Proverbs 31:10

THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN

'aleph='

"A worthy woman who can find, For her price is far above rubies."

beth=b,v

"The heart of her husband trusteth in her, And he shall have no lack of gain."

gimel=g,gh

"She doeth him good and not evil All the days of her life."

daleth=d

"She seeketh wool and flax, And worketh willingly with her hands."

he=h

"She is like the merchant-ships; She bringeth her bread from afar."

waw=w

"She riseth also while it is yet night, And giveth food to her household, And their task to her maidens."

zayin=z

"She considereth a field, and buyeth it; With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard."

beth=k,kh

"She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms."

teth=T

"She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable; Her lamp goeth not out by night."

yodh=y

"She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her hands take hold of the spindle."

kaph=k[5],kh

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

lamed=l

"She is not afraid of the snow for her household; For all her household are clothed with scarlet."

mem=m

"She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry; Her clothing is fine linen and purple."

nun=n

"Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land."

camek=c (with an "s" sound)

"She maketh linen garments and selleth them, And delivereth girdles unto the merchant."

`ayin=`

"Strength and dignity are her clothing; And she laugheth at the time to come."

pe=p,f

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue."

tsade=ts

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness."

koph=q

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying,"

resh=r

"Many daughters have done worthily, But thou excellest them all."

sin=s

shin=sh

"Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised."

tav=t,th

"Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her works praise her in the gates."

This poem needs no explanation. It is a brilliant description, not only of the ideal Jewish wife of Israel's ancient history, but also of the typical wife of those American pioneers who built our nation, for this ideal was generally adopted by that whole generation of Bible-reading, God-fearing people who built a civilization in the wilderness of North America. This truth is illustrated by the fact that this poem has been publicly read at the funerals of thousands of women during this century and the last, many occasions having been those in which this writer read the chapter.

"This beautiful poem is a fitting climax to the Book of Proverbs."[13] Throughout Proverbs, we have had all kinds of warnings against women who are prostitutes, adulterous, contentious, nagging, etc., but here we have emphasis upon the woman who is truly noble.

Her many wonderful qualities are thrift, industry, kindness, compassion, efficiency, business sense, discretion, discernment, true love, faithfulness and all the other graces and virtues of true womanhood. However, her crowning glory is mentioned in the concluding verses: "A WOMAN THAT FEARETH JEHOVAH"! There is no ability or achievement that surpasses the sacred worthiness of a truly Christian woman. Blessed be her name for ever! Those who fail to find salvation and fulfillment in Christ Jesus, regardless of other so-called achievements and successes, have failed totally.

The worthy woman in view here was wealthy, having servants of her own, money to purchase a field; and her husband was one of the "city fathers," sitting in the gates; and she stands as a paradigm of the Old Testament ideal of womanhood. This Old Testament ideal needs the enhancement of New Testament values, in which the poor widow who cast her last two mites into the treasury was awarded the praise of the Head of our holy religion, and in which the destitute woman with the issue of blood, a Gentile dog in the eyes of her contemporaries, exhibited a faith which Christ found, "No, not in Israel."

Nevertheless, this ideal of the "Worthy Woman" is exactly the one which was exhibited by the vast majority of the pioneer women of America who, in a very real sense, were the architects of our current civilization. This writer's mother, and both his maternal and paternal grandmothers, as well as those corresponding ancestors of this writer's wife, fully measured up to what is stated here of the "Worthy Woman." They were THAT KIND OF WOMEN. There's altogether a new breed of women in vogue today; and it is far too early to give an accurate appraisal of the consequences. However, we are sure, as Jamieson stated it, that, "Upon the ability of the women of this generation to measure up to the ideals of this marvelous portrait of the Worthy Woman, there rest untold results in the domestic, and religious welfare of our nation."[14]; GOD HELP THE WOMEN OF OUR DAY TO RECOGNIZE IN JESUS CHRIST THEIR TRUE LIBERATOR!