31:1 The words of King Lemuel. See com. to 30.1. Lemuel was not the king of Israel. In addition, the features of this part of the book certainly suggest its Egyptian or possibly Babylonian origin. The chapter has a special focus; its purpose is to prepare the ruler for his future duties. In terms of form, the instructions in this chapter are no different from those presented in ch. 1-9 (see Introduction: Characteristics and Themes), only in this case all the instructions are given on behalf of the mother (cf. 1:8; 4:1). It should be noted that the father played a primary role in the education of children, but pious women could also take part in it (14.1 and com.). The history of Israel knows women of outstanding wisdom (see, for example, 2 Kings 14:2; 20:16).

31:2 son of my vows. Perhaps this refers to vows made before the birth of children (as Anna did in 1 Sam. 1:11).

31:3 the destroyers of kings. The king is ruined by those who turn him away from the duties of the ruler.

31:8-9 The duty of the king to see to justice in Israel was seen in the context of the covenant (Deut. 17:14-20).

31:10-31 This part of the chapter is an acrostic poem (where each verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet) in praise of a woman who embodies wisdom in both worldly and spiritual sense. The order in which her virtues are listed is determined more by the requirements of the acrostic than by the sequence of presentation. However, the poem as a whole is a coherent, if somewhat idealized, description of a woman.

31:10 Who will find. The image of such a woman is not the subject of unrealizable dreams, but to find her, you need to work hard.

31:11 will not be without profit. Such confidence is justified not only by the skill of a woman in the household, but also by her wisdom, i.e. covenant fidelity.

31:12 See 18:22.

31:13 willingly works with his hands. Lit.: "pleasure (she gets from) her hands." In other words, the work does not burden her.

31:15 distributes ... lesson. Those. distributes responsibilities.

31:16 She can skillfully conduct business and put the funds received into circulation.

31:18 Her lamp does not go out. These words are either a metaphor for well-being, or they speak of the diligence of a woman who works at night. These words can also be interpreted in a spiritual sense.

31:23 The diligence and dexterity with which the wife manages the household removes all worries about him from her husband and frees him time for serving the people of Israel.

at the gate. See 1.21&N.

31:24 See Art. eighteen.

31:25 Strength and beauty are her clothes. These words refer either to the character of the woman, or, more likely, from the content of the second part of the verse, to her well-being, which is so stable that she does not need to worry about the future.

31:26 a gentle instruction. Such a woman fulfills everything that her position as a wife, mother and mistress of servants obliges her to do.

31:30-31 fearing the Lord. See 1.7 and com. The Book of Proverbs ends just as it began: worldly wisdom without God's revelation is sufficient up to a certain point, but only the Creator's self-revelation reveals the highest truth.

Interpretation Prov. 31:6,7 "Give strong spirit to the perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul"

QUESTION FROM NINA
How to understand these texts? They clearly contradict Biblical teaching, if taken literally. "Give strong spirit to a perishing man, and wine to a bitter soul; let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his suffering no more." Proverbs 31:6-7

Prov. 31:6 Give strong drink to the perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul;

Yes, indeed, the text you cited can be perceived as permission from God to consume alcohol. However, there are many that show a purely negative attitude of the Lord towards the use of alcoholic beverages. As I have written more than once, in answers to and in the book, the Bible cannot contradict itself. That is, God cannot carry the opposite teaching through His various messengers.

If you carefully look at this text, it becomes clear that it cannot be understood directly, that is, literally. Think, is a person when “he who drinks forgets his poverty and no longer remembers his suffering”? Of course not! You can forget about the problem only for a short time by drinking too much alcohol.

But in practice, a person often justifies his desire to drink by the presence of such life circumstances. That is, in reality, alcohol does not help either the rich or the poor, or even those who have serious problems, but on the contrary makes a person's life worse, bringing with it addiction and other serious consequences. So, God could not give such advice.

But if you remember that a person often justifies his craving for drinking with a desire to forget about problems, everything will fall into place. Then we can see a completely different meaning in the parable. The mother tells her son that he is a serious person burdened with responsibility. Therefore, he cannot drink, even looking for some kind of excuse for himself in order to stupefy his mind. Then, with some irony and regret, she cites as a negative example people who, unfortunately, seek comfort and joy in wine, and not in God.

But in order to convince you of this interpretation, let's analyze the text of Proverbs 31 in detail from the very beginning.

1 The words of King Lemuel. The instruction given to him by his mother:

How does the entire book of Proverbs begin? From the instructions of the father to the son. And it ends - with the instructions of the mother - to the son. Realizing that the book of Proverbs is, in general, the instruction of God - to us people - to His children, this moment seems important. After all, God presents Himself not only as our Father, as is commonly believed, but also as a caring mother.

Who is Lemuel the king? Do we meet in the list of the kings of Israel and Judah a king with the name Lemuel? No. But there is a complete list of kings in the Bible. So, it matters how the name Lemuel is translated: taught; accustomed; student.

You can test me by looking on the Internet for a site with a word-for-word translation of the Bible from the Masoretic original in Hebrew. Site biblezoom.ru

Do you know how the word Ecclesiastes is translated? It's the preacher

It is obvious that King Solomon called himself Ecclesiastes - a preacher and Lemuel - a disciple. There is a lot of evidence for this, except that there were no kings with such names. In particular, in verse 9 of chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes it is written that Ecclesiastes was the richest king of Israel. And we know that it was Solomon. Also, he is the son of David. So, it is obvious that in both cases the author of the text is Solomon.

It can be seen that in the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon preaches - to share experience, therefore he calls himself an Ecclesiastes preacher. And in Proverbs 31, Solomon is presented as a disciple - being taught by his mother, so he calls himself Lemuel - a disciple. Read more

2 what, my son? what, son of my womb? what, son of my vows?

If Lemuel is Solomon, then, accordingly, Solomon's mother is Bathsheba, to whom God made a vow that her son would be king. That is, in the 31st chapter of Proverbs, we will read how Solomon recalls how his mother warned him - his son - against the two most serious threats: guilt and women.

What is the mother talking about here? Do not get involved in women, that is, be monogamous. The passion for women has ruined many people in power. And as we know, it was women who killed Solomon. This is written in 1 Kings 11.

1 Kings 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines; and his wives corrupted his heart.

Now we will read texts from 4 to 7 and we will analyze them:

7 let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his suffering no more.

Today there is much speculation regarding these texts. And there are many interpretations. Let's clear up a common misconception first.

Many believe that in these verses, God allowed a grieved soul to drink alcohol, that is, when a person has some problems. And of course, supposedly, you can drink to people who are not burdened with power. Is that what these texts are about? Let's figure it out together and read verses 4 and 5 again.

