Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laugheth [at] the coming day.
Near the end of the portrait of the woman of worth, the focus shifts. It moves from what she makes for others to what she herself wears — and then to her future. The verse raises a question. What clothing can you wear into the future without fear?
The wardrobe here is moral, not material. One writer sees the two garments as marks that should show in every believer's daily life. The same writer ties them to her confidence about the future.
"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come." Moral strength and God-given honour should mark all God's people in the way they live. We should always show the strength of character that refuses anything which shames the honoured Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. If trouble comes to us because of this, we can be sure we will rejoice in a time to come. The Lord will honour those who honour Him.
(The writer used an older translation, which reads "strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.")
The verse says strength is her clothing. You put clothing on from outside. One commentator holds on to that detail: neither the strength nor the dignity grows out of the woman herself.
Is there not a helpful reminder here that a believer's strength is not in himself? True dignity does not grow out of our own nature either. These are "her clothing," and a picture of Christ. The apostle could say with joy, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13)… This is why "she laughs at the time to come." The future holds no fear for her at all. She "may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).
The laughter is not carelessness. It follows a long list of practical planning, like preparing for snow. One writer reads her joy about the future as the fruit of that planning, then widens it beyond money.
She is ready for the days of storm and snow. And more than that, the one describing her says she "laughs at the time to come." The apostle tells those who are rich in this world to be "storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life" (1 Tim. 6:19). All of us can do this to some degree, even if we own little. Storing up treasure in heaven is open even to those in the church who have the least.
One commentator sets her lasting honour beside the wealth of violent men. The same writer points to Abigail — the wise wife of a harsh, rich man named Nabal — and asks how long a firm grip on money lasts.
The picture in the last part of Proverbs 31 is of such a woman. The story of Abigail shows it well, while her husband Nabal shows how violent men hold on to riches. For her, a gentle and quiet spirit is not only of great value in God's sight. It is a blessing that lasts. But how strong is any man's grip on his wealth when death comes? No one is discharged from that war.
Since the clothing is given, the wearer has nothing to boast about. One writer reads the chapter as a picture of Christ and His people. In it, her part is to trust and praise Him, and the fine linen of Revelation is a gift.
Here, in Proverbs 31, the woman's husband trusts her and praises her. Her part is to trust Him and praise Him, not herself… The last verse does say, "Let her works praise her in the gates." The same will be true when the marriage of the Lamb is held before all, for we read, "it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev. 19:8)… Still, she will know that it is all the result of His own grace.
Commentators differ in emphasis here. Some read the woman mainly as a model for a wife who believes. Others read her as a picture of God's people in relation to Christ. The two readings sit side by side. They do not cancel each other.
- Clothing — she wears strength and honour; she does not own them. They show in ordinary life, and are not ornaments for display.
- Source — they are her clothing, not her nature. So they point to Christ. A believer's strength and dignity come from outside himself.
- Confidence — the same borrowed clothing is why the future holds no fear. Confidence for the day of judgment rests on what Christ is, not on what we manage.
- Provision — her laughter follows real planning. Storing up treasure in heaven is open even to the poorest. This security is not for the wealthy only.
- Grace — the fine linen is granted; when the praise finally comes, she knows the whole outfit was His gift.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and upon her tongue is the law of kindness.
The closing verses of Proverbs paint a portrait of a woman of worth. After her hands, her household and her clothing, the writer turns to her mouth — to what fills her speech and what governs it.
Her wisdom shows first in what is missing from her speech:
Foolish talk and joking were unknown to her. She took no part in idle gossip or useless conversation. Instead, her words of wisdom brought grace to others. There was nothing hard or stern about her, for kindness flowed from her tongue to everyone around.
The verse says she opens her mouth. One writer finds a balance in that:
We have already seen that this precious soul is a worker, not a talker. Yet there is a lovely moral balance here. She knows how to give "a word in season", so when she does open her mouth, it is to speak words of wisdom. This compares with 1 Peter 4:11: "whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God." If we obeyed this instruction, how much evil and emptiness we would avoid, and how much good we would do!
Calling kindness a law sounds strange. The same writer explains what kind of law it is. (The ESV renders the phrase "the teaching of kindness"; the older translation these writers use has "the law of kindness.")
