The Bible characterizes her as priceless, virtuous, faithful, hard-working, honorable, wise, God fearing, a woman of noble character and so much more. These days you will mostly see the opposite. We shall look at each characteristics as described by the writer of Proverbs.
The writer of Proverbs begins with profound question in verses 10…
- 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.
- 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
- 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
- 13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.
- 14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.
- 15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
- 16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
- 17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.
- 18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.
- 19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
- 20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
- 21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.
- 22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
- 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.
- 24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.
- 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
- 26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
- 27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
- 28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
- 29 There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
- 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the lord will be greatly praised.
- 31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Verse By Verse Analysis
10- VIRTUE
The first line begins by telling women they are precious and worthwhile. God calls us to be virtuous and capable.
11- FAITHFULNESS
We are called to speak the truth and earn the trust of others. We are to be faithful and enrich not only our lives, but the people around us as well.
12- GOODNESS
We are called to be good to our husbands and family. To cherish them and love them.
13- HARD WORKING
God calls us to be hard workers, never lazy and always improving ourselves.
14- PROVIDER
This verse talks about providing the family with food, cooking and serving. This can be taken literally or as I see it, to care for and help your family.
15- EARLY RISER
God calls us to wake up before dawn (Maybe one of the hardest tasks for me) and prepare for the day. I see this as God calling us to be hard working and purposeful with our time. I start my day in prayer and then preparing for the day.
16- BUSINESS SAVVY
This verse was one I had a hard time with. Many people read the Bible and think women should stay home and be housewives. While there is nothing wrong with that, the Lord also calls on us to work hard, earn an income and help our family. It is our job to pay attention to our world and take advantage of opportunities.
17- STRENGTH
Energetic and Strong. This can be your physical strength (working out, health), mental strength (being there for others when they need help) and spiritual strength (asking God for guidance and praying). We are called to do these things with optimism and energy.
18- ENDURANCE
Again, we are called to be hard workers. Not only that, but God asks us to ensure our dealings are well handled, even if it means staying up late. We are called to endure during hard times and to continue to work hard.
19- WELL ROUNDED
This verse was another hard one for me. I decided that because verse 13 talks about wool and flax, that this comparison calls for us to be well rounded and understanding of many skills. God calls us to learn and grow and by learning different skills we can help our family.
20- CHARITABLE
We are called to help the poor and less fortunate. We are told to love our neighbors and this verse calls us to love those in need by welcoming them with open arms. I also think that has to do with not judging others.
21- PROVIDE AND TRUST
This verse has two key ideas. One being it is our job to provide for our kids and family, to keep them safe and loved. The second being trust in God and his plan. Even during hard times, trust in our work and his is key.
22- WELL DRESSED
This verse in interesting. God asks us to not be consumed by our looks, but here he tells us to be well dressed. The idea is to treat ourselves like we are worth, which we are! We are told to dress well to present our success that we have made for ourselves and to love ourselves.
23- WIFE TO A GOOD HUSBAND
This verse is God telling us to marry a man who is a good husband and a good leader. There are many places that talk about marriage in the Bible. I think this verse reiterates that God calls us to marry a man with the same faith as ourselves. Someone who loves God will be a good husband and leader.
24- WORKING
Another verse calling us to work for an income. God wants us to provide for ourselves and family. He asks us to sell our work and earn a living wage.
25- HONORABLE
This is one of my favorite verses. We are called to fear nothing but God. We are told to be honorable and strong and to carry ourselves as graceful women. We are also told to laugh – be happy and optimistic.
26- WISE
We are asked to think before we speak and to always do so with kindness. It is asked that we be wise with what we say.
27- ACTIVE
Laziness is not an option. God calls us to take care of our homes (and families) and to work hard for them.
28- PRAISE WORTHY
We are promised thanks and praise for our hard work. We are asked to take these praises and give back to our families.
29- EXCELS
With God in our hearts, we can do achieve anything we set our sights on. We are told we will succeed and excel.
30- GOD FEARING
We are called to fear the Lord. He is the only one we should fear, and through that fear we will come to know him and accept him into our hearts. We are told to live in a way that honors God.
31- REWARDED
The last verse tells us that we will be praised for our hard work and dedication. God promises to recognize our faith.
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