Proverbs 31:10: Virtuous & Capable
Well, I’ve decided to go through the Proverbs 31 woman line by line.
“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.” (NLT version, forgive the “wife” part.)
I realized that while I knew what virtue meant, I couldn’t put a textbook definition to it. So I looked it up at Dictionary.com and NO WONDER! I got several versions of “moral excellence”. Which leads to: well, what does THAT mean? Morality is too subjective.
But further down the page, WordNet had this definition:
1. the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
Ah! Well that’s better. So a virtuous woman cultivates, as much as humanly possible, the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. Much of those are pretty clear in Christianity, and I believe, in all the great religions, avoiding of course topics of long-time debate.
The capable part is easier. I can tell you what a capable woman is:
- She may not cook a lot or often, but her family gets fed, 3 meals a day. Usually.
- She may lose socks ALL the time, but there’s clean laundry SEVERAL days a week, even if it’s still piled in the dryer – or on top,
- She knows when you run out of something. Period.
- She knows when to hug & kiss, when to step back and take a breath and when to lay down the law with time outs when disciplining her little ones.
- She brings home some of the bacon, and when needed, more than expected.
- She thinks her husband is the BEST, even though sometimes he tries her patience. But afterward, she only loves him MORE.
- She keeps her brain smart, her opinions well-informed, and her appearance neat if not gorgeous every day.
- She HATES being sick, since it ruins most of the above.
OK, so I’m capable and I’m truly on the path to virtuous. I don’t really FEEL anywhere as precious as rubies – well, ok, I guess I do – to God, to my husband and to my kids. That’s all that matters, right?
Goal for the week: more choices for the “right thing” especially in terms of patience and quality time with kids and hubby.
Amen!! I LOVE your goal. I will attempt to achieve this goal as well. Please pray for me.
Hi K! Thanks, it’s not an easy goal. I will pray for you.
I appreciate your ingenuity, interest and diligence to seek some wisdom from all the resources that you found. Men also need to understand the meaning of Proverbs 31 Virtuous Woman.
I stumbled upon your site in search of the Hebrew meaning and I was facinated by the way you made application for everyday thought.
Thanks!
Michal (In Christ)
Hi Mical. Thank you for your kind comments!
My goal is just to help people find and meander their way closer to God, so it applies wherever you are in your journey. Now that I’m settled into my new home, I’ll try to post more often again.
I too was searching for the Hebrew meaning of “virtuous”. I feel a very strong intention to do something with Proverbs31. I thought I would like to get ideas from other women but have since felt that I need to get my ideas/insight from God.
I have a website. I think I wrote that right. I just put something together on a free site for 30 days to get some feedback. The wedding pics are mine so it was a fun thing to do.
I’m trying to come up with a name. “WomanToWoman”. I want something different then Women of Character. I’m sure all the “Virtuous Women” names are taken. And, I think being a virtuous woman scares many women away.
I think when we know the Hebrew meaning of virtuous we can then understand this is not a possibility.
I just learned that Proverbs31 was written by of course Lemuel but that was more than not the pen name of Solomon meaning the mother who taught him was Bathsheba. And, her instructions start by telling him what not to do in reference to the mistakes his father, King David had made.
I’d appreciate all comments.
cfo867@comcast.net