"The law of kindness" on her tongue is no doubt a deliberate contrast to "the law of commandments expressed in ordinances" (Eph. 2:15). Legality has no place at all in her character: her words of grace match her gracious actions. If this is called a "law," it simply shows that it is her settled principle of conduct. It is far from looseness and from indulging evil, but it is firm in kind consideration of the needs of others.
Kind words can slide into flattery. Another writer sets the verse between two faults of speech:
Her speech is in all wisdom — there is "no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place." But though her conversation is pure, she is not harsh; for "the law of kindness" is on her tongue. Her conversation is always in grace, yet seasoned with salt. There is a way of speaking that stabs like a sword. On the other hand, there is a way of speaking that is all honey. This favoured woman avoids both extremes. She is kind in manner and tone, yet she never winks at wrong or sin, or smooths it over.
The New Testament asks older women to teach what is good. One writer uses this verse to say what that teaching is:
Set next to "not slanderers" and "not enslaved to much wine," it seems to mean that what older women say and pass on should be good and wholesome (as in Proverbs 31:26). This phrase does not describe a woman teaching "standing in front of an audience" or "behind a lectern" or "presenting the Word of God." That would contradict 1 Timothy 2:12, and no New Testament example shows it. It refers more to practical teaching, not the exposition of the Word of God.
Verses 10–31 form an acrostic: each verse starts with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. One writer sees a larger meaning in that design:
Christ Himself is "the Alpha and the Omega" (the A to Z, in English). He exhausts human language, as it were, in the effort to tell the infinite glories of His person — His moral excellences, together with His might, His majesty, His dominion, His grace, His justice and His truth. And here, in this description of the one who is meant to represent His church, His bride, the whole alphabet is run through to express her moral and household virtues and her excellence as a woman.
- Silence first. Gossip, empty talk and crude joking are absent. What she leaves out comes first.
- Wisdom next. She is a worker, not a talker. When she does open her mouth, she gives a word in season, as one who speaks the words of God.
- Kindness as law. Kindness on her tongue is a settled principle, not a rule forced on her. It is the opposite of legality, yet it never indulges evil.
- Salt with the honey. Her words are neither a sword-thrust nor all honey. She is gentle in tone, yet she never smooths over sin.
- Reach. Older women teach what is good with such words. Read as a picture of Christ's church, this verse makes a wise, kind tongue a public good, not a private virtue.
She surveyeth the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
One line in this long portrait of a woman of worth sums up her days: what she keeps her eye on, and what she refuses to live off. Commentators hold the two halves together, oversight and hard work. They apply both to the home, to the church, and to anyone responsible for others.
The phrase "looks well" carries the sense of active oversight, not passive presence. One writer finds a balance here that refuses both harshness and softness:
There is a way of speaking that is like sword thrusts, and on the other hand a way of speaking that is all honey. This favoured woman avoids both extremes. She is kind in manner and tone, but she does not wink at wrong or smooth over sin. "She looks well to the ways of her household" — there is the faithful exercise of discipline in her own circle. She keeps a careful watch on the conduct of those under her roof and under her authority.
Watching a household includes watching what parents allow. One writer presses the point through Eli, a priest in Israel:
How often we excuse our children for things we would not do ourselves, letting them form friendships and connections at school or at work that are contrary to the ways of the Lord. Eli argued with his sons about their behaviour, but God judged him because he did not restrain them. Eating the bread of idleness gets us into all kinds of mischief; the Lord has plenty for each one of us to do for Him.
Leslie Grant takes the word "household" beyond the family home, and shows what the second half of the verse will cost:
The household is where the character of those inside shows fully. No doubt we are meant to apply this to "the household of faith." In the church as the house of God we look for order, government and proper discipline. Here again is a sphere we must not be guilty of ignoring. But along with this, "she does not eat the bread of idleness." It will take all our energy of faith to keep up both a true gospel witness and proper care for the house of God. We shall have no idle time. It is like a mother who must keep watching the ways and tendencies of her children, if she is to preserve them in faith and love from the traps of sin and disobedience.