4 Not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine, and not for princes strong drink,

5 lest, having drunk, they forget the law and turn the judgments of all the oppressed.

What reasons for the prohibition to drink alcohol to princes and kings are called by the mother, or rather God, on behalf of whom the mother speaks:?

1) So that because of alcohol they do not forget the rules and regulations;

2) Lest they lose justice in defending those who are oppressed;

Hence the question: are only kings and princes supposed to remember the law and rules? Should only kings and princes be just and protect those who are weaker than them?

The answer is obvious: all sane people should remember the law, should be fair and in one way or another help those in need. Recall that a similar prohibition against alcohol was applied to priests in Leviticus 10:10. And the priests, as you know, in addition to serving in the tabernacle, also taught the people the law. So here we are talking about the fact that alcohol reduces the responsibility of a person. That is, the mother in Proverbs refers not only to kings and princes, but to people who have any responsibility. For example, managers are responsible for subordinates, parents are responsible for children, grandmothers for grandchildren. Every capable person can find to whom or what to apply his responsibility.

So, after analyzing the reasons for the prohibition of alcohol (1. A person forgets the rules; 2) a person loses justice and does not protect those whom he can protect) ... We can only draw one conclusion - you can’t drink for all people, since we all should not forget the rules with us everyone has some responsibility.

Now let's read verses 6 and 7

6 Give strong drink to the perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul;

7 let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his suffering no more.

As we figured out, people who are responsible for other people or some areas of life cannot drink. What about the rest, you can?

look at the word give. Is this a resolution? This is not permission, but instruction - a command, in the imperative mood of the verb. Is it really here that God orders to GIVE alcohol to the perishing and grieving souls?!

I repeat: Is a loving, caring God gives an order drink alcohol perishing and distressed soul? Give!

Perhaps God cares, and wants alcohol to help them? Do you have an experience when alcohol helped some perishing and distressed soul to forget poverty and no longer remember their suffering? Who has such a positive experience of helping alcohol?!

I don't need to tell this story. I have many friends and relatives affected by wine. Someone lost their family, someone lost their freedom, and someone lost their life ... Alcohol has not helped anyone yet. I myself used to drink and tried to relieve stress with alcohol, pour grief. But it didn't help me, it only got worse. In the morning, a hangover was added to grief, and continued attempts to drown grief in wine led to a binge and introduced into a terrible depression. So did God really not know about this and gave such an order: Giving alcohol perishing and grieving soul?! NO! I am sure that God could not have known or forgotten about it. Moreover, in the Bible, God warns many times about the various bad consequences of alcohol. Remember at least the book of Proverbs 23, where it is written: “Do not look at the wine, how it turns red, how it sparkles in the bowl, how it is groomed evenly!”

And now I propose to look at the 31st chapter of Proverbs from a different angle. This instruction is given by the mother to her son, the king. Imagine for a moment that her son is not a king, but a simple carpenter who has no people under his command. Would she say: give wine for my son, because he has no power and no money!? Of course not! What kind of mother could give such instruction to her own son?! This means that God did not want to say with these texts that leaders should not drink wine, but ordinary people can drink it!

Thus, the appeal “It is not for kings and princes to drink wine” applies not only to leaders, but to every adequate person.

So what does the phrase mean then? let me drink wine if, as we figured out, she cannot call for the use of alcohol to a dying and distressed soul, because this simply will not help them, but will harm them, which means that neither mother nor God could give such instruction.

Variants of the interpretation of the perishing man in Proverbs 31:6,7 and alleged help from wine

The word "perishing" from the original can be translated - perishing, lost, disappearing, disappearing, exterminated, destroyed ...

Therefore, some people think that give wine to the perishing refers to those going to execution. In fact, in some states, suicide bombers were given alcohol before being executed.

And some think that it is talking about the principle of wine as medicine. Many believe in the medicinal properties of alcohol. It is even customary for us to drink alcohol FOR HEALTH! Today, the medical scientific corps is divided into two camps. Some believe that 30 grams per day is possible. The latter are sure that alcohol, which is essentially a narcotic poison - ethanol, is harmful in any amount.

Is alcohol good for the body in small quantities?

Note that the first ones who advocate alcohol speak only about 30 grams, and not about 100 grams, since they also know the negative harmful effects of alcohol on the human body. An analogy can be made here - snake venom is also used in medicinal purposes, but they do so only when certain serious disease and at low doses. But try taking a little bit of snake venom every day for the rest of your life. What will be good or evil for your body from this?

Sometimes alcohol is justified by the fact that it is known that wine is good for health, again in small quantities. I specifically researched this issue and found scientific evidence that proves that the positive properties from wine are associated not with alcohol, but with grapes, from which the wine is made. Here is the quote:

"French researchers of the University. Louis Pasteur demonstrated the high protective effect of grape juice on the cardiovascular system and believe that it can have the same effect as red wine, only without the NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES of alcohol.

Grapes contain flavonoids, resveratrol, polyphenols, which increase the amount of good cholesterol, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and help reduce high blood pressure.

And alcohol itself has no medicinal properties!

Perhaps in 6.7 of the text of the 31st chapter of Proverbs we are talking about the help of alcoholic wine to the dying?

Also verses 6 and 7 of the 31st chapter of Proverbs, where it is written give me wine sometimes taken as a hospice principle. This is when a person dying from an incurable disease is given a drug for pain relief, and alcohol is a real drug that can anesthetize.

The execution and hospice options would have been possible if verse 7 had not specifically described the effects of alcohol:

he will drink and forget his poverty and will not remember suffering

Is alcohol supposed to help you forget poverty or not remember suffering before an execution or in a hospice? It seems to me that this description does not fit either an execution or a hospice. Forgetting poverty and not remembering suffering is just a good description of a person who drowns his alleged problems in wine.

So, if we are not talking about hospice and not about execution, then to whom did God give the order: give wine!

The answer is simple. God, like the mother, on behalf of whom we are talking here, could not give anyone such an order: give me wine. Let's read further verses 8 and 9 of the 31st chapter of Proverbs

8 Open your mouth for the dumb and for the protection of all orphans.

9 Open thy mouth to justice, and to the work of the poor and needy.

What are we talking about here? The mother tells her son to stand up for the orphans and others in need. And now remember, text 5

5 lest, having drunk, they forget the law and did not turn the courts of all the oppressed.

We see that in the 5th text it is about the same as in the 8th and 9th. The mother tells her son not to drink alcohol to protect those in need. That is, verses 4, 5, 8 and 9 speak about the same thing - about the responsibility of a person, protection and help to those in need. And between these texts inserted 6 and 7 verses that say Give wine to the perishing and grieving souls. Is it by chance? Of course not!

