Proverbs Chapter 31 Explained!!

[Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks, PsyD]

 Click Reference Link to Read Chapter 31 & Commentary: BibleRef.com

Hello everyone, I pray you all and your families are well!! Today we will start studying the Book of Proverbs. And as before with the Book of Psalms, to help you all and myself get a full understanding of the Book of Proverbs, I will be including an explanation of each Chapter we read. Again, this will help you all dig deep into your study of the Book of Proverbs.  

Let’s make time in our day to study the Word of God so we can deepen our relationship with our Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus, our Comforter, Helper, and so much more Holy Spirit. Let’s GO!!

Proverbs Chapter 31 Commentary:

The first nine verses of this chapter contain wisdom given to a king named Lemuel, as spoken by his mother. This fits with other mentions in the book of Proverbs which commend a godly mother's instructions (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 30:17). Lemuel's mother searches for the right words for her son, then delivers some key advice. Among these are warnings about the destructive dangers of adultery and intoxication. A king who deals in those risks destruction and failure as a leader. Instead, his focus ought to be on lending his abilities to those who are weak (Proverbs 31:1–9).

Among the more famous passages in the Bible, the end of Proverbs chapter 31 describes an "excellent wife." She is remarkable, in part, because of how rare it is to find such qualities (Proverbs 20:6).

Over the course of the passage, she is noted with traits directly opposed to the "fools" mentioned in earlier passages. The list is not meant to reserve these qualities for women, only. Nor is the meaning that these traits, alone, determine a woman's worth. Rather, these speak of attributes any person would benefit from, and mark ideals to which they should aspire (Proverbs 31:10).

This ideal woman is trustworthy, hardworking, diligent, prepared, caring, kind, wise, and honorable. Some depictions include traits stereotypically—and inaccurately—considered to be masculine, such as business savvy or strength. A woman with the characteristics described in this poem is honored by both her family and the wider community (Proverbs 31:11–31).

Proverbs Chapter 31 Verse Context:

Proverbs 31:1–9 contains several teachings echoed previously in this book. The wisdom is related by King Lemuel, as told to him by his mother. This is not the first time a mother's teaching has been mentioned (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 30:17). The counsel is a good setup for the rest of the chapter, which is an acrostic poem celebrating the virtues of a wise, industrious, godly wife and mother.

Proverbs 31:10–31 is from an unidentified author. This famous passage describes various virtues and attitudes of a godly, excellent woman. Just like the deeply faithful man (Proverbs 20:6), such a woman is uncommon. She stands in vivid contrast to the adulterers and fools often described in Proverbs. Her life is marked by integrity, honor, trust, productivity, common sense, practical love, and hard work. Those strengths last much longer than appearances. The verses of this section form an "acrostic:" each begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Proverbs Chapter 31 Summary:

This final chapter fits well with the rest of the book of Proverbs. It reiterates subjects found elsewhere in these lessons. Of note is that the entire chapter is connected to godly women. Topics include the importance of godly parenting, morality, righteous treatment of the needy, justice, and diligence. The first section are the words of King Lemuel's mother. The last is the famous depiction of an "excellent wife," exhibiting ideal traits of diligence, godliness, and competence. That description is arranged as acrostic poem: each verse begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Proverbs Chapter 31 Context:

Proverbs chapter 31 comes after a long list of Solomon's teachings (Proverbs 25—29) and the words of Agur (Proverbs 30). This final section is connected to two women: the mother of King Lemuel and the ideal of a godly, "excellent" wife. Themes found in this passage are reflected in other lessons from the book of Proverbs. Of note, commendable traits such as business savvy, strength, and wisdom are explicitly associated with women, despite being stereotypically considered masculine. The content after verse 10 is explicitly structured as a poem.

Proverbs Chapter 31 Book Summary:

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom”  is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.

God still wants us to come to HIM and CAST ALL those CARES, things upon Him, so we won’t try to figure out things on our own. But we want to seek God for HIS wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for EVERY issue, situation, and circumstance we face. GOD CARES FOR US (1 Peter 5:7)!!

Therefore, let us each day, as we read these Proverbs, seek God for HIS wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for WHATEVER situation we are facing!! And I GUARANTEE you that GOD WILL answer us, IF we TRULY seek HIM, LISTEN, AND FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS!!!

There is ALWAYS something we can look back at, and see how GOD, our ABBA, has brought us out in the past!! And we can look at our present lives, and see GOD bringing us out of something every day – I KNOW I CAN!!

As the song says, God WILL do it again (“Do It Again” by Elevation Worship)!!

GOD IS A GOOD. GOOD, GOOD FATHER to us; HE takes GREAT care of us!!

Just as before, I pray the explanation of each Chapter of the Book of Proverbs, is a BLESSING to you all as you all dive deeper into the Word of God this year!!

And don’t forget to pray as you study this material, asking Holy Spirit to give you all the revelational knowledge YOU NEED, to transform your life from the inside out!!

I pray this year will be your BEST year ever!! Stay walking hand in hand with our loving Heavenly Father, our ABBA, ALWAYS acknowledging Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in the way you should go daily, not going your own way, and be a disciple of Jesus, not a fan, then you won’t go wrong!!

Click Here for the PDF Version of “Proverbs 31 Explained!!”

Click Here for PDF Version of “Links to Proverbs 1 to 30 Explained!!”

God’s BLESSINGS to you all and your families!!

In Christ,

Rev. Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks, PsyD