Proverbs · chapter 31 of 31
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Proverbs 31 closes the book with two texts: the words of King Lemuel, taught to him by his mother, with the charge to rule justly and defend the weak, and the acrostic poem of the capable wife, which describes her strength, her work, her generosity and her wisdom. The poem ends by saying that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31 is the last chapter of the book and gathers two sections. The first is the oracle of Lemuel, a king of whom we know only that his mother gave him these teachings. The second is a poem of twenty-two verses in which each line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet, an acrostic that presents the ideal of wisdom put into practice.
The chapter opens with the words of King Lemuel, which his mother taught him. She addresses him with urgency, as the son of her womb and of her vows, and warns him not to give his strength to women or to those who ruin kings (vv. 1-3). It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers to desire strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of the afflicted (vv. 4-5). The mother asks him to open his mouth for the mute, to judge righteously and to defend the rights of the poor and needy (vv. 8-9).
From verse 10 the acrostic poem begins. An excellent wife is hard to find and is worth far more than jewels; her husband trusts in her and lacks no gain (vv. 10-11). She works with wool and flax, is like the ships of a merchant bringing her food from afar, rises while it is still night to give food to her household, considers a field and buys it, and plants a vineyard with the fruit of her hands (vv. 13-16). She girds herself with strength, and her lamp does not go out at night (vv. 17-18). She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy (v. 20). She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all are clothed in double garments (v. 21). Her husband is known in the gates, and she makes and sells garments (vv. 23-24).
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come (v. 25). She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue (v. 26). She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness (v. 27). Her children rise up and call her blessed, and her husband praises her (v. 28). Many women have done excellently, but she surpasses them all (v. 29). Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (v. 30). Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates (v. 31).
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Lemuel's mother asks him to open his mouth for those who cannot speak, to judge righteously and to defend the poor and needy. Whoever has a voice and power must use them on behalf of the weakest.
The capable wife is very hard to find, and her worth is far above jewels. The Hebrew expression suggests courage, strength and character, and it is also applied to Ruth in the book of Ruth; it is not only about household tasks but about proven character.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. The poem highlights a voice that teaches gently, joins truth with grace and builds up her family and those around her.
Charm is deceitful and beauty fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. The book closes as it began: the fear of the Lord is the root of wisdom, and it gives a life true worth.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: His mother. — Proverbs 31:1
Answer: Open his mouth for them, judge righteously and defend their rights. — Proverbs 31:8-9
Answer: Far more than jewels. — Proverbs 31:10
Answer: She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. — Proverbs 31:20
Answer: The teaching of kindness, and she opens her mouth with wisdom. — Proverbs 31:26
Answer: A woman who fears the Lord. — Proverbs 31:30
Proverbs 31 is not a checklist to measure women or an impossible burden. It is a portrait of wisdom applied, and in a small group it can be read as a model for men and women alike: diligent work, generosity toward the poor, good words and reverence for the Lord. Each person can ask which trait needs to grow in them.
The first part of the chapter teaches people with authority to use their voice for those who have none. And the last verse reminds us that true praise comes from character and the fruit of one's hands, not from appearance or fame.
Proverbs 31 closes the book by returning to its main theme: the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom, now lived out in the daily work of a strong and generous woman. After Proverbs, the book of Ecclesiastes continues in the wisdom tradition with an honest look at life under the sun.
In an acrostic each line begins with the next letter of the alphabet, here Hebrew, for a total of twenty-two verses. It is a way of saying from A to Z, that is, that wisdom covers every area of life. It also helped people memorize the poem.
The poem portrays a woman of means and standing in the society of her day, and it is not a required list of chores. Many read it as a picture of wisdom in action, for men as well. What stands out are not the specific tasks but the fear of the Lord, diligence, generosity and dignity.