Obviously, texts 4, 5, 8 and 9 are a single phrase, where the MAIN THOUGHT is about the dangers of alcohol and the importance of human responsibility! And verses 6 and 7, where it says "give wine," cannot contradict the phrase in which they are. That is, verses 6 and 7 are not a separate instruction of God to people and mother Lemuel, but part of a whole replica from 4 to 9 texts,

That is, give a call - this is not instruction and permission to drink alcohol, but simply a NEGATIVE illustration from mother to son. Today, this technique is common and it is called ANTI MOTIVATION. This is when they show people drunkards lying in the mud, the black lungs of a smoker or a liver with cerosis from alcohol. And here the mother, addressing her son, makes an illustration of ANTIMOTIVATION that her son must be responsible and cannot act like lost people who go to death and drown their alleged sorrows in wine. By the way, it is no coincidence that the word perishing in many other places in the book of Proverbs is used in relation to the wicked.

Let's remember how the mother began to appeal to Lemuel?

3 Thou shalt not give thy strength to women, nor thy ways to those who destroy kings.

That is, the mother began by instructing her son not to get involved in women. Then she warned him not to drink wine, and then she went back to the women.

10 Who will find a virtuous wife? its price is higher than pearls;

20 She opens her hand to the poor, and gives her hand to the needy.

And here Solomon's mother again speaks about helping those in need. She used to say that her son, the king and prince, should be responsible in this matter. And here it is clear that a virtuous wife should also take care of the needy. This once again confirms that the ban on alcohol applies not only to responsible men, but to all people on whose shoulders any responsibility lies, including women.

30 Prettiness is deceptive and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord is worthy of praise.

In verse 30 we see the main virtue of a virtuous wife. The mother draws the son's attention to the fact that when choosing a wife, he should be guided not only by her beauty, but most importantly by her relationship with God. The mother clearly sets priorities - the most important thing in a woman is a God-fearing life!

Of course, this does not only apply to women. It is no coincidence that the book of Proverbs ends with this conclusion. The same Solomon, in the role of the preacher of Ecclesiastes, ends his book Ecclesiastes with a similar conclusion and instruction:

Eccl. 12:13 Let us hear the essence of everything: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is everything for man; 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, and every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.

We talked a lot about wine today. It is also worth remembering that earlier grape juice- people could bring unfermented wine along with bread to the altar. As we know, turtledoves, lambs, calves, bread and wine, offered on the altar in the temple for the sins of people, symbolized the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary. Therefore, of course, the blood of Christ shed for us does not symbolize alcoholic wine containing poison, but pure healthy grape juice. When we take grape juice at the Supper, we remember the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shed for us, and when we eat bread, we remember His Body that was broken for us.

Bible interpretation: GIVE WICKER to the perishing and wine to the grieving SOUL; let him drink and forget HIS poverty and remember his suffering no more (Prov. 31:6,7)

Priceless virtuous wife,
More precious than pearls and gold,
Rubies, emeralds, silver
And a top carat diamond.

My husband is 100% sure of her.
And he will not remain without profit;
Good, not evil, all the days of your life
She will reward him with love and a smile.

She will get wool and flax herself,
Working with willing hands
And he will get his bread from afar,
Like the captain of your ships.

Will not sleep until eleven
Open your eyes at night
After all, food needs to be distributed to everyone in the house
The salary of the servants is strictly, by the lesson.

She only thinks about the field,
How does he instantly acquire it
And gentle, fruitful hand
He plants the vineyard with care.

And his muscles will only strengthen,
Reliably gird the loins with strength,
And he feels like he's doing well
Her lamp will not go out at night.

And her hands reach for the spinning wheel,
Spindle fingers take without looking,
He will not turn his face away from the poor,
He will open his hand and give him what he needs.

No, not afraid of cold for the family,
After all, her whole family is in double clothes;
Skillfully weaves beautiful carpets,
Linen and purple are her clothes.

And her husband is known at the gate,
He sits authoritatively with the elders,
She sells bedspreads.
And he delivers belts across the sea.

Her clothes are strength, beauty,
Looks at the future with optimism;
Opens his mouth with wisdom,
The tongue will instruct meekly, not capriciously.

And she does not eat the bread of idleness at all,
And he watches the household in the house,
And not afraid of life's problems,
And not familiar with lies and arrogance.

The children will wake up, and the husband will wake up,
They all gratify her together;
Storms, hurricanes, heat or cold
It’s not at all scary with such a wife and mother!

A husband does not boast of his wife:
There are many virtuous women,
But you have surpassed all, my love,
There is no one like you and never has been.

Oh, how vain is blinding beauty,
Deceptive, like shadows, prettiness,
But you, God-fearing wife,
Worthy of praise, you are priceless itself!

From her hands you give her fruit,
And let people know about it
And let them glorify at the gate forever
Her - her worthy deeds!

Proverbs 31

10. Who will find a virtuous wife? its price is higher than pearls;
11. Her husband's heart is confident in her, and he will not be left without profit;
12. she repays him with good, and not with evil, all the days of her life.
13. Produces wool and flax, and willingly works with his own hands.
14. She, like merchant ships, gets her bread from afar.
15. She rises still at night and distributes food in her house and her maidservants for the lesson.
16. She thinks about the field, and acquires it; out of the fruit of his hands he plants a vineyard.
17. He girds his loins with strength and strengthens his muscles.
18. She feels that her occupation is good, and - her lamp does not go out at night.
19. She stretches out her hands to the spinning wheel, and her fingers take hold of the spindle.
20. She opens her hand to the poor, and gives her hand to the needy.
21. She is not afraid of the cold for her family, because her whole family is dressed in double clothes.
22. She makes carpets for herself; linen and purple are her clothes.
23. Her husband is known at the gate when he sits with the elders of the land.
24 She makes veils and sells them, and delivers belts to the merchants of Phoenicia.
25. Fortress and beauty are her clothes, and she cheerfully looks at the future.
26. He opens his mouth with wisdom, and gentle instruction is in her tongue.
27. She watches over the household in her house and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28. The children get up and please her, - the husband, and praises her:
29. "There were many virtuous women, but you surpassed them all."
30. Prettiness is deceptive and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord is worthy of praise.
31. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works glorify her at the gate!

