A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised

Proverbs 31:30-31 - Man or woman, we should all seek the rewards of the wisdom found in Scripture.

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“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

Proverbs 31:30-31 NIV

God always chooses interesting verses for me to study, and these two verses just happen to be the last two of the Book of Proverbs. They’re part of a section titled “Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character” that beautifully describes the attributes of a good wife of Biblical times and that has relevance today.

Proverbs 31 begins with noting that it is an “utterance” of King Lemuel that is recorded here, a king that we really know very little about. He’s repeating great wisdom that he received from his mother, who warns him against sexual immorality and abusing alcohol, and counsels him to stand up for justice and rights for all who have no voice in the culture of the time.

At this point, the King’s mother goes on to describe what Lemuel should look for in a wife. David Guzik’s commentary on Enduring Word says this about what follows the introduction to the Proverb:

This passage is traditionally understood as being addressed to women but is more accurately spoken by a woman to a man so he could know the character and potential character of a good wife before marriage, and value and praise his wife for her virtuous character once married. It is primarily a search-list for a man, and only secondarily a check-list for a woman.

• This passage describes the kind of wife the Christian man should pray for and seek after.

• This passage gives a guide, a goal for the Christian woman, showing the kind of character she can have as she fears and follows the Lord.

• This passage reminds the Christian man that he must walk in the fear and wisdom of God so that he will be worthy of and compatible with such a virtuous woman.

The woman Lemuel’s mother describes is fairly incredible, although she doesn’t hold a candle to Barb, my wife of 46+ years (to my fellow men — see what I did there? 😀). This woman of Israel is said to:

• Bring her husband good, not harm

• Selects wool and flax, and skillfully spins and weaves them into cloth

• Brings food from far away

• Awakes before dawn to prepare a meal for the family and female servants

• Takes her earnings from making cloth and buys a vineyard

• Works vigorously and has strong arms

• Makes a profit with her trading

• Is generous to the poor and needy

• Be so wonderful that her children and husband say she is blessed

There’s more, but you get the picture. She is the model wife and mother, and runs her household efficiently and with such skill that she is praised by all. Oh, and the entire section of the Proverb, verses 10-31, is another example of an acrostic — each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. You might remember from a recent devotional on one of the Psalms that acrostics were useful as both an aid for memorization and for learning the Hebrew alphabet.

After this list of praiseworthy characteristics for this woman, we read today’s verses. The King’s mother is pointing out to her son that outer beauty eventually passes, and that “charming” women can also be manipulative and deceptive. “A woman who fears the Lord” has a character that lasts, in itself a type of beauty that never fades. Her charm is not deceitful, but comes from an honest representation of her personality to the world.

Duane Garrett, quote in the Guzik commentary, says that:

iii. “Charm and beauty are not bad; they simply are inadequate reasons to marry a girl. The young man should first seek a woman who fears the Lord. And whoever finds such a woman should make sure that her gifts and accomplishments do not go unappreciated.” (Garrett)¹

The entire Book of Proverbs, which we are at the tail end of, examines the connection between wisdom and fear (respect) of the Lord. In Proverbs 1:7, we read that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The virtuous wife described here is filled with the wisdom, inner beauty, and honest charm that comes from fearing the Lord.

Once again from the Guzik commentary, we find this gem from Bruce Waltke:

iii. “By definition, the fear of the Lord means in part living according to the wisdom revealed in this book. This woman’s itemized, self-sacrificing activities for others exemplify the fear of the Lord.” (Waltke)²

and more explanation comes from Dan Phillips:

iv. “Coming at the end of the poem, and of the book, this pinpoints the organizing factor in this brilliant woman’s universe. It is her fear of Yahweh that enables her to see that real greatness will come to her, not through self-centered aggressiveness, and not through merely external beauty, but through godly devotion and the wholehearted commitment to God’s creational intention for her.” (Phillips)³

The virtuous woman praised here should be considered a model of sorts for Christian women today. No, they don’t need to spin and weave wool and flax, nor do they need to invest in vineyards. But a virtuous woman will receive rewards from the God she loves and fears, as well as from the community and her family. She will be “praise(d) at the city gate”, meaning that all will speak well of her.

Having others heaping praise on her is not what motivates this woman. The praise she receives is the result of a life live in service and fear of the Lord, and God Himself will reward her.

For the women who are reading this, the very fact that you are seeking to study the Word of God shows that you have many of the attributes of this perfect woman! For the men reading this, if you’re already married to a virtuous woman, God has truly blessed you. If your spouse isn’t exactly a “Godly woman”, perhaps it’s time for you to examine how you need to change to bring out the best qualities in your wife. And for the men who aren’t married, Proverbs 31 should motivate you to search beyond charming good looks and instead focus on the woman who fears the Lord.

Throughout Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman. In Proverbs 8:18, she speaks of the rewards of seeking her: “With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.” Man or woman, we should all seek the rewards of the wisdom found in Scripture.

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Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Father in Heaven, thank You for the treasure of wisdom found in the pages of the Book of Proverbs. I pray that more women choose to put less emphasis on what the world sees as beauty and success, and instead learn to praise and respect You. Place it in the hearts of men to seek out spouses who know You and follow Your precepts. Thank You for giving all of us the tools to live virtuous Christian lives that honor Your name. May I use the wisdom found in Scripture to care for those who are close to me, to be a blessing to all people I meet, and to glorify Your name through the life I live. AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

1. Garrett, Duane A. “Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs” Volume 14 (The New American Commentary) (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman, 1993)

2. Waltke, Bruce K. “The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31” (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2005)

3. Phillips, Dan “God’s Wisdom in Proverbs” (The Woodlands, Texas: Kress Biblical Resources, 2011)