"The bread of idleness" is food no one worked for. Knapp applies it to the feeding of the soul, and points to the manna in the desert:
The days are evil and it is no time for ease or idleness. "Do not be slothful in zeal." The Israelite in the desert had to rise early to gather the manna while it was still morning, or go hungry. Christians must be just as diligent in feeding their souls. They are not allowed to eat the bread of idleness and prosper in their souls at the same time. "In all toil there is profit," and this worthy wife will in the end receive a full reward for her unselfish work and thoughtfulness for others.
Empty hands do not stay empty. William Kelly traces where free time goes, and sets the pattern of Christ against it:
The Master was never an idle busybody, and no true servant is. For love in a world of misery delights to serve, instead of demanding service from others, as pride and sloth do. The Son of Man came "not to be served but to serve"… Those who do no business are apt to become busybodies. The apostle warns them sharply. Leisure from work is time for mischief, and meddling in other people's affairs without any duty to do so is itself mischief.
Commentators differ on how far this portrait reaches beyond an actual woman. Some have read her as a picture of the Church. Gaebelein rejects that, and points instead to a contrast that runs through the whole book:
There is no need to allegorize this description and apply it to the Church, as some have done. But this virtuous woman stands out in bright contrast — a contrast with the descriptions of "the strange woman," the adulteress mentioned so often in Proverbs. One of the proverbs is expanded in this beautiful picture drawn by the Spirit of God: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD."
- Watch — "Looks well" means real oversight. She watches those under her roof, and she never winks at wrong.
- Restrain — Eli watched but never corrected. He argued with his sons, did not restrain them, and God judged him for it.
- Work — The other half of watching is work. No one eats the bread of idleness and prospers in the soul at the same time.
- Beware — Idle time does not stay neutral. Those who do no business become busybodies, and leisure from work is time for mischief.
- Reward — Both halves reach the household of faith, where order and witness leave no idle hours. There unselfish work receives its full reward at the end.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her
Proverbs closes with a long portrait of a capable woman, described line by line. Now the two parties best placed to judge — her children and her husband — give their verdict.
Many people owe a debt to a godly mother or wife. One writer widens that circle beyond the family.
Many have to thank God for the care of a godly mother, and the support of a godly wife. How blessed it is when we have a godly influence on everyone connected with us. That includes our natural family, and also those who share the household of faith with us.
One writer counts the parts of this portrait. Verse 28 opens the last one:
Seven things — the perfect number — are specifically noted of her. Her faithfulness (vv. 11-12); her industry (vv. 13-15); her thrift (vv. 16-19); her benevolence (v. 20); her providence (vv. 21-25); her moral excellences (vv. 26-27); and her reward (vv. 28-31).
The children "rise up" — but that verdict is not usually the child's first reaction. Care that shapes a child rarely feels welcome while it is happening.
Discipline and proper care may seem tiresome to a child, and rebellion may smoulder for a time. Yet when the Spirit of God works in the soul to give the knowledge of salvation and spiritual light, the children will later look back with true thankfulness for that same discipline. And when that discipline is joined with tenderness, love, and diligent faithfulness, the children will not in the end fail to commend their mother. If the church of God keeps up this honourable, loving concern for order and true discipline, it may not always be taken kindly at first. But in the end souls will recognise its value, and will say so.
The husband's praise closes the verse. One writer lists the daily care behind it, and adds that a husband should not need telling.
He lightens her work in household affairs, shoulders her burdens of family responsibility, shields her from anxieties and fears, comforts her in hours of sorrow, and helps her weakness without telling her so. He will not forget to notice her acts of devotion to himself in response to his love. Nor will he forget to praise her many excellences, as the Scripture commands (Prov. 31:28-29) — if he should be so neglectful as to need this instruction.
Commentators differ on the timing. One writer takes the praise as spoken after her work is over, and looks further ahead:
These tributes clearly come to her after she has left the scene of her many praiseworthy activities. Toil and care for the welfare of others was the chief element of her useful and unselfish life; now she has gone to her rest and her works follow her. And her reward is the unstinted, gratefully given praise of both her children and her husband. At the judgement seat of Christ the faithful will receive this honour and blessing in public. But even now, do we not praise the servants of Christ from past generations, we who profit from their labours? Are we not their spiritual children, who rise up and call them blessed?
