PROVERBS 31:10-31 THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN

In my post “Proverbs: Introduction to the Literary Structure” I demonstrated how these final words in the book matched up with the opening verses 1:1-7. The opening concerns the subject of wisdom and the wise man while the closing poem deals with wisdom as it relates to the wise woman. This fact helps to counter the criticism that the book is misogynistic. As Bullock says, “This extended poem on the significance of the mother and wife balances out the social spectrum of the book of Proverbs very well. And lest the male-dominated language of the book appears to excuse the women of society from religious obligations, this poem puts the joyful yoke of religious observance upon women, too.”

Concerning the Virtuous Woman at the end of the book, there is no doubt that she stands as a prime example of one who follows the principles of wisdom in all aspects of her active life. However, an alternative view of Proverbs 31:10-31 has received wide acceptance and bears mention. Instead of viewing this acrostic poem as merely illustrative of the practice of wisdom principles in one’s life, the virtuous woman described therein may play a more theological or symbolic role. McCreesh is typical of those scholars holding this view in stating that “the poem in chapter 31 is the book’s final, masterful portrait of Wisdom.”

There is strong evidence supporting this identification of the Virtuous Woman with Wisdom herself. Wolthers has suggested that there is a deliberate Hebrew word-play between sopiyya (“she is watching”) in Proverbs 31:27 and sophia (“wisdom”). McCreesh notes the contrast between the woman warned against in 31:3 and the virtuous wife in the rest of the poem as an exact parallel to the two contrasting women of chs. 1-9, one of whom is Wisdom personified. In addition, both McCreesh and Hawkins rehearse some of the common language used to describe the Virtuous Woman and “Lady Wisdom.” But Hawkins stops short of seeing a complete identification between the two for several reasons.

One telling fact for him is that the Virtuous Woman is portrayed as a wife and mother, in contrast to the picture of personified Wisdom in Proverbs 1-9. Thus, Waltke states that the portrait given in these verses is “wholly compatible with an ideal wife on the historical register.” Zuck similarly critiques McCreesh’s position, this time because of (a) the overwhelmingly practical emphasis on everyday affairs shown in Proverbs 31 and (b) the key observation that the Virtuous Woman is said to speak with wisdom in 31:26. Adopting the mediating position of Cox, who suggests identification of the Virtuous Woman as “the practical expression of ‘Lady Wisdom’ in chaps. 1-9,” is perhaps the best way to end this debate on a positive note.

The acrostic nature of the “Praise to a Virtuous Wife” (31:10-31) that ends the Book of Proverbs definitely marks it off as a discrete section. (See my post on Acrostics in the Bible.) “Unfortunately, this obvious structure has obscured for many its other embroidered structures.” (Waltke) For example, he has additionally analyzed this poem as a chiasm.

Structure of Proverbs 31:10-31

A. Introduction: her value (vv. 10-12)

1. General worth (v. 10)

2. Worth to her family (vv. 11-12)

B. Her Activities (vv. 13-27)

1. Her cottage industry (vv. 13-18)

a. “palms” (v. 13)

b. “trade” (v. 14)

c. “at night” (v. 15)

a'. “palms” (v. 16)

b'. “trade” (vv. 17-18a)

c'. “at night” (v. 18b)

2. Janus verse (v. 19)

                                                            3. Her social achievements (vv. 20-27)

A'. Conclusion: her praise (v. 28-31)

2. By her family (vv. 28-29)

1. General praise (vv. 30-31)

Common words found in A and A' include “wife/woman,” “valiant(ly),” and “husband.” The janus (or two-way) verse 19 forms an inclusio (“palm”) with v. 13 to both enclose the first half of body and also form a chiasm with verse 20.

It can be added that Section B3 of the above has its own chiastic structure:

            A. Opens hands to the poor (v. 20)

B. No fear of snow (v. 21a)

C. Household clothed in scarlet (v. 21b)

D. She makes clothing for herself (v. 22)

E. Husband respected at the gate (v. 23)

D'. She makes garments for merchants (v. 24)

C'. Wife clothed with strength and dignity (v. 25a)

B'. Laughs at the future (v. 25b)

A'. Opens mouth with wisdom, looks after her household (vv. 26-27)

An alternative arrangement is a chiasm centering on v. 23 in a manner somewhat similar to that pictured above:

A. Her industry (vv. 18-19)

    B. Her kindness (v. 20)

        C. Preparation of clothing (vv. 21-22)

            D. Her husband in the city gates (vv. 23)

        C'. Preparation of clothing (vv. 24-25)

    B'. Her kindness (v. 26)

A'. Her industry (v. 27)

The third section in this poem recaps the first two by starting with references to her husband in vv. 28-30 (as in the beginning of the first section and the center unit of the middle section) and concluding with mention of the fruit of her hands (as in the end of the first section) and the city gates (as in the center of the middle section). So although the poem is presumably in praise of the virtuous wife, the points of emphasis in the literary structure also point to her role in support of her husband.

Here are some closing comments on this poem made by various commentators:

Hamilton: “Prov 31:10-31 is one of the rare instances in the OT that features praise of a person rather than God.”

Walls: “Our book closes with the ringing praise (v. 29) accorded to the perfect wife by the husband and children whose sustenance, comfort, reputation (v. 23) and knowledge of God (v. 26) have all been enhanced by her.”

Martin: “The acrostic is clearly about a woman of position and ability in her own right. She has a large household, ample means, land and vineyard, knowledge and charm. She is diligent, wise, and caring.”

Farmer: “According to this poem, the range of this ideal woman's abilities and the reservoirs of energy and endurance from which she draws are truly formidable.”

Van Teeuwen: “...if chapters 1-9 presents and praises wisdom incarnate in the form of an aristocratic, God-fearing Israelite wife. The valiant woman demonstrates her godliness precisely in the great variety and vigor of her 'worldly' activities...”