Mag. Claudia R. Wintoch
Spiritual Development II: Biblical
Interpretation
Shirley Smith
World Revival School of Ministry
1. Introduction
In Proverbs 31 King Lemuel’s mother
teaches her son what a desirable wife would look like, describing her character
and her deeds. This passage has been on my mind for a few days, as I am
preparing to write a paper on women in ministry. My goal is to get a better
understanding of what an ideal wife looks like, back in the time the poem was
written, and even in our day and time.
2. Literary Structure
The book of Proverbs belongs to the
category of wisdom-literature. The writer’s intention is to share his wisdom
with the reader, in order to improve that person’s life with the truth. He
shares his opinion plainly and straightforward, like in most of the book of
Proverbs, but sometimes he also uses more poetic language, like in our chosen
passage, to stir the reader’s imagination, create a picture in his mind of that
perfect wife he is to desire. There are
therefore a number of comparisons and superlatives in the passage. It is
important to understand that the passage is wisdom-literature – the author
describes the ideal wife, but we are not to take the passage’s meaning literal,
making a doctrine of what a wife is supposed to do, but to take the principles
and apply them to ourselves today.
3. Observation
The first observation made is that
the author applies the literary device of an acronym to form his discourse on
the wife of noble character. Every line starts with a letter of the Hebrew
alphabet, in alphabetical order. In English nearly every verse starts with
“She” followed by a verb describing what she does: brings (v. 12), selects
(v. 13), is (v. 14), gets (v. 15), considers (v. 16), sets
(v. 17), sees (v. 18), holds (v. 19), opens, (v. 20), has (v.
21), makes (v. 22), makes (v. 24), is clothed (v. 25), speaks
(v. 26), watches (v. 27). The first
verse, verse 10, is the introduction to the discourse, starting off with a
rhetorical question: A wife of noble
character who can find? The wife’s husband is mentioned at the beginning
(v. 11), in the middle (v. 23) and at the end (v. 28) of the wife’s
description. The last three verses (v. 29-31) praise the wife and show the
foundation of the praise she deserves: she fears the Lord (v. 30) – a recurring
topic in the book of Proverbs.
What indicates that the author is
describing the ideal wife? In the first verse (v. 10) he is using a comparison,
declaring that she is worth far more than
rubies, using this word picture to illustrate her great worth, since rubies
are considered very valuable. In verse 14 he compares her to merchant ships –
ships that brought rich foods from many places, ships on whose arrival people
could rely on, and ships people were looking forward to arriving. The author
uses many strong words to emphasize her qualities: full confidence (v. 11), lacks
nothing (v. 22), all
the days (v. 12), eager hands
(v. 13), works vigorously (v.
17), no fear (v. 21), all of them (v. 21), faithful instruction (v. 26). He
reaches a climax as he sums it all up in verse 29, making the husband address
his wife: Many women do noble things, but
you surpass them all.
The author also describes the
blessings that come on the husband and children as a result: full confidence in her (v. 11), lacks nothing (v. 11), respected (v 23), among the elders (v. 23), he
praises her (v. 28), her
children call her blessed (v. 28). Her husband is not only blessed
personally, but he has a place of honor among the elders and is respected on
account of her.
Who is the author of this
passage? King Solomon wrote most of the
book of Proverbs. We are told in verse 1 of Proverbs 31 that the words of that
chapter came from King Lemuel’s mother. We do not know who King Lemuel is, yet
“Jewish legend identifies Lemuel as Solomon and the advice as from Bathsheba”[1];
however, there is no evidence to prove this claim. On the contrary, modern
research would suggest that Lemuel was not Solomon.
The origin of the book of Proverbs
is dated back to some time between 971 and 686 B.C.. “Most scholars also see
chapters 30-31 as non-Solomonic and from a later date, perhaps from a time
contemporary with Hezekiah”[2],
which would be approximately the last 30 years of the time period above.
Considering the cultural insights we
get from the wife’s description, we know that this wife and husband live
somewhere in the Middle East, if not in King Solomon’s kingdom. There is no
clue in the passage to determine a location in any more detail (see 4. Word
Study).
