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Give her of the fruit of her hands,
Proverbs 31:31 (ESV)
and let her works praise her in the gates.
During the life of Woman of Noble Character, we have examined Proverbs 31:10-31, verse by verse, line by line. We have been awestruck by this Christian woman, this godly woman. She sews garments, cares for her family, buys and harvests land, extends her hands to the needy, and above all else, fears the Lord our God.
We may have been inspired by her or intimidated by her, but, as I explained in the very first post about this virtuous woman, she is unique to her husband’s problems, needs, and overall life.
The last verse, Proverbs 31:31 is a summary of this woman of noble character. The various tasks and responsibilities of a Christian woman as well as her virtues and characteristics. Let’s take a closer look at the meaning of this final verse in Proverbs 31.
“Give her of the fruit of her hands”
John Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible explains the verse this way:
According to Aben Ezra, these are the words of her husband to her children; exhorting them to give her the praise and glory that is due unto her. Jarchi interprets it of the world to come; at which time, it is certain, the graces of the church, and of all believers, which are the fruits of the Spirit in them, and of their hands, as exercised by them, such as faith, hope, love, humility, patience, and others, will be found to honour and praise; and every such person shall have praise of God, 1 Peter 1:7; and also of men and angels; to whom these words may be an exhortation to give it to them;
What is the fruit of her hands? It is everything that this amazing wife of noble character does in the course of her day and week as she tackles the responsibility of managing her household and it everyday messes. All of the virtues are listed in Proverbs 31:10-30. Another wording could be the product of her hands.
You may read them and think, “Sheesh! All she did was work and serve others! She had no free time whatsoever!”
To that I say, yes, she worked hard to provide for and serve her family and others, as those are her own responsibilities, but, Jesus said “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”
Luke 17:33 (ESV)
The Proverbs 31 woman understands the paradox of the ways of Christ. If you lay down your life for the Lord, you will get it back.
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
JOHN 12:25 (ESV)
The true joys of life are found in the redemption of Christ.
The roles of women are a big topic in our world today. Our society teaches women to be independent and to fight for rights, as that is what a “strong” woman does. But these things are not characteristics of a godly woman, but a rebellious woman; a woman rebelling against the clear calling of God placed before her.
This focus of society has caused a downward spiral for marriage and Christian women. I’d go as far as to say it’s done the same for all women everywhere, regardless of their religious identity. This selfish thinking, with less biblical wisdom and more worldly, modern lies masked as ‘wisdom’, has resulted in broken marriages, broken relationships, and a general lack of satisfaction.
A statistic found says that “Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation. Researchers estimate that 41 percent of all first marriages end in divorce.”
The worlds idea of what a woman should or should not be fronts itself as an expanded definition of women that of religious “traditions,” but underneath, it actually reduces women down to a less active role in society.
In other words, the view and approach of our current society towards marriage and the roles of women are not in good condition. The only way to turn this downward spiral around is to live according to biblical wisdom, no matter the backlash it receives by the rest of the world. The only gender studies we are to live by are that of the word of God. We are called to be set apart for a reason.
The form you have selected does not exist.
“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
John 17:16 (ESV)
If we lead selfish lives, the fruit we reap will not be sweet but bitter. Our actions, motivations, and behaviors are to be sacrificial.
While the wife of noble character works hard, she is satisfied and blessed. According to Proverbs 31, she dresses well, eats well, and has a husband and children who rave about her, as she is a safe place for them. Her husband, family, and community honor the fruit of her hands, the crucial contributions women make to their lives.
By the power God bestows on her through the Holy Spirit, she works hard to serve others and has laid down her life, but she is blessed!
“and let her works praise her in the gates”
The second half of the verse, “and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”, shows that she receives praise in her community for the everyday life that she leads.
Her proud husband will “let her own works praise her in the gates.”
While “her husband is respected at the city gate” (Proverbs 31:23) , he does not take credit for her accomplishments. Godly men will brag on their wives to their friends and associates for her contribution to the household and its success. Christian women that model their lives after the Proverbs 31 woman make this easy for their husband. She is not one of her husband’s problems, but one of his blessings; his greatest blessing.
This concept might be easy to disregard based on personal circumstance, especially for Christian women that do not get this praise. But the works of a godly woman are evident no matter their socioeconomic status, the attitudes of their Christian counterparts, whether they are a pastor’s wife or a wife of a nonbelieving husband.
And remember, whatever we do is for the glory of God, regardless of what we gain from it.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23 (ESV)
This does not just apply to married women but to Christian women in all walks of life. The Bible clearly lays out prominent roles for all women based on the Proverbs 31 woman.
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children…”
Titus 2:3 (ESV)
Whether you are an older woman who has already raised her children up and been married a long time or a younger woman who is not yet married, there is still work to be done. The younger women are to learn from the older women to prepare to be a new wife and mothers, ready to manage their household well, as we see in Proverbs 31.
To wrap up our series, here are some additional facts about Proverbs 31:
- It was written as a poem.
Packed with vivid and militaristic imagery, the poem is an acrostic. The first word of each verse begins with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet in succession. It is meant to praise the life and achievements of upper-class Jewish women. A woman who does much to keep her household functioning day and night by buying, trading, investing, planting, sewing, spindling, managing servants, serving others, caring for the needy, providing food for the family, and preparing for each season – going above and beyond her own responsibilities.
- It was written by a mother to her son.
The intended audience is men. In fact, in the Hebrew tradition, men memorize this and recite it on the Sabbath as an honor to their wives.
- She’s not a real person but an ideal.
Written by Lemuel’s mom, this poem describes an ideal partner for her son to marry. He, like all other godly men, should find someone who is adept at domestic tasks, takes care of herself, loves others, is resourceful, and most of all, fears the Lord. She says that if you look for a woman with these attributes, the marriage will bloom and honor God.
- Love for husband and wife are not mentioned (nor is submission).
Love is a feeling or emotion, but it does not stop there. Demonstrating love is action. When married couples fear the Lord and do their part, marriage can blossom and be fulfilling. Fearing the Lord means that love and submission are naturally happening anyway. Walking in the Spirit is walking in God’s will and design for our lives.
Take the Song of Solomon, for example:
“As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women.”
Song of Solomon 2:2-3 (ESV)
“As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”
- It’s not a complete list.
Sure, there are a lot of responsibilities and attributes mentioned in Proverbs 31, but there are many other virtues of godly women mentioned in other parts of the Bible that are not listed here. For example, Abigail went around her foolish husband’s back to save her family (1 Samuel 25), and Deborah gives military advice. God has gifted us each differently. Some of us Christian women are teachers, some are nurses, others are office managers or musicians. We are to use our God-given gifts to serve our families and communities, not just follow a checklist.
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Romans 12:6-8 (ESV)
If you would like to dig deeper and learn more having a God centered marriage, check out my book, The God Centered Marriage.
For deeper biblical studies on what it means to be a Proverbs 31 wife, consider one of these highly recommended books. Each one is an excellent read:
Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life by Donna Partow
Demystifying the Proverbs 31 Woman by Elizabeth Ahlman
I know that studying through a wonderful book does not fit everyone’s learning style. You may also enjoy hearing Proverbs 31 spoken aloud so that you can truly listen to God’s Word on the virtuous woman.
To find your personal key takeaways from the conclusion of Proverbs 31, ask yourself, What does “honor the fruit of her hands” mean to me? Am I respected at the city gates? What is God telling me after reading and praying over this verse?
What does “honor the fruit of her hands” mean to you? Are you respected at the city gates? What is God telling you after reading and praying over this verse?
Because of Him,
Sue
ESV – “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”