28.12.2013

Matthew Henry

Interpretation of the books of the Old Testament. parables

CHAPTER 31

Some believe that this chapter was added to the parables of Solomon, since it was written by the same author, considering King Lemuel to be King Solomon; others because it has the same essence, although written by another author named Lemuel. But be that as it may, it is a prophecy, and, therefore, written by Lemuel at the direction of God and inspiration sent from above; he clothed it in the form in which it is presented, while his mother dictated its contents. Sounds here

I. An exhortation to Lemuel the young prince to beware of the sins to which he would be tempted, and to do the duties to which he was called (v. 1-9).

(II) A description of a virtuous woman, especially referring to the mother and mistress of the family, which Lemuel's mother writes, not as a praise of herself, although there is no doubt that this is her true portrait, but either as an instruction to her daughters, as the previous verses were an address to her son, or as an instruction to the son in choosing a wife. She must be chaste and modest, diligent and thrifty, diligent for her husband, attentive to her family, prudent in conversation and raising children, and most importantly, diligently fulfilling her duty to God. If he finds such a wife, she will make him happy (v. 10-31).

Verses 1-9

Many interpreters believe that Lemuel is Solomon. This name means "man created for God" or "consecrated to God"; it corresponds well to the glorious name that was given to Solomon by divine appointment (2 Sam. 12:25) - Jedidia, beloved of the Lord. It is believed that Lemuel is a beautiful, tender and loving name by which his mother called him, and he so appreciated the strong attachment of his mother to himself that he was not ashamed to call himself by this name. Rather, one could come to the conclusion that in this parable Solomon tells us the instruction that his mother taught him, as before (Prov. 4:4) - what his father taught. But some believe (and this connection is not impossible) that Lemuel was a prince of some neighboring country, whose mother was a daughter of Israel, perhaps of the house of David, and taught him these good lessons. Note:

(1.) It is the duty of mothers, as of fathers, to instruct their children about what is good, that they may do right, and what is evil, that they may shun it. This should be done when they are young and sensitive, and most of the time under the care of their mother, and she has the opportunity to soften and mold their mind and not let it slip away.

(2) Even kings need instruction; the greatest man is more worthless than the smallest ordinance of God.

(3.) Those who have reached maturity should often remember the good instruction they received when they were still children, for their own warning, the edification of others, and the glory of those who instructed them in their youth.

In the teaching of this mother (queen), note:

I. To the exhortation of the young prince, by which she takes possession of him, arouses his interest, and awakens his attention to what she is about to say (v. 2): “What, my son? What should I tell you? She speaks like a man contemplating what advice to give him and what words to choose to convince him - she is so worried about his well-being! Or her words can be understood: “What are you doing?” It seems to be a blaming question. When he was young, she noticed that he was too fond of women and wine, and therefore considered it necessary to reprimand him and speak sharply. “What, my son! Are you going to lead a similar lifestyle? Didn't I teach you better? I must rebuke you, rebuke you severely, and you must correctly perceive my words, for

(1) You are descended from me, you are the son of my womb, and therefore I speak, because I have the power and feelings of a parent, and I cannot be suspected of malevolence. You are a part of me. I bore you with sorrows, and in response to all the suffering that I experienced with you, I need only one thing: that you be wise and good - and then I will be rewarded enough.

(2) You are consecrated to my God; you are the son of my vows, the son for whom I prayed to God to give you to me, and then promised to return you to Him. So I did (just as Samuel was the son of Anna's vows). I often prayed to God that He would give you grace as my son (Ps. 71:1), and how can the son, for whom so much was prayed for, fail? How can all my hopes for you not be fulfilled? Our children, consecrated by baptism to the God with whom we are in covenant and to whom we ourselves are consecrated, may well be called the children of our vows; it can be a good petition with which we turn to God in prayer for them, as well as a good address during the teaching that we give them. We can say that they are baptized, that they are the children of our vows, and that they are in danger if they break the bonds they were bound in infancy.

II. She warns him against two destructive sins - the sin of uncleanness and drunkenness, which will undoubtedly destroy him if he begins to indulge them.

1. Against uncleanness (v. 3): "Do not give your strength to women - other people's wives." He should not be soft and effeminate and spend with women the time that should be spent in acquiring knowledge and settling business, just as he should not waste his mind (which is the power of the soul) in courtship and courtesy and the time that should be devoted to state affairs. . “Especially avoid fornication, adultery and lusts, which waste bodily strength and bring dangerous diseases. Do not give up your ways, your feelings and your life to the destroyers of kings, who killed many and shook even the kingdom of David himself (the story of Uriah). Let the suffering of others be a warning to you." Such behavior dishonors the kings and makes them low. Are those fit to govern others who are themselves slaves to their own lusts? This makes them unfit for responsible business and fills the royal court with the worst and basest animals. Kings, by subjecting themselves to this kind of temptation, are thereby catering to their own whims and taking upon themselves the responsibility for this sin, and therefore they must double their guard; and if they want to protect their people from an unclean spirit, then they themselves must be an example of impeccability. Less significant people should also apply this to themselves. No one should give his strength to the one who destroys souls. 2. Against drunkenness (v. 4,5). He must not drink wine and strong drink excessively, and sit drunkenly, as in the days of our king, when the princes were heated to sickness with wine (Hos. 7:5). Whatever temptation he may feel from the wonderful quality of the wine or the charm of the company, he must refuse it and be sober, if you think about it.

(1.) That it is indecent for a king to be a drunkard. Although some may call it a social event and entertainment, but this is not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings! Such liberty is not for them, for it humiliates their honor, and dishonors their crown, by disarraying the head that wears it. That which dehumanizes them for a time does them a disservice. Can we then say, "They are gods"? no, they are worse than the creatures that perish. All Christians are made kings and priests of God and should be. Not Christians, not Christians drink wine; in doing so, they humiliate their dignity; such conduct is not befitting to heirs of the kingdom and spiritual priests (Lev. 10:9).

(2.) Of the bad consequences of this (v. 5): Lest they lose their mind and memory when they have drunk, lest they forget the law by which they must govern; and instead of doing good with their power, they did not do harm, lest they turn the judgments of all the oppressed and add to their suffering. There is a sad lament in Isaiah about priests and prophets who stagger from wine and go astray from strong drink (Is. 28:7). In the case of kings the result is just as bad, for when they are drunk or besotted with the love of wine, they cannot help perverting judgment. Judges must have clear heads, which is impossible for those who often feel dizzy and are unable to clearly judge the most ordinary things.