Finally we have to ask
the question why this poem was written and why it was placed at the end of the
book of Proverbs. Large parts of the book of Proverbs describe the foolish
woman, warning the reader of women like those. After having spent much time
describing the negative to warn the reader, the author of Proverbs brings his
book to a climax by placing the description of the noble women right at the
end, which also leaves the reader with the positive still fresh in mind.
4. Word Study
There are two ways the first verse
of chapter 31 is translated, which gives us the information as to the poem’s
author. The NIV says: The sayings of King
Lemuel – an oracle his mother taught him, while the RSV says: The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, which
his mother taught him. While some translate “massa” as “an oracle”, other
scholars believe it might refer to a kingdom named Massa “that is attested in
the annals of the Assyrian kings from the time of Hezekiah”[3],
which would not only help us date this passage, but locate its origin.
The Hebrew word translated “value”
in verse 11, salal, is usually
translated “plunder”. Plunder from victories in wars were considered very
valuable and prestigious, yet a noble wife provides that prestige at all times.
5. Historical Context
Verse 23 reads that her husband is respected at the city gate.
Elders, who acted as judges, were seated at the city gates, where people came
to have their cases judges. We therefore learn that the husband was a prominent
man and well-known leader. However, verse 31 shows us that she was praised at
the city gates in her own rights.
We also learn that is was not
unusual for a woman not only to take care of the household, but to conduct
business herself (e.g. v. 16, v. 18, v. 24). Her diligent work, at home and in
the business, are important components of the wife of noble character.
Unfortunately, we have sometimes devalued women who work instead of staying at
home and taken an opposing view. History shows how women often became humans
that were less valuable than men, whose only purpose was to serve her husband,
incapable of being intelligent and watching
over the affairs of her household, as the wife of noble character does.
6. Interpretation
The author’s intent was to close his
book of wisdom, having described a lot of foolishness, by picturing the ideal
wife all men should look for and all women strive after. He is closing with a
glorious high-point that stirs the reader’s heart.
However, while this is the immediate
interpretation, it is Israel who is consistently pictured as the Lord’s wife
throughout Scriptures. She is also often described as an unfaithful wife and
prostitute, or foolish woman as earlier in Proverbs. In the chosen passage, God
lays down what the ideal wife looks like, what He expects from His own wife
Israel, how she can please Him. The result will be that she will be praised
among the nations, that her husband (God) will be respected and honored by
them, her children (grafted-in Gentiles) call her blessed.
Another valid comparison is to be
made between wisdom, a predominant subject of Proverbs, and the ideal wife.
Proverbs 3:15 reads: She is more precious
than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her, and Proverbs 8:11: For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and
nothing you desire can compare with her. Both verses talk about wisdom, and
both verses remind us of verse 10, where it says that the wife of noble
character wife is worth far more than
rubies. A wife of noble character is therefore equated with wisdom, while
wicked women are equated with foolishness (e.g. Proverbs 9:13-18).
7. Application
This passage is not only applicable
to wives, but also to single people who strive to lead a life that is pleasing
to God. It encourages me to work diligently and speak godly words, so that my
family and those associated with me will be blessed and respected by others.
It is also a beautiful picture of
what the church, the bride of Christ, should look like. It is not about the
outward (beauty is fleeting – v. 30),
but we are to work diligently on building His kingdom, so His honor will
increase on the earth, and He will be praised on account of His church. The
fear of the Lord (v. 30) is the wife’s foundation, and the church should make
every effort to recover that foundation herself.
8. Conclusion
After having described the negative
side at length, the author now ends his book with a poem describing the ideal
wife every husband would be lucky to have. He had warned his readers of foolish
wives and then shows them what the desirable wife looks like. Having talked
about the fear of the Lord frequently throughout his book, he gives an example
of what it produces.
However, every Israelite would
always think of his nation as the wife of God, and examine whether they were
fearing the Lord, bringing forth the works and fruit described in the passage.
They knew that they were worth far more
than rubies (v. 10) to their God and that they would either bring shame or
honor on their God among the nations.
May we be those who bring honor and
praise to our Lord.