Proverbs 31:10

December 15, 2023

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.”

This particular passage of Scripture out of the Old Testament was written by King Lemuel, one that we aren’t given too much information about. All of Proverbs chapter 31 is extremely informative. It provides us with knowledge and really good advice given to Lemuel by his mother pertaining to a noble wife with Godly character, the kind of woman that is harder to find than precious stones.

She wanted to make sure that her son had a step by step guide on the type of woman that would eventually make an excellent wife. The fact of the matter is that there were kings in those days that did not make great decisions when it came to women and she was determined to make sure that she would prevent that from happening to her son. Proverbs 31 exposes a mother’s loving words of wisdom to a son that she cared so much for.

This particular Scripture highlighted above is tailored for a man that wants to know what to look for when it comes to a God-fearing woman. It is also tailored for single and married women striving to be an excellent wife. A worthy woman being led by the Holy Spirit and obedient to the Holy Bible is also searching for a man that has the fear of the Lord in him.

Unfortunately nowadays it is very rare to find women and men that put in the hard work it takes to be the women and men of God that the Lord wants them to be. That is why it is so important that we get into God’s Word and study to show ourselves approved, 2 Timothy 2:15. By applying the Lord’s Word to our daily lives, it will guide us into becoming the Godly women and men we were created to be.

Proverbs 9:10 explains it perfectly when King Solomon states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” In order to understand how to be a woman of noble character, you would first have to gain an understanding of what that actually looks like. The Word of God gives us so many passages of Scripture pertaining to a woman of worth. There are many found in Proverbs 31, for instance:

Proverbs 31:12 “She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

Proverbs 31:26 “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.”

Proverbs 31:27 “She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

Proverbs 31:28 “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

Here we can see the wisdom that King Lemuel’s mother gave him to ensure that he found the wife that was right for him. She mentions a woman that is good and not evil, full of wisdom and kindness; she watches over her household, she is in harmony with her children and her husband. She is just an overall good wife.

There are also verses of Scripture scattered throughout the Old Testament and New Testament giving a man advice about how he is to treat his wife. For instance, Ephesians 5:25-27 is very detailed when Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Here we can see that Paul is giving husbands advice on how they are to treat their wives. A man has to understand his role in the household just as much as the woman does. The wife is the weaker vessel but she plays just as important of a part as the husband does. It really boils down to them having an understanding that the two of them have now become one.

Now that we have somewhat of an idea of what the Lord expects out of a good wife and a good husband in the Kingdom of God, let’s take a closer look at the primary passage of Scripture that I am highlighting in the book of Proverbs. The word “who” being used in the Hebrew text is the word “mî” which means: who? Implying that the answer is no one at all. The words “can find” being used is the Hebrew words “māṣā’” which means: to find and attain to.

The words “a virtuous” being used is the Hebrew word “ḥayil” which means: ability, efficiency, often involving moral worth. The word “wife” being used is the Hebrew word “‘iššâ” which means: woman, wife, and female. One thing that I want to point out is the fact that there is a question mark at the end of the first sentence in the highlighted passage.

Analyzing the Scripture in context we can conclude that King Lemuel is posing a question: is there any one at all that can find the ideal woman for him, a woman of valor, a valiant woman with strength of character? In other words he is making it clear to us that this excellent woman is not found easily. She is a rare precious jewel that is going to take a lot of hard work to actually find.

Now let’s dive into the second part of this passage of Scripture, “For her worth is far above rubies.” The words “her worth” being used is the Hebrew word “meḵer” which means: merchandise and value. The word “far” being used is the Hebrew word “rāḥôq” which means: far beyond. The words “above rubies” being used is the Hebrew word “p̄nyym” which means: a precious stone.

What we can determine is that King Lemuel is trying to describe to us that a virtuous woman is valued and worth far beyond any precious stones that you can think of. She is a wife of noble character and a woman of strength understanding the meaning of having the fear of God. A person that has all of those amazing attributes is one that has spent time with the Lord.

One of the things that a lot of us get wrong when searching for the person that we are going to spend the rest of our lives with is that we don’t seek the Lord for His guidance on the right person for us. The wrong person can cause so many problems in your life and you don’t want to make that mistake. We want to be led by the Holy Spirit because He is the One that will guide us into all truth, John 16:13.

That is why it is so important that we develop our relationship with the Lord as well as being sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that He can give us direction. When you come into a relationship, you want to come into it as a man and woman joining together as a union on fire for God knowledgeable of His Word. That way when you have children you will know how to raise them up in the ways of the Lord living upright in the eyes of God.

One major takeaway that we can gain from Lemuel’s mother is that it is important to try to live abiding by the Word of God. When you align yourself with the Holy Bible, you know that you are heading in the right direction. You will always be a work in progress but you have to be willing to work on yourself daily. It doesn’t happen overnight.

As Godly women we want to make sure that we set the tone and the atmosphere for our households. Our husband should want to come home because your house provides him with the peace of the Lord. There is no unnecessary drama because a good woman knows how to fight her battles, in prayer!

A capable wife has full confidence in the God that she serves because He is the center of her life. This type of person is a strong woman that knows how to cover her home in prayer and battle in the spiritual realm on behalf of her husband and children. A virtuous woman is a rare and precious stone almost impossible to find because she is priceless!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Who is the Prophet Isaiah

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent