Pro 31:30-31 | KingComments | STEP | The characteristics of the excellent wife have been described in detail in the preceding verses. This provokes a response expressing appreciation for her. That appreciation comes from four sides: from her children, from her husband ( ), from the LORD and from her works ( ). Of all people, her children and her husband know her best. They are best able to judge the value of who she is and what she does and has done. “Her children” are the first to speak out ( ). They “rise up”. ‘Rising up’ describes an activity that prepares the expression of their esteem (cf. ). It is like rising up to give someone a standing ovation. It is an attitude appropriate to what they are about to say. It expresses not only appreciation but also admiration and reverence. Then they bless her. Thereby, through her, all the glory goes to God Who has blessed her so much. To be praised by the children is worth much more than all the profit she has made from her trade. “Her husband ... praises her”. He expresses his great appreciation for the support she has always given him and for the commitment with which she has always served him. This has enabled him to fulfill his calling. She has more than excellently managed his family. The family actually belongs to both the husband and the wife, but surely the wife provides the lion’s share in the management. How good and important it is for a husband to openly express his appreciation for his wife. He adds that she surpasses all other women, including their daughters who, like her, “have done nobly” ( ). The daughters did so in imitation of her; they learned from her. Whether the words of are also said by the husband is not entirely clear. Perhaps Lemuel’s mother spoke these words to warn her son not to rely on appearance. Behind a graceful appearance may be a depraved character. And external beauty is impermanent, not permanent, but disappears in time. He must be aware that a woman’s virtue is not in her outward beauty, but in her inward fellowship with the LORD (cf. ). Therefore, when choosing a wife, he should pay particular attention to whether she is a woman “who fears the LORD”. That woman “will be praised” by the LORD and also by her family. The same applies to the church. It is not about all kinds of outwardly attractive things, all kinds of spiritual gifts that are attractive to the eye. It is about reverence for and devotion to the Lord. That is important when we judge a local church. “The product of her hands” ( ) speaks of what she has accomplished through hard work. The results of her labor may give her satisfaction. She has earned that. She herself will say that it is all grace. And it is. At the same time, there has also been unbridled effort, appreciated by the Lord and by all who look at her with His eyes. The Lord will reward all that has been done for Him. Her works are of special quality. They are to be praised “in the gates”. There, where her husband sits among the elders of the land ( ), there should be appreciation for her. A wife who runs a family well is an example for any kind of government. City and state governments would do well to recognize the work of such women and follow their example. Then there would be hope for a society that is now a mess because of the many broken families partly because of women who pursue only their own interests. Not the beauty of the woman, but her works bring her praise. She is praised because of the product of her hands. By the fruit, the tree is known. If the fruit is good, the tree is also good. She reaps praise from all she has sown in terms of investment in education, from all the care she has given to her husband and her children. The driving force in her is the fear of the LORD. Emphasis is placed at the end of the book on this most important aspect of wisdom with which the book also began ( ). It is no different for the church. Only through reverence for God is it able to express itself in a way that will reap praise from God.

‏ Proverbs 31:30-31

She and Her Works Are Praised

The characteristics of the excellent wife have been described in detail in the preceding verses. This provokes a response expressing appreciation for her. That appreciation comes from four sides: from her children, from her husband (Pro 31:28-29), from the LORD and from her works (Pro 31:30-31). Of all people, her children and her husband know her best. They are best able to judge the value of who she is and what she does and has done.

“Her children” are the first to speak out (Pro 31:28). They “rise up”. ‘Rising up’ describes an activity that prepares the expression of their esteem (cf. Gen 37:35). It is like rising up to give someone a standing ovation. It is an attitude appropriate to what they are about to say. It expresses not only appreciation but also admiration and reverence. Then they bless her. Thereby, through her, all the glory goes to God Who has blessed her so much. To be praised by the children is worth much more than all the profit she has made from her trade.

“Her husband ... praises her”. He expresses his great appreciation for the support she has always given him and for the commitment with which she has always served him. This has enabled him to fulfill his calling. She has more than excellently managed his family. The family actually belongs to both the husband and the wife, but surely the wife provides the lion’s share in the management. How good and important it is for a husband to openly express his appreciation for his wife.

He adds that she surpasses all other women, including their daughters who, like her, “have done nobly” (Pro 31:29). The daughters did so in imitation of her; they learned from her.

Whether the words of Pro 31:30 are also said by the husband is not entirely clear. Perhaps Lemuel’s mother spoke these words to warn her son not to rely on appearance. Behind a graceful appearance may be a depraved character. And external beauty is impermanent, not permanent, but disappears in time.

He must be aware that a woman’s virtue is not in her outward beauty, but in her inward fellowship with the LORD (cf. 1Pet 3:3-4). Therefore, when choosing a wife, he should pay particular attention to whether she is a woman “who fears the LORD”. That woman “will be praised” by the LORD and also by her family. The same applies to the church. It is not about all kinds of outwardly attractive things, all kinds of spiritual gifts that are attractive to the eye. It is about reverence for and devotion to the Lord. That is important when we judge a local church.

“The product of her hands” (Pro 31:31) speaks of what she has accomplished through hard work. The results of her labor may give her satisfaction. She has earned that. She herself will say that it is all grace. And it is. At the same time, there has also been unbridled effort, appreciated by the Lord and by all who look at her with His eyes. The Lord will reward all that has been done for Him.

Her works are of special quality. They are to be praised “in the gates”. There, where her husband sits among the elders of the land (Pro 31:23), there should be appreciation for her. A wife who runs a family well is an example for any kind of government. City and state governments would do well to recognize the work of such women and follow their example. Then there would be hope for a society that is now a mess because of the many broken families partly because of women who pursue only their own interests.

Not the beauty of the woman, but her works bring her praise. She is praised because of the product of her hands. By the fruit, the tree is known. If the fruit is good, the tree is also good. She reaps praise from all she has sown in terms of investment in education, from all the care she has given to her husband and her children.

The driving force in her is the fear of the LORD. Emphasis is placed at the end of the book on this most important aspect of wisdom with which the book also began (Pro 1:7).

It is no different for the church. Only through reverence for God is it able to express itself in a way that will reap praise from God.