!

· 31:28–29. Her children rise up and bless her. The wife and mother in this home receives the appreciation she deserves, as her family acknowledges how she has blessed their lives. The children call her blessed,implying that she sees her lot in life as a gift from God, not as an intolerable burden. Her positive approach and zest for life inspire her husband to echo the children’s praise.

o and he praises her, saying: 29 “Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."

· He tells her that many women are noble (same word as in v. 10), but she surpasses them all—she is the best![12]

Thought to soak on before we study our last two verses

· The value of the noble woman is not based on her pleasing personality, nor is it determined by her physical beauty. The Hebrew word for grace is translated favoror charm. It is most often used in the Old Testament with the word find.

o Here it refers to a personality or demeanor that results in her finding favor with others: she is popular and well-liked.

o But grasp the point of this verse: personality and popularity do not necessarily reveal a person’s true character. A charming disposition is not necessarily genuine; it may be a sham. Many people are masters at deceitfully portraying themselves in order to get what they want from others.

§ We should not judge a woman (or any person) by her (or his) personality. The most popular girls do not always make the best wives. Nor do the most gorgeous ones.

o All men want a beautiful woman at their side. But the problem with physical beauty is that it does not last. It is vain(hebel)—transitory and fleeting. This is the word used so frequently by Solomon in Ecclesiastes. Nothing he tried was lasting or permanent.

§ Unfortunately, this is all too true with physical beauty and charm. People age and people change.

Proverbs 31:30-31 (NASB) She has a strong faith in the Lord 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

· 31:30a Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain; A woman’s true value is not based on beauty. The virtuous woman is made of stronger, more important, and permanent qualities.

· 31:30b But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

o She fears the Lord

o Here is the secret of the noble woman, what makes her priceless and incomparable: she is praiseworthy because of her fear of the Lord, that is, her reverent, submissive relationship with the Lord. This honorable woman embodies the attributes of wisdom found throughout Proverbs:

§ She has an impeccable character and great integrity.

§ She is loyal and trustworthy.

§ She does good, not evil.

§ She is diligent and industrious.

§ She makes wise financial decisions.

§ She is compassionate toward the needy.

§ She is prepared for the future.

§ She is strong and honored.

§ She is confident and bold.

§ She has great hope for the future.

§ She controls her speech, which is always holy and gracious.

§ She instructs others in truth.

§ She is kind and fair with others.

· All of this is a result of her relationship with the Lord. Her exceptional worth is based on her fear of Him (1:7).

o Men who are wise do not choose their wives because of their popularity or beauty. They select a woman who is characterized by her genuine reverence for and humble obedience to God, a woman who demonstrates the behavior and beautiful qualities spelled out in the list above.

o Always remember this fact: it is our fear of the Lordthat will direct our children—the fruit of our loins—to the Lord. We must teach our children to fear and trust the Lord by our own example. Our example will guide them in everything they do. We cannot be the parents God intends us to be without genuinely and wholly surrendering our lives to Him.

· 31:31 Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates, both for her family and for the community-at-large. It includes …

§ the garments and coverings she has sewn

§ the house she has beautifully decorated

§ the delicious meals she has prepared day by day

§ the businesses she has started

§ the maidens she has managed

§ the needy she has helped

§ the people she has counseled and instructed

Thoughts in Closing

· This is not all she has done. It includes something much greater than these. She has put everything she has into raising and nurturing a family skilled in successful living, one that fears the Lordand adores her with all their hearts. They are her works. They all praise her at the gates of the city, where deals are sealed, judgments are rendered, and laws are passed … where work of far lesser importance than hers is done.

· Proverbs begins and ends with the fear of the Lord (1:7; 31:30). The secret of wisdom—skillful, successful living—can be reduced to one thing: a reverence toward Jehovah that leads to establishing a relationship with Him through His Son, which in turn results in living in submissive, obedience to His commands.[13]

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NASB) 13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

Blessings you this day😊.

[1]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Proverbs, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2012), 466–467. [2]John Goldingay, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs for Everyone, Old Testament for Everyone (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press; Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2014), 154–155. [3]Roland E. Murphy and O. Carm, “Proverbs,” in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard Jr., and Robert K. Johnston, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 154. [4]John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 972. [5]Earl C. Wolf, “The Book of Proverbs,” in Job through Song of Solomon, Beacon Bible Commentary (Beacon Hill Press, 1967), Pr 31:10–29. [6]Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1027. [7]David Guzik, Proverbs, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2017), Pr 31:21–23. [8]John Phillips, Exploring Proverbs 19–31: An Expository Commentary, vol. 2, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Pr 31:21. [9]Thoralf Gilbrant, “מַרְבַדִּים,” The Old Testament Hebrew-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1998). [10]Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), Pr 31:23–26. [11]A. J. Higgins and E. Currie, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, What the Bible Teaches (John Ritchie, 2008), 368. [12]Max Anders, Proverbs, vol. 13, Holman Old Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2005), 362–363. [13]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Proverbs, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2012), 479–480.