One writer finds a picture of Christ's people in the shape of the chapter itself.
The description of the model wife here is an acrostic. It runs through the whole Hebrew alphabet of twenty-two letters. Christ Himself is "the Alpha and the Omega" (the A to Z, in English) — a title that exhausts human language, as it were, in trying to tell the infinite glories of His person. And here the description of her who is meant to represent His church, His bride, runs through the whole alphabet. It expresses her moral and domestic virtues and womanly excellences.
On that reading, the husband's praise weighs even more:
But more important still, "her husband also … praises her." Is the church not above all things responsible to please her Master? How infinitely precious His commendation is. Do we not deeply long to hear Him say "Well done"?
- Work first. Verse 28 is the seventh and last part of the portrait — "her reward". It follows faithfulness, industry, thrift, benevolence, providence and moral excellence. She earned the praise first.
- Home judges. The verdict comes from children and husband, the people who saw the daily version. Many people owe God thanks for a godly mother or wife.
- Wait for it. Discipline feels tiresome while it lasts. Thankfulness comes later, once the Spirit works in the soul. The same pattern holds in a church that keeps godly order.
- Say it out loud. Scripture commands husbands to praise their wife's excellences. It is not a nice extra. A man who needs telling is already neglectful.
- Then the Master. The praise may come only after her work is over. It points on to the judgement seat of Christ. There the faithful most want to hear His "Well done."
Many daughters have done worthily, but thou excellest them all.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman [that] feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.
The last verse of the portrait of the worthy woman weighs two things the world prizes — charm and good looks — and finds both empty. It closes the whole book of Proverbs by naming the one quality that outlasts looks and wins real praise: the fear of the Lord.
The first half of the verse sets aside two things that carry real weight in ordinary life. One writer adds every other natural advantage to the list, and says who does the weighing.
Worldly favour is deceitful, and beauty of the flesh is empty. The flesh gains nothing. The advantages of this life — birth, culture, riches or fame — count for nothing in the Lord's estimation. He is the righteous Judge, and He weighs them in His own scales. But the fear of the Lord brings obedience to Him and affection for Him. That alone deserves and gets praise and honourable mention before the coming judgment seat — the true "gates" this verse points to.
A person can manage charm and put on a pleasant manner. The verse calls it deceitful. One writer points to what God looks at instead, and to when He announces the verdict.
How fitting that a book marked by the fear of the Lord should end in this way. Others may try to win favour by pleasant manners or good looks. But the eyes of the Lord look deeper. He sees the heart, and the heart shows itself in steady daily conduct and devotion. No one can deceive Him. Empty good looks make no impression on His heart of absolute truth and purity… "She is to be praised." Others will come to see her worth. Far above that, God will give His own approval. "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes… Then each one will receive his commendation from God" (1 Cor. 4:5).
(The older translation Grant quotes reads "then shall every man have praise of God.")
The verse names a woman, because the whole passage describes a wife and mother. But the contrast it draws is not only for women. One writer says so directly.
The favour of the world is deceitful; like natural beauty it does not last. But the woman who, in reverent fear, seeks to please the Lord will have a satisfying and praiseworthy life. And this is true for us all.
Another writer links this closing portrait with an earlier proverb about a gracious woman. He names the quality that keeps its value when wealth cannot.
The picture in the last part of Proverbs 31 is of a woman who could be called "gracious" just as truly as "virtuous." These are only two sides of the same person… In her, a gentle and quiet spirit is not only of great value in God's sight; it is a blessing that lasts. But what of those who hold on to their wealth most tightly? What are they when death comes? No one is excused from that battle.
Commentators differ on whether this woman should be read as more than a woman. One insists the description stands on its own feet, and gains its force from the contrast running through the book.
The last part of the book of Proverbs describes the virtuous woman… There is no need to turn this description into a picture of the Church, as some have done. This virtuous woman stands out in bright contrast. She is set against "the strange woman," the adulteress named again and again in Proverbs.
Others read the passage as a picture, on the ground that in Scripture a wife is described by what her husband is.
The church takes its character from Christ (Eph. 5), and Israel takes its character from their Messiah. In the same way, the wife here takes her character from the man.