III. On the advice to do good, which she gives him.

1. He must use his wealth for good. Great men must not think that they have abundance only to use it for the care of the flesh and the indulgence of its lusts, so that they may be able to satisfy their inclinations with greater freedom. No, we must use it to help the distressed (v. 6, 7). “You have wine or strong drink at your disposal; so instead of doing evil to yourself, do good to others; let it be given to those who need it.” Those who have enough should not only give bread to the hungry and water to the thirsty, but give strong drink to the one who perishes because of illness or pain, and wine to the one who is grieving or grieving in soul, for it is destined to gladden and enliven the spirit so that the heart rejoices (as they do when in this there is a need), and not to grieve and oppress the spirit (as happens when this is not necessary). We must deny ourselves sensual pleasures in order to be able to help others in distress, and rejoice in seeing our excesses and delicacies given to those for whom they will really be a great favor, and not leave them at our own disposal, causing real harm to ourselves. Those who perish must drink wisely, and then it will be a means to revive their quenched spirit; they will forget their poverty for a while and will no longer remember their suffering, so it will be easier for them to bear their burden. The Jews say that the custom is based on these words to give stupefying wine to condemned prisoners going to execution, as was the case with our Savior. But the purpose of this verse is to show that wine is a healing agent, and therefore should be used when necessary, and not for fun; and those who need medicine should use it, like Timothy, who was advised to drink a little wine, but only for the sake of your stomach and your frequent diseases (1 Tim. 5:23). 2. Thanks to his strength, knowledge and for the sake of his own interests, he must do good deeds, with compassion, courage and attention to administer justice (v. 8, 9).

(1.) He himself must study the affairs of his subjects who are in the courts, examine the actions of judges and executors, to support those who do their duty rightly, and to put aside those who are careless or partial.

(2) In all matters put before him, he must judge with truth, and without fear in the face of man boldly pronounce a just sentence: "Open your mouth, which symbolizes the freedom of speech that rulers and judges should use in passing sentence." Some think that only wise people should be called upon to open their mouths, since the mouth of a fool is always open and full of words.

(3) In a special way, he should consider himself the patron of trampled innocence. Perhaps the lower authorities do not have enough zeal and tenderness to defend the cause of the poor and beggar; therefore the king himself must intervene and act as a lawyer

Those who were unjustly sentenced to death, like Naboth; those who are sentenced to death to satisfy the wickedness of a certain person or party. This is a very appropriate situation for a king to step in to protect innocent blood.

Those against whom injustices have been committed to defraud themselves of their rights, as they are poor and destitute and cannot stand up for themselves due to lack of money to pay for advice. In such cases, kings should be the protectors of the poor. Especially

Those who are mute and do not know how to speak in their defense, either out of fear, or because of weakness, or because of an excessively long speech by the prosecutor or a strong fear of the court. It is noble to intercede for those who cannot intercede for themselves, who are absent or who lack words or are too fearful. Our law tells the judge to make recommendations to the prisoner.

Verses 10-31

This description of the virtuous wife shows what kind of wives women should be and what kind of wives husbands should choose. This passage consists of twenty-two verses, each beginning with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet, like some psalms, suggesting that this passage is not part of Lemuel's mother's lesson to him, but simply a poem written by someone else's hand and , perhaps often repeated among pious Jews, which, for the sake of ease of reading, was arranged in alphabetical order. Its abbreviated text is found in the New Testament (1 Tim. 2:9,10; 1 Pet. 3:1-6), where wives are instructed to follow this description of a virtuous wife; wives should be wise and virtuous, and this is emphasized, as it helps to maintain religiosity in families and is passed on to offspring; everyone understands that the result of this will be wealth and prosperity in the house. Whoever wants to prosper must ask for prudence for his wife. Presented here:

I. A general question, testifying to the search for such (v. 10), where note

(1) the person about whom the request is made: this is a virtuous wife - a strong woman (literally), who, although a weak vessel, is strong in wisdom, grace and the fear of God; the same word is used to describe the character of virtuous judges (Ex. 18:21). These must be capable people, fit for the work to which they are called, people who are truthful and fear God. Further follows: a virtuous wife is a spiritual woman who controls her spirit and knows how to manage other people, pious and hardworking, a good helper for her husband. In contrast to this power, we read of the weary heart of the unbridled harlot (Ezek. 16:30). A virtuous wife is a resolute woman who, while maintaining good principles, is firm and devoted to them, and who is not frightened by the winds and clouds that accompany some part of her duties.

(2) How difficult it is to meet such: "Who will find her?" The implication here is that virtuous wives are rare, and many who appear to be such are not; who thought he had found a virtuous wife was deceived - it turned out that it was Leah, and not Rachel, as he expected. But he who wishes to marry must seek such a wife diligently, pay attention to this quality in all his inquiries, and beware of being tempted by beauty, a cheerful disposition, wealth or birth, good clothes, or the ability to dance, for, possessing these qualities, a woman may be unvirtuous, although there are many truly virtuous wives who do not have these advantages.

(3.) The unspeakable value of such a wife, and the honor that should be given to her by the one who possesses her. He must demonstrate this by his gratitude to God, his kindness and respect for her, and never think that he has done too much for her. Its price is higher than pearls and expensive clothes with which empty women adorn themselves. The rarer such virtuous women are, the more they should be valued.

II. A detailed description of such a wife and her excellent qualities.

1. She is very hardworking, striving to earn her husband's appreciation and love. A godly person will be godly in everything. If a virtuous woman marries, she will be a virtuous wife and will try to please her husband (1 Corinthians 7:34). Although she herself is a spiritual woman, her attraction is to her husband: to know his thoughts in order to adapt to him; she will desire him to dominate her.

(1) She behaves in such a way that he can completely trust her. He trusts her chastity, since she does not give the slightest reason to suspect her of dishonesty and does not excite jealousy. It cannot be called gloomy or withdrawn, but modest and serious; her appearance and behavior testify to her virtue; the husband knows this, and therefore the heart of her husband is sure of her; he is calm and makes her calm. He trusts her conduct and believes that in all companies she will speak and behave prudently and far-sightedly and will not cause any damage and censure to his reputation. He is convinced that she is true to his interests, will never betray his plans and has no interests on the side. When he travels abroad on state business, he can entrust her with all household chores and be calm, as if he himself were there. A good wife is one who can be trusted, and a good husband is one who leaves things to a wife who can govern for him.

(2) She contributes to his satisfaction and well-being, and therefore he will not be left without profit; he does not need to be prudent and economical in a foreign country, as those whose wives are proud and extravagant at home. She manages his affairs so well that he is always ahead of others and has so much property that he is not tempted to rob his neighbors. Having such a wife, he considers himself so happy that he does not envy the richest people in this world. He does not need their wealth, he has enough with such a wife. Blessed are the couple who experience such satisfaction in each other!

