The Proverbs 31 Woman
Verse 10
Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
- Proverbs 31:10
I want to break down the Proverbs 31 woman for you verse by verse. There is a treasure trove of knowledge in every line of this description of God’s ideal of feminine character and beauty.
First of all we must be aware that God’s idea of beauty is far different from the world’s idea of beauty. God says of Himself “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, and My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine…My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) It will take the study of the entire chapter of Proverbs 31 to fully understand His idea of beauty, so lets begin.
Who can find a virtuous wife? Let’s start with the meaning of the word virtuous. There are two sides to this word, the power of mind and the power of body. The power of mind is comprised of moral principles and moral excellence. The Proverbs 31 woman needs this power of mind to keep from giving up and to have some stick-to-itiveness. Many of the traits of this woman will be seen in the verses to follow: her honesty (verses 11-12) thriftiness (verses 14,16), kindness (verses 20, 26), etc. The power of body means the strength of the body to accomplish tasks and to be effective. This virtuous woman’s life and all she has to accomplish requires a lot of physical energy and stamina. Examples of this will also be seen in verses to follow: she works from early in the morning until late at night (verse 15 & 18), and she helps the needy (verse 20). This woman, in all of her power of mind and power of body, is an actual army of virtues! The word virtuous is used some 200 times in the Bible to describe an army. Mental toughness and physical energy are the traits of an army; they are also the traits of God’s virtuous & beautiful woman.
For her worth is far above rubies. The red ruby is very unique and rare. Large rubies even surpass diamonds of equal weight in value. Other translations of this verse state that her worth is far above diamonds as well. Back when this chapter of the bible was written and this mother told her son of this virtuous woman he was to find for a wife, living conditions were very hard and bleak. They fought daily for their survival. This virtuous wife truly was the sparkling gem in her husband and children’s lives! She made their bleak living conditions lovely with her care and demeanor. Her smile, kind words, and love for her family was the beauty in their lives. Proverbs also speaks of the rude and cold wife who is rottenness to her husband’s bones (Proverbs 12:4) and the brawling woman whose husband can no longer endure living in the same house with her (21:9 and 19, 25:24). None of us are determined to be this woman, however stress and our fast paced lives can lead us away of our true purpose as a wife and mother.
I want to leave you with this information for now, but I’d like to come back to you with information about how we (and I mean me as well!) can change our habits, our lifestyle, and our attitudes to be more of a sparkling jewel in the lives of others. I don’t think that Proverbs 31 is for wives alone. All women can aspire to be like the Proverbs 31 woman and can do so as she prepares herself to find a companion, raises her children as a single mother, or just lives happily as a single woman who is beautiful in God’s eyes!
If you are truly interested in studying more about the Proverbs 31 woman, I recommend the book Beautiful in God’s Eyes by Elizabeth George. This book is simply and beautifully written, and is so encouraging. Much of the information I am sharing with you, I was blessed with by this book.
You can visit Elizabeth's website at www.elizabethgeorge.com.
Always with love, Torrie
(image: we heart it)
Comments