Wisdom and the Proverbs 31 Woman

As I was recently re-reading Proverbs 31, I was struck by the opening line: “The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him” (Prov. 31:1, WEB). Taking the text at face-value, it seems that this section of Proverbs was written by someone called King Lemuel, but he’s recording his mother’s advice rather than writing something of his own composition. Unless Priscilla is indeed the author of Hebrews (which is a distinct possibility), this is probably the closest thing we have to a section of scripture written by a woman.

On the one hand, it is not remarkable that God would include a woman’s writings in scriptural canon. Men and woman are spiritually equal in His eyes (Gal. 3:28) and He has used women throughout history to serve in many roles including leader, teacher, and prophet. Of course God could include women’s writings in His Bible if He wanted to. But on the other hand, it is important to recognize this unnamed woman’s contribution because so many people don’t think God uses women in any sort of formal teaching role.

As I studied this passage of scripture this week, a footnote in the New English Translation caught my eye. The translators suggested that we might read Proverbs 31:10-31 not only as part of King Lemuel’s mother’s advice but as the conclusion for the whole Book of Proverbs. Some have said that “The poem captures all the themes of wisdom that have been presented in the book and arranges them in this portrait of the ideal woman” (Claudia V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, qtd. in NET study note on Prov. 31:10). The Biblical proverbs frequently personify wisdom as a woman (Proverbs 1:20-33; 4:4-13; 8:1-9:11), and it would be in keeping with that to wrap-up the Book of Proverbs by talking about a good and wise woman.

Comparing Scriptures Side-By-Side

King Lemuel is a mysterious figure. We don’t know anything about him other than that his mother gave him the advice recorded in Proverbs. There are no other clues to his identity or where and when he ruled. The first part of Proverbs 31 focuses on advice about being a good king (Prov. 31:2-9). The advice includes don’t spend all your energy enjoying women and alcohol, secure legal rights for those who can’t speak for themselves, and judge righteously.

The remainder of the chapter is the famous “Who can find a virtuous woman?” passage. In Hebrew, this is an acrostic poem (each verse starts with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, in order). It has often been read as a template for all godly women, though this seems to be stretching the meaning. For one thing, the woman talked about here is a wife and mother, which leaves some of the roles she fills out of reach for single or childless women. For another, the woman is wealthy and entrepreneurial, something that is not necessarily true of all godly women. If this is part of Lemuel’s mother’s advice for her son, we can read this as a description of the type of wife King Lemuel’s mother wanted him to look for. We can apply it more broadly as a pattern of wisdom and valor that both women and men can learn from (see NET study note on Prov. 31:10), but it does not seem that Proverbs 31:10-31 is meant as an exact pattern all women must follow.

Remember this quote we started with: “The poem captures all the themes of wisdom that have been presented in the book and arranges them in this portrait of the ideal woman” (Claudia V. Camp, qtd. in NET study note on Prov. 31:10). In light of that thought, I thought it might be interesting to put the virtuous woman passage alongside some of the sections of Proverbs where wisdom is personified as a woman.

Virtue and Wisdom

Modern readers often think of “virtue,” particularly related to women, as involving chastity and meekness. There’s a lot more to it than that, though. Proverbs 31:10 is one of several passages where the meaning has become obscured at the English language changes. Back in 1611, King James translators chose “virtuous woman” knowing that the word had been connected with “moral life and conduct, uprightness of life, the opposite of vice; a particular moral excellence” since around the year 1200 (“virtue,” etymonline.com). They may have chosen “virtue” instead of “valor” because around the 1590s, “virtue” also started to refer to women’s “chastity, sexual purity,” but it was an accurate translation choice at the time. Modern translations typically try to get away from those connotations of “virtuous” by using phrases like “a worthy woman” (WEB), “a wife of noble character” (NET, NIV), or “a capable wife” (CJB).

“a woman of valor.” This is the same expression used to describe Ruth (e.g., Ruth 3:11). The term חַיִל (khayil) here means “moral worth” (BDB 298 s.v.); cf. KJV “a virtuous woman.” Elsewhere the term is used of physical valor in battle, e.g., “mighty man of valor,” the land-owning aristocrat who could champion the needs of his people in times of peace or war (e.g., Judg 6:12). Here the title indicates that the woman possesses all the virtues, honor, and strength to do the things that the poem will set forth.

NET translation note on Prov. 31:10

The Proverbs 31 portrait of a woman who posses moral worth, virtues, honor, and strength isn’t just a list of things that godly women should do (a list which, as I have written about before, can seem intimidating or out of reach for some women). It is an example of what godly women can look like, the conclusion to the Book of Proverbs, and perhaps a continuation of themes personifying wisdom as feminine. This is a passage that men and women can learn from, particularly in the sense of examples for how to apply wisdom in our lives.

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