(3.) She considers it her constant task to do him good, and fears to harm him even through inattention (v. 12). She demonstrates her love to him not with a stupid display of feelings, but with a prudent display of tenderness, adapting to his character, trying not to contradict him, to speak good, not bad words, especially when he is in a bad mood, learning to make his life easier and provide with what is good. for him in sickness and in health, visiting him with diligence and tenderness when he is unwell; never, for any good in the world, will she do that which will damage his person, family, property or reputation. This is the concern of all the days of her life: not only at the first time of her married life, not only from time to time, when she is in a good mood, but all the time; and she does not tire of doing good for him. She rewards him with good not only in all the days of his life, but also in her own. If she survives him, she will continue to reward him with good, taking care of his children, fortune, good name and other deeds left after him. We read of mercy shown not only to the living, but also to the dead (Ruth. 2:20).

(4.) She promotes his good reputation in the world (v. 23): her husband is known at the gate as having a good wife. From his wise advice and prudent conduct of affairs, it becomes clear that he has a prudent helper to his soul, thanks to the association with whom he improves himself. His joyful appearance and good mood indicate that he has a good wife at home, for the temper of those who do not have one is embittered. Moreover, judging by his clean and neat clothes, by the fact that all the things around him are decent and beautiful, one can conclude that he has a good wife at home who takes care of his clothes.

2. She is the type who makes the effort to fulfill her duties and finds pleasure in it. This part of her character is especially detailed.

(1.) She does not like to sit idle, and does not eat the bread of idleness (v. 27). Although she does not need to work for bread (having a fortune to live on), at the same time she does not eat it idly, because she knows that not one of us was sent into this world to be an idler; knows that when we have nothing to do, the devil will soon find something to keep us busy, and that he who does not work should not eat. Some eat and drink because they don't know what to do with themselves, and think that for purposeless visits, social receptions should be arranged. Such people eat the bread of idleness, to which she has no inclination, since she does not make such visits and does not arrange idle parties for idle talk.

(2) She strives to use all the time so that it is not lost. When daylight is fading, she does not consider it time to rest, as those who work in the fields are forced to do (Ps. 103:23), but now they are busy homework behind closed doors by candlelight that lengthens the day; her lamp does not go out at night (v. 18). It is a great grace to have a lamp that makes up for the lack of daylight, and a duty that we can fulfill with this advantage. We're talking about artfully crafted work that smells like a lamp.

(3.) She gets up early in the night (v. 15) and gives the servants their breakfast, that they may go to work in good spirits at the dawn of the day. She does not belong to those who waste time playing cards or dancing until midnight, until morning, and then go to bed until noon. No, the virtuous wife loves her work more than leisure or entertainment, she is anxious to be in the way of her duty every hour of the day; she gets more true joy in distributing food in her house early in the morning than those who win money, much less those who lose it at cards overnight. Whoever has a family to take care of should not love their bed too much in the morning.

(4) She occupies herself with a business that suits her. This is not science or state affairs or agriculture, but a woman's occupation: “She extracts wool and linen where you can buy the best quality and at the best price; she has at hand a considerable quantity of both, to weave wool and linen (v. 13). But she uses all this not only to give work to the poor, which is also very good of her, but she herself willingly works with her own hands; she works by consulting, or by giving pleasure to her hands (literally). She does the work cheerfully and nimbly, applying not only her hands, but also her mind, and continues to work tirelessly. She stretches out her hands to the spinning-wheel or to the spinning-lore, and her fingers take hold of the spindle (v. 19); she does not consider this work a restriction of her freedom or a humiliation of her dignity or an occupation incompatible with her position. Here the spinning wheel and spindle are mentioned as her glory, while the ornaments of the daughters of Zion were considered their reproach (Is. 2:18ff.).

(5.) She puts all her strength into her work, and in laboring does not occupy herself with trifles (v. 17): "She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her muscles." She does not only sit down work or the one where the fingers do the job skillfully (there is work that can hardly be distinguished from idleness), but, if the opportunity arises, she does work that requires all her strength, knowing that this is a way to have more.

3. All the work she does is profitable through her prudent management. She does not work all night for nothing; no, she feels that her occupation is good (v. 18); she realizes that her work is profitable, and this encourages her to continue working. She understands that she herself can make things better and cheaper than they can be bought; by observation, she comes to the conclusion that the work in which she is engaged gives the best profit, and begins to do it more diligently.

(1.) She prepares everything necessary and useful for her family (v. 14). Neither merchant ships nor Solomon's fleet brought more profit than her occupation. Do they import foreign goods as efficiently as they export their own? She does the same with the fruits of her labors. She provides herself with what her land does not produce, if there is a possibility for this, by exchanging it for her goods, and thus earns her bread from afar. This does not mean that she appreciates this product more, since it was brought from afar, but if she needs it, then, no matter how far it is produced, she knows how to get it.

(2) She acquires land by multiplying the estates belonging to the family (v. 16): "She thinks of a field and acquires it." She considers the benefit to her family and the profit this field will bring to her, and therefore she buys it; or, rather, it should be understood as follows: no matter how much she thinks about it, she will never buy it without first considering whether it is worth her money, whether she can collect such a sum to buy it, whether she has good rights to it. will get whether the soil meets the relevant characteristics and whether it has money at its disposal to pay for it. Many have ruined themselves by buying without thinking, but he who wants to buy at a bargain must think before he buys. She also plants a vineyard from the fruit of her hands; she does not go into debt to save up more money, but saves as far as she can from the profits of her household. People should not spend money on excesses until, thanks to God, who has blessed their industry, they get more than expected and can afford it. The fruits of the vineyard will no doubt be doubly sweet when they are the result of honest labor.

(3.) She furnishes the house well, and has good clothes for herself and her family (v. 22): She makes rugs for herself to hang in her rooms, and can use them as she pleases, since she has made them herself. Her own clothes are expensive and beautiful: they are made of linen and purple, corresponding to the position she occupies. Although she is not so frivolous as to spend a lot of time on clothes, making dressing up her favorite pastime and judging herself by clothes, nevertheless she has expensive clothes and wears them. The clothes of the elder that her husband wears are made by her; it looks and wears better than any purchased. She also has warm clothes for her children and liveries for the servants. She does not need to be afraid of the cold of the most severe winter, since she herself and her family are provided with clothes that protect well from the cold, which is the main function of clothing; her whole family is dressed in purple (English translation) - strong and suitable clothes for winter, but at the same time rich and beautiful in appearance. They are all dressed in double clothes (Russian translation), that is, they have a change of clothes for winter and summer.