- Fades — Worldly favour is deceitful and beauty is empty. Birth, culture, riches and fame weigh nothing with God.
- Fear — What replaces them is the fear of the Lord, which brings obedience to Him and affection for Him.
- Sees — Looks cannot deceive Him. His eyes go deeper, to the heart. And the heart shows itself in steady daily conduct.
- Praised — The praise is not just her family's. God gives His own approval, and each one will hear it from Him when the Lord comes.
- All — The verse describes a woman, but the lesson is for everyone. A life shaped by pleasing the Lord is the one that lasts.
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs closes with an ask, not a warning: give this woman what her work earned, and let her labour speak for her in public. Who gives the praise, and when does it come?
This verse is the final step of a carefully built structure. Each verse from 10 to 31 starts with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Where the poem sits in the book matters too:
Proverbs 31:10-31 is truly of exceptional excellence. Its order is perfect. Each letter of the alphabet, in turn, begins each following verse. Notice this carefully. The acrostic describes the woman of worth, the virtuous and hardworking wife. It comes right after "the words" of the king consecrated or devoted to God.
One writer reads this closing phrase as a picture of a coming judgment. He names first what will not count there:
Worldly favour is deceitful, and beauty of the body is empty. "The flesh is no help at all." Birth, culture, riches or fame are earthly advantages, and they count for nothing with the Lord, the righteous Judge, when He weighs them in the scales of the sanctuary. But the fear of Jehovah produces subjection to Him and affection for Him. This alone deserves and gets praise and honourable mention before the coming judgment seat — "the gates" of the imagery used here.
The same writer notes where that word falls:
Yes, "the gates"; it is the last word of our acrostic — indeed, the last of the whole book of Proverbs. Let us not forget them; and may we, by God's grace, live and work in the light of that coming day. Amen.
Human recognition is only part of it. The verse before says a woman who fears the Lord "is to be praised." This line asks her works to say so in public. One writer ties both to the moment when God gives His own verdict:
Is there not here also the clearest significance of the judgment seat of Christ? "She is to be praised." Others will recognise her value in the end, but far above all else, God will express His own approval. "Do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes" — and then each one will receive his commendation from God (1 Cor. 4:5). How thankful each saint will be then, who has honestly sought the Lord's pleasure with a single heart. We know that nothing will escape His eyes, nothing will be forgotten that has been the fruit of faith working by love.
The verse asks two things. The first is a gift, not just praise:
But she is not only praised: she is also given the fruit of her own hands. The Master let the servants who traded with His money keep what they had gained. In the same way, the goodness of God richly rewards those who have worked truly for Him (Luke 19:24-26). We shall find that what we have gained for Him has really been for ourselves also.
Some writers read the whole poem as a picture of the church, and this last verse as the day her work is shown:
The professing church has dishonoured the name of Christ. Yet the true church, the bride of Christ, will be found clothed "with fine linen, bright and pure — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev. 19:8). What the grace of Christ has worked in and through the saints will appear in this beautiful bridal garment in that day. All the material to be woven lies ready at the weaver's hand. But the weaver does the weaving, and she shall have full credit for what she has done.
That credit comes with a guard against self-admiration. Another writer holds the two together:
Here, in Proverbs 31, the woman's husband trusts her and praises her. Her part is to trust Him and praise Him, surely not herself… The last verse says, "Let her own works praise her in the gates." So it will be too when the marriage of the Lamb is celebrated in public… Still, she will know that it is all the result of His own grace.
One writer sees this praise arriving late — after the work is finished:
Toil and care for the good of others was the main thing in her useful and unselfish life. Now she has gone to her rest, and her works follow her… But even here in time, are not the servants of Christ from past generations praised today by those who profit from their labours?
- Fear — Charm and looks carry no weight at the gates; the fear of the Lord is what earns honourable mention there.
- Fruit — She is not only praised. She is handed back what her hands made, and what was gained for Him proves to be hers too.
- Gates — The public place of judgment is the last word of Proverbs, given so that we work now in the light of that day.
- God — Others will see her worth in the end. But the praise that counts comes from God, who forgets nothing done in faith.
- Grace — She wears the garment she wove and gets full credit for it, while knowing the whole thing came from His grace.