Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20130303.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part VIII: Proverbial Acrostic Poem On The Noble Wife, Proverbs 31:10-31
1. Studying Proverbs 31:10-20
  1. Introduction
    1. Proverbs 31:10-31 is an acrostic poem where the first line of each verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Though we do not know its author, it is canonical via Christ's word at Luke 11:50-51.
    2. This poem describes a noble wife, and we view the first half of it in Proverbs 31:10-20 as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 31:10-20.
    1. Proverbs 31:10: "Who can find a woman of ability, efficiency, worth [noble] (hayil, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1194; B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T. , p. 298-299)? For her value (meker, Ibid., p. 569) is far (rahoq, Ibid., p. 935) beyond (min, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 577-583) corals (peninim, Ibid., p. 819; reddish corals, long highly prized in the ancient world, Z. P. E. B., v. One, p. 959)."
    2. Proverbs 31:11: "Her husband's (baal, Ibid., p. 127) heart lies extended on the ground in full trust' in her (batah, Ibid., p. 105), and he does not lack (haser, Ibid., p. 341) plunder, spoils of war (shalal, Ibid., p. 1021)." The last phrase pictures a husband who is so enriched by his noble wife that she is worth more to him than any other or all other women he might possibly acquire as spoils of war in a military campaign.
    3. Proverbs 31:12: "She deals out to him (gamal, Ibid., p. 168) wholesome goodness (tob, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1194 and 2 in citing Gen. 1:31 where God made the universe (tob) wholesome) and not bad, evil (ra', Ibid., Kittel, p. 1194; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 948) all the days of his life (hayim, Ibid., p. 313)."
    4. Proverbs 31:13: "She seeks (darash, Ibid., p. 205) wool (semer, Ibid., p. 856) and flax, linen (peshet, Ibid., p. 833) and works (asah , Ibid., p. 793-795) with delight (hepes, Ibid., p. 343) with the palm of her hand(s) (kap, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 496-497)."
    5. Proverbs 31:14: "She is (hayah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 224-228) like the travel about' [merchant] (sahar, Ibid., p. 695) ships (aniyah , Ibid., p. 58); from distant places (merhaq, Ibid., p. 935) she brings her food (lehem, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 536-537)." This woman makes her cooking as appealing as it is nutritious, complete with the appealing spices that merchant ships would bring to Israel.
    6. Proverbs 31:15: "She rises while it is still (od, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 728-729) night (lalah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 538-539) and gives food (terep, Ibid., p. 383) to her household and food portions (hoq, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 349) to her servant girls (na'arah, Ibid., p. 655)." She is industrious.
    7. Proverbs 31:16: "She considers (zamam, Ibid., p. 273) a field and acquires (laqah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 542-543) it; from the fruit (peri , Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 826) of her hand (kap, cf. Pr. 31:13) [her earnings] she plants (nata', Ibid., p. 642) a vineyard (kerem , Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B, p. 501)." This woman is thoughtful, opportunistic and manages her time and income well.
    8. Proverbs 31:17: "She girds herself (hagar, Ibid., p. 291-292) with strength (oz, Ibid., p. 738-739) [sets about her work vigoriously, NIV] and she strengthens (ames, Ibid., p. 54-55; Piel = intensive) her arms (zeroa', Ibid., p. 283-284)." Investing in a vineyard carries a lot of added work and responsibility, so this woman realizes the cost of added enterprises before she gets involved in them, and follows through well.
    9. Proverbs 31:18: "She tastes [perceives by experience] (ta'am, Ibid., p. 380-381) that her gain (sahar, Ibid., p. 695) is wholesome (tob, cf. Pr. 31:12); her lamp (ner, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 632) is not extinguished (kabah, Ibid., p. 459) in the night (lalah, cf. Pr. 31:15)." She is diligen t and disciplined.
    10. Proverbs 31:19: "She stretches out (shalah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1018-1019) her hand (yad, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 388-391) to the distaff (kishor, Ibid., p. 507) and the palms of her hand (kap, cf. Pr. 31:13) grasp (tamak, Ibid., p. 1069) the whirl of spindle (pelek, Ibid., p. 813)."
    11. Proverbs 31:20: "She spreads out (paras, Ibid., p. 831) the palm of her hand (kap, cf. Pr. 31:13) to the poor, afflicted (ani, Ibid., p. 776-777) and stretches out (shalah, cf. Pr. 31:19) her hands (yad, cf. Pr. 31:19) to those in trouble, the materially needy, the oppressed (ebyon, Ibid., p. 2)." Verses 19 and 20 together imply she works with her hands to provide for afflicted, materially impoverished, oppressed and people who are in trouble. She thus has a strong sense of duty toward helping those in need around her.
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.