(4) She trades with foreign countries, doing more than is necessary for her and her family, so when her family is well off, she sells veils and girdles to merchants (v. 24), who take them to Tire, to the international fair, or another trading city. The families most likely to prosper are those that sell more than they buy; in a similar way the kingdom prospers by selling the goods it produces. It is not shameful for those who produce goods of excellent quality to sell the excess, trade and send ships by sea.

(5) She saves for the future and cheerfully looks to the future, as she has enough in store for her family, her children have a good inheritance. Those who make efforts while in their prime will enjoy and rejoice in it in old age, remembering their labors and reaping their fruits.

4. She worries about her family and all her affairs, distributes food in her house (v. 15) - to each his part in due time, so that none of the servants has reason to complain about poor maintenance or hard lot. She also gives her share of work (as well as food) to her servants; all of them should know their business and have their task. She is a good watcher of the household in her house (v. 27): watches the behavior of the servants, to control and correct what is done wrong, to oblige them to behave with dignity and fulfill their duty to God and others, and also to her, like Job who removed iniquity away from his tabernacle, and David who did not allow the wicked to be in his house. She does not interfere in the problems of other families, believing that it is good enough for her to look after her own house.

5. She does good to the poor (v. 20), because she is disposed not only to acquire, but also to give; she often ministers to the poor with her own hand, and does so voluntarily, willingly, and generously by opening her outstretched hand. She helps not only her poor neighbors and those who live nearby, but extends her hand to the needy who is at a distance, as she seeks opportunities to do good and communicate, which indicates good housekeeping, as well as everything else that she does.

6. As one who knows how to work, she is reasonable and obligatory in all her conversations, and not talkative, picky or quarrelsome. No, she opens her mouth with wisdom; when she speaks, she has a definite purpose and achieves it prudently; by her every word you can judge how skillfully she manages herself with the help of the principles of wisdom. She not only sensibly evaluates herself, but also gives prudent advice to others; yet she does not usurp power like a dictator, but speaks with friendly affection and amiable air: in her language is the law of grace (English translation); all her words are governed by this law. The law of love and mercy is written on her heart, but it manifests itself in words; if we love one another with brotherly affection, it will show itself in affectionate expressions. It is called the law of mercy, as it commands all with whom it communicates. Her wisdom and kindness give commanding power to everything she says; they command respect and be compliant. What power the right words have! In her language is the law of grace, or mercy (read by some), meaning the word and law of God, which she loves to talk about with children and servants. She is filled with pious religious conversations and prudently manages them, which shows how her heart is filled with the goods of another world, while her hands are working for it.

7. Complementing and crowning her character is that she is a wife who fears the Lord (v. 30). She has many wonderful qualities, but she also has the one that is only needed. She is really pious, in all her actions she is guided by the principles of conscience and respect for God; and these qualities are given more preference than beauty and prettiness, which are deceitful and vain. This is the opinion of wise and pious people who do not evaluate themselves or others by them. Beauty will not present anyone to God, and it is not some specific indication of wisdom and piety, but deceived many husbands who chose wives according to these characteristics. Inside a pleasant and beautiful body there may be a vicious corrupt soul; nay, many, because of their beauty, have experienced such temptations as have ruined their virtue, their honor, and their precious souls. Even the most outstanding beauty fades and is therefore deceitful and vain. Sickness will stain and spoil it in a short time; a thousand accidents can blow away this flower in its full bloom; age will surely wither it, and death and the grave will swallow it up. The fear of God that reigns in the heart is the beauty of the soul; God favors such a soul, and in His eyes it is of great value. The fear of God will abide forever and will challenge death itself, devouring the beauty of the body, but at the same time perfect the beauty of the soul.

III. The blessedness of this virtuous wife.

1. From her chastity she receives comfort and satisfaction (v. 25): “Fortress and beauty are her clothes, in which she puts on and which she likes. In it, she appears before the world, presenting herself to him. She likes her own firmness and constancy of mind, her spirit is able to endure many trials and sorrows that even a wise and virtuous woman can face in this world; and these are her clothes, not only for protection, but also for decorum. She behaves respectfully with everyone and enjoys it, so she cheerfully looks to the future. When she is old, she will remember with comfort that in her youth she was not idle and was not useless. On the day of her death, she will be pleased to think that she lived for a good purpose. Moreover, she cheerfully looks to the future and will be rewarded for her piety with fullness of joy and bliss forever.

2. She is a great blessing to her kindred (v. 28).

(1) Children get up and take her place, they call her blessed (English translation). They speak good words to her, and are themselves her praise. They are ready to give her the highest praise; they pray for her and bless God for having such a good mother. This is the debt they must pay to her, and part of the honors that, according to the fifth commandment, should be given to father and mother, and a good father and good mother should be given double honors.

(2) Her husband considers himself lucky to have such a wife, and takes every opportunity to praise her as the best of women. When a husband and wife give each other worthy praise, this cannot be considered indecent, but only a praiseworthy example of conjugal love.

3. She speaks well of all her neighbors, like Ruth, of whom all the people knew that she was a virtuous woman (Ruth. 3:11). Virtue will receive its praise (Phil. 4:8). But for a woman who fears the Lord, praise from God (Rom. 2:29) and from people. Shown here

(1.) That her praise would be extraordinary (v. 29): "Many were the virtuous women." Virtuous wives are like precious stones, but they are not as rare as was said before (v. 10). There were many, but no one can compare with this one. Who will find one like her? She surpassed them all. Note, A godly man should strive to excel others in virtue. Many daughters in the father's house and in the position of an unmarried woman were virtuous, but a good wife, if she is virtuous, excels them all; she can do more good in her place than they can in theirs. Or, as some put it this way, a man cannot have as well-appointed a home with his good daughters as he does with a good wife.

(2.) No one can dispute her praise without contradiction (v. 31). Some are praised more than they deserve, but those who praise her give her from the fruit of her hands; they give her what she honestly earned and what is rightfully hers; she will be treated unfairly if she is not praised. Note, Those are to be praised whose fruits of hands are to be praised. A tree is known by its fruits, so if the fruits are good, then the tree may deserve good words in its address. If the children are diligent, respect her and lead as they should, then by the same token they give her from the fruit of her hands; she reaps the rewards of her concern for them and believes she has been well repaid. Thus, children should learn to honor their parents and honor their families (1 Tim. 5:4). But if people are unjust, then the deeds will speak for themselves: and they will glorify her at the gates of her deeds openly before people.

She leaves her works to praise herself and does not please people in order to gain their praise. Women who like to hear praise in their address cannot be called truly virtuous.

Her deeds will glorify her; if relatives and neighbors remain silent, then her good deeds will glorify her. The widows most celebrated Serna when they showed the shirts and dresses she made for the poor (Acts 9:39).

