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.
Praise from those closest to home
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).
Thankfulness that comes later
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 spoken praise
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.
A reward that outlasts the worker
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?
The picture behind the portrait
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"?
Summary
- 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."