Pro 31:12 | KingComments | STEP | After establishing the woman’s value, which cannot be expressed in money, there now follows the description of her excellencies, that is, her good qualities, which become apparent in her actions. Before that description follows, it is first said how her husband sees her, what she means to him ( ), and vice versa: how she sees him, what he means to her ( ). Her husband trusts her with his whole heart. Not love, but trust is the most important foundation of a good marriage. Love may be less at times, but trust must always be fully present. A trusting husband and a faithful wife form an indissoluble union. Her husband goes out the door in the morning to go to work in full confidence in her ( ). When he closes the door behind him, so to speak, he does so with complete confidence in his heart that she will look after his interests at home while he is away. He confidently leaves everything to her, allowing him to focus fully on his task in society. She stands in stark contrast to the adulterous woman who takes advantage of her husband’s absence to commit adultery ( ). The same contrast is with the women whom the prophet Amos calls “cows of Bashan” and of whom he says they command their husband: “Bring now, that we may drink!” ( ). She in no way betrays the trust her husband has in her. His property is in safe, trusted hands with her ( ). His wife is not a spendthrift; she is not a wasteful wife, but one who manages his possessions with wisdom. When he comes home from work, she has not misused any of his possessions. In any marriage, and especially if there is a large household, such confidence in her commitment to him and his house with all its possessions is essential. His wife “does him good and not evil” ( ) because she is committed to him. Were she to do him not good but evil, she would do the same to herself. In a good marriage, husband and wife are always out to do good to each other and will never seek to do evil to each other. Here the emphasis is on the wife’s actions. She is in a position where her husband has entrusted her with everything and she has great freedom of action. But everything she does, she does with him in mind. She illustrates in her life what Paul writes: “One who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband” ( ). In this way she acts not incidentally, when it suits her at times, but “all the days of her life”. It points to her continued faithfulness in marriage. She remains faithful to the oath she swore when she married him: until death separates her from him. Even when they have both grown old, she continues to do him good. She is independent, but not self-centered. Her pursuits serve not to develop herself, but to support her husband. She is focused on him and not on her career. There is no question of her taking a path separate from her husband, as often happens and is encouraged in our modern society. This relationship of trust and doing good pictures how the Lord Jesus trusts His church. He knows her, cares for her, and trusts her to look after His interests on earth while He is absent. That the church as a whole has become unfaithful to Him is not the aspect highlighted here. The issue here is that He sees in faithful, committed believers the faithfulness and commitment He values.

‏ Proverbs 31:12

She Looks After the Interests of Her Husband

After establishing the woman’s value, which cannot be expressed in money, there now follows the description of her excellencies, that is, her good qualities, which become apparent in her actions. Before that description follows, it is first said how her husband sees her, what she means to him (Pro 31:11), and vice versa: how she sees him, what he means to her (Pro 31:12). Her husband trusts her with his whole heart. Not love, but trust is the most important foundation of a good marriage. Love may be less at times, but trust must always be fully present. A trusting husband and a faithful wife form an indissoluble union.

Her husband goes out the door in the morning to go to work in full confidence in her (Psa 104:23). When he closes the door behind him, so to speak, he does so with complete confidence in his heart that she will look after his interests at home while he is away. He confidently leaves everything to her, allowing him to focus fully on his task in society.

She stands in stark contrast to the adulterous woman who takes advantage of her husband’s absence to commit adultery (Pro 7:18-19). The same contrast is with the women whom the prophet Amos calls “cows of Bashan” and of whom he says they command their husband: “Bring now, that we may drink!” (Amos 4:1).

She in no way betrays the trust her husband has in her. His property is in safe, trusted hands with her (Pro 31:11). His wife is not a spendthrift; she is not a wasteful wife, but one who manages his possessions with wisdom. When he comes home from work, she has not misused any of his possessions. In any marriage, and especially if there is a large household, such confidence in her commitment to him and his house with all its possessions is essential.

His wife “does him good and not evil” (Pro 31:12) because she is committed to him. Were she to do him not good but evil, she would do the same to herself. In a good marriage, husband and wife are always out to do good to each other and will never seek to do evil to each other. Here the emphasis is on the wife’s actions. She is in a position where her husband has entrusted her with everything and she has great freedom of action. But everything she does, she does with him in mind. She illustrates in her life what Paul writes: “One who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband” (1Cor 7:34b).

In this way she acts not incidentally, when it suits her at times, but “all the days of her life”. It points to her continued faithfulness in marriage. She remains faithful to the oath she swore when she married him: until death separates her from him. Even when they have both grown old, she continues to do him good.

She is independent, but not self-centered. Her pursuits serve not to develop herself, but to support her husband. She is focused on him and not on her career. There is no question of her taking a path separate from her husband, as often happens and is encouraged in our modern society.

This relationship of trust and doing good pictures how the Lord Jesus trusts His church. He knows her, cares for her, and trusts her to look after His interests on earth while He is absent. That the church as a whole has become unfaithful to Him is not the aspect highlighted here. The issue here is that He sees in faithful, committed believers the faithfulness and commitment He values.