The least that can be expected from neighbors is that they allow her deeds to glorify her and do not hinder them. Do good and you will receive praise (Rom. 13:3); and let us not enviously say or do anything to belittle her, but through her enter into holy rivalry. Let not our lips utter reproaches against those who have praise from the truth itself. This closes the mirror for the ladies, which they like to open and with which they dress; and if they do likewise, their adornment will be worthy of praise, honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

1–9. King Lemuel's instructions to the kings given to him by his mother. 10-31. Praise to a virtuous wife.

. The words of King Lemuel. The instruction given to him by his mother:

Hebrew name Lemuel. Lemuel(Art. 1) or Lemoil(v. 4), like the name Agur (XXX), the tradition also understood it in the sense of a common noun ("Deo deditus") and considered it a symbolic name of Solomon. But in modern times, they usually see in him the own name of the king of the Massa region in Idumea ().

. what, my son? what, son of my womb? what, son of my vows?

. Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to the destroyers of kings.

. Not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine, and not for princes to drink strong drink,

. lest, when drunk, they forget the law and turn the judgments of all the oppressed.

. Give strong drink to the perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul;

. let him drink and forget his poverty and remember no more about his suffering.

. Open your mouth for the mute and for the protection of all the orphans.

. Open thy mouth to justice and to the cause of the poor and needy.

The instructions of the king's mother (obviously dearly loved by him and also loved him, (v. 2) contain, so to speak, the mandate of royal service in the most condensed form. Like the Mosaic law about the king (fol.), this command commands the king to be careful and temperate. from two sources of spiritual and bodily relaxation: addiction to women (v. 3) and to wine (v. 4-5), in return for which it is commanded above all to have care for royal justice in general and for justice and mercy, especially in dealing with the cases of the poor (ch. 8-9), 6-7. If wine can only bring harm to kings and rulers, darkening their consciousness and depriving them of the opportunity to properly use and exercise the most important aspects of their rank, for example, judicial (v. 5), then wine - in the strength of the power that rejoices the heart of a person () - has a beneficial effect for all kinds of grieved souls, because, by the way, it allows the mourner to temporarily forget his depressing sadness. the eye during suffering was given wine to drink - to quench unbearable thirst and to dull consciousness; this act of compassion was also applied to the Savior suffering on the cross (). In Art. 8–9, the king is not only commanded to strictly adhere to justice, especially in relation to the poor, in the sense of the law of Moses (sn.), but more is advised: to be for the helpless poor in court, not only a truthful judge, but at the same time a defender, a lawyer, - to develop in court not only formal truth, but also the highest mercy, as Job testified about himself ().

The alphabetical speech of these 22 verses, containing praise for a virtuous wife, mother of the family and mistress of the house, is, in the apt expression of one researcher (Dederlein), "the golden letter of women." And, indeed, here the sublime view of biblical Jews on the dignity and position of a woman in the family, on her attitude towards her husband, children and household members was most fully and most typically expressed. Parallel or similar to this praise, we will not find in all the world literature of antiquity, the image of the “virtuous wife” of Proverbs is surpassed only in the New Testament by the image of the Christian wife. As in other alphabetic biblical works (and others), in the section under consideration, individual verses do not closely adjoin each other, but they are all united by a common theme: the perfections of a virtuous wife are revealed here from certain sides - tireless activity, comprehensive care, mercy, reasonableness.

. Who will find a virtuous wife? its price is higher than pearls;

. the heart of her husband is confident in her, and he will not be left without profit;

. she repays him with good, and not with evil, all the days of her life.

. He extracts wool and flax, and willingly works with his own hands.

. She, like merchant ships, gets her bread from afar.

. She gets up still at night and distributes food in her house and her serving maidens.

. She thinks about the field, and acquires it; out of the fruit of his hands he plants a vineyard.

. He girds his loins with strength and strengthens his muscles.

. She feels that her occupation is good, and her lamp does not go out even at night.

. She stretches out her hands to the spinning wheel, and her fingers take hold of the spindle.

. She opens her hand to the poor, and gives her hand to the needy.

. She is not afraid of the cold for her family, because her whole family is dressed in double clothes.

. She makes her own carpets; linen and purple are her garments.

A virtuous wife (cf.) is depicted first from the side of her domestic activities (vv. 11-22), and then from the side of helping and helping her husband in social activities him (v. 23ff.). The first virtue of a virtuous wife is her husband's full confidence in her (v. 11); at the same time, here, as in the subsequent speech, the economic activity of the wife is in the foreground. Out of love for her husband (v. 12), the wife-mistress of the house takes upon herself all the various household duties and fulfills them in the most perfect way. First of all, according to the custom of antiquity, he prepares materials with his own hands - wool and linen - for clothing for family members (v. 13), and then he makes fabrics for sale abroad (v. 24). In the same way, the wife’s special care is to obtain and distribute food to family members, the caring housewife distributes food to the servants in the dead of morning (vv. 14-15), giving them her own example of activity and diligence. The economic activity of a valiant wife, not limited to the boundaries of the house, extends further - to the acquisition of new plots of land for planting grain and a vineyard (v. 16). She feels strong in her work, and prosperous in everything (vv. 17-18). Work, for example, spinning, is often carried on by the mistress wife at night (v. 19). A valiant wife satisfies all her wealth not only at home, but also shares with the poor, extending a helping hand to anyone who needs it; so that in charity, as in other respects, a virtuous wife is exemplary. The home of such a housewife is not afraid of winter and cold, since all members of her family are dressed not only warmly enough, but also beautifully (vv. 21-22).

. She watches over the household in her house and does not eat the bread of idleness.

The husband of a valiant wife, not distracted by worries about household and economic affairs, especially thanks to the good glory of the whole house created by the work of his wife, acquires honorable fame among the people, devotes himself entirely to social activities - concentrated in the east at the city gates - and takes a place among the elders ( article 23). The housewife produces with her own hands so many articles of spinning and weaving craftsmanship that they remain for her to sell to the Phoenicians (v. 24). Having been successful in the past and present (v. 18a), a gifted and industrious woman looks cheerfully into the future (v. 25). Not only every deed, but every word of hers, the wife ponders, and speaks only useful and instructive (v. 26). She maintains a strict order in her house so that all members of the family, following her example, work and acquire food by labor (v. 27).

. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works be glorified at the gate!

The fruit and reward of the great virtues of a virtuous wife is the deep appreciation of her husband and children who enthusiastically glorify her various perfections. Among the latter, the fear of God is especially emphasized, which distinguishes a virtuous wife and constitutes her true value. They bring the glory of their worthy wife and mother to the attention of the whole society (v. 31).