Have a love/hate relationship with the Proverbs 31 woman? Yes, we admire her energy and success. But frankly, the woman set the bar far too high for the rest of us. We read the 31^st chapter of the book of Proverbs and think, “That’s just impossible.” We feel defeated before we ever begin. But, perhaps we’ve misunderstood this woman all along.

The woman described in the last chapter of the book of Proverbs, also known as the “wife of noble character” is more than just a description of a godly woman. Throughout Proverbs, the wisdom writer often personifies wisdom. Since the Hebrew word for wisdom is feminine, it’s natural to portray her as a woman.

The wife of noble character then is the personification of wisdom, a composite of all the characteristics of wisdom we see in the collection of proverbs. This wise woman of virtue stands in contrast to all the adulterous and foolish women set forth throughout the book. She is an idealized wife, in an idealized home. And of course, she is set in the time and culture of an ancient Jewish household.

On commentator said it reads more like an ancient hymn, a musical poem to lady wisdom. Husbands and children even recited it in ancient Jewish homes at Sabbath dinner by. Structurally, it’s an acrostic. The first word of each line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence.

4 Tips to Help Us Understand

Many of us read Proverbs 31 but aren’t quite sure what to do with it. Are we supposed to follow her example? Is she our goal? Before we get overwhelmed by this “perfect,” godly woman, let’s step back and look at the passage through the lens of solid Bible study principles. The following tips will help us gain a proper perspective.

1. Consider the literary genre – Like every other genre in the Bible, proverbs/wisdom literature has its own principles for interpretation. By their nature, proverbs are principles for wise living that encapsulates broad observation about life. As applied to this wise woman, she is our example in an overall, broad way, but not necessarily in all the specifics of her life. (Also see “3 Tips to Help You Understand Proverbs.”)
2. Check the literary context – Literary context includes the verses immediately surrounding the passage in question, but also the whole book and the entire Bible. To best understand the Proverbs 31 woman, we need to keep the whole of Proverbs in mind as discussed in the section above. The Proverbs 31 woman is wisdom personified for the whole book. (Also see “How Biblical Literary Context Aids Our Understanding.“)
3. Keep the historical and cultural context in mind – As you read through Proverbs 31:10-31, you’ll see a host of specific tasks carried out by this industrious woman. However, many of them – like planting a vineyard and spinning her own cloth (Proverbs 31:16, 19) – are closely tied to her time and culture. God does not intend for us to perform these specific tasks. (Also see “Mind the Historical and Cultural Gap in Scripture.”)
4. Identify the underlying truths and principles – When we seek to understand a Bible passage, we must first recognize what it meant to the original audience. That is the first and only meaning of the text. Sometimes this meaning is directly applicable to God’s people of all time. For instance, consider Jesus’ command to “Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).” But, sometimes the specific meaning cannot be directly applied. Consider Paul’s command to the believers in Rome to help Phoebe in whatever she needs (Romans 16:1-2). Although Phoebe has long been with Jesus, we can apply the underlying principle by being quick to help our Christian leaders. The Proverbs 31 woman engaged in many tasks and enterprises rooted in her ancient culture. While we can’t duplicate those, we can identify things like character attributes, how she related to others, and the quality of her work in all areas of her life. Those we can emulate.

What do we do with Proverbs 31 Woman?

By approaching this “super woman” with the right Bible study attitude, we can once and for all lay down any animosity or jealousy we’ve felt over the years. This woman is not smarter or more energetic than today’s Christian woman. She does not possess some secret, super power or run for days with no sleep. Here are a few ways we can respond instead:

• Embrace the source of her wisdom – The “secret” of this amazing woman is the source of her wisdom. “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30 ESV). “The fear of the LORD” is a running theme in the book of Proverbs. God is the Source of true wisdom (Proverbs 8:22). If we want to live wisely and not work against the One who designed the universe we must submit to Him and His ways. We must acknowledge His authority and yield to His Lordship in our lives. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10).
• Identify her basic attitudes and motivations – We cannot copy her behavior, but we can identify those things that drive her behavior. By adopting those attitudes and motivations, our behavior will then be a model of godly living in our culture today.
• Ask God to instill the same wise, godly characteristics in us – I think the reason the Proverbs 31 woman often intimidates us is because we are looking at what all she does rather than who she is. For instance, this wise woman is hardworking, generous, a good steward of her resources, watches her words, and plans for the future. She yields to the God of wisdom in every area of her life. 

In what way have you previously misunderstood the Proverbs 31 woman?

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