The Virtuous Woman

[Rose]

As I was meditating on the well known Proverb of the Virtuous Woman, I noticed that four distinct qualities are attributed to her. The interesting part is that when the verses are broken down into descriptions of her qualities of virtue, the Proverb seems to naturally fall into a pattern of 4 verses that define the action of each attribute. This gives us a good understanding of what God considers to be virtuous qualities.

1. Strength of character
2. Honor
3. Wisdom
4. Kindness


Pro.31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
11. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13. She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands.
14. She is like the merchants' ships; she brings her food from afar.
15. She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16. She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17. She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms.
18. She perceives that her merchandise is good: her candle goes not out by night.
19. She holds her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20. She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy
21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22. She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24. She makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers girdles unto the merchant.
25. Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come
26. She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of
idleness.
28. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
29. Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all.
30. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.


Rose

[NumberX]

Don't underestimate this woman Rose (as we read about her :winking0071: ). Do you (also) think Athena of the old Greeks looks much like her?

[Rose]

Do you (also) think Athena of the old Greeks looks much like her?

Hi NumberX,

Interesting thought.

Maybe Athena's attributes were pattered after the Virtuous Woman of Proverbs?

Here is a quote from the 2nd century apologist, Justin Martyr, on Athena:
"They said that Athena was the daughter of Zeus not from intercourse, but when the god had in mind the making of a world through a word his first thought was Athena"


Rose

[NumberX]

The stories from the Greek mythology are not as well patterned as Proverbs is, as you can show above, well done!
Of course the Biblical words first for us and in the 2nd century were some great minds too :) and Proverbs tells us the wisdom is coming from God and you might have read more about how Athena was born from Zeus too:
"Athena burst forth from his forehead fully armed with weapons given by her mother. She famously wields the thunderbolt and the Aegis, which she and Zeus share exclusively."

I don't think we need to know much about why the Greeks wanted to materialize a series of gods like they did, as we don't enjoy that kind of stuff so much? As a touristical attraction we can enjoy it?

[Rose]

As I was meditating on the well known Proverb of the Virtuous Woman, I noticed that four distinct qualities are attributed to her. The interesting part is that when the verses are broken down into descriptions of her qualities of virtue, the Proverb seems to naturally fall into a pattern of 4 verses that define the action of each attribute. This gives us a good understanding of what God considers to be virtuous qualities.

1. Strength of character
2. Honor
3. Wisdom
4. Kindness


Pro.31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
11. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13. She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands.
14. She is like the merchants' ships; she brings her food from afar.
15. She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16. She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17. She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms.
18. She perceives that her merchandise is good: her candle goes not out by night.
19. She holds her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20. She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy
21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22. She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24. She makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers girdles unto the merchant.
25. Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come
26. She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of
idleness.
28. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
29. Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all.
30. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.


Rose

At first glance a strong 3 + 1 quaternity pattern (3 synoptic + 1 diverse) is not apparent in this Proverb, but on further study what jumps out at me is the diverse quality of the word kindness. The implications of kindness have strong overtones of mercy, and grace which allows for stepping outside the bounds of justice….much different than the qualities of wisdom, honor, and strength of character, which have well defined parameters that do not allow the leniency as does kindness.


With that in mind, I now see the Proverb of the Virtuous Woman as a quaternity of virtue.


Rose

[NumberX]

I read it like to everything there is a season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHvf20Y6eoM

[Rose]

I read it like to everything there is a season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHvf20Y6eoM

Thanks for the link..:signthankspin: I've always liked that song.

Rose

[joel]

Proverbs 31:1-31 (Darby Translation)

Proverbs 31
1The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:

2What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? and what, O son of my vows?

3Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to them that destroy kings.

4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers [to say], Where is the strong drink?

5-- lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the children of affliction.

6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter of soul:

7let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

8Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all those that are left desolate.

9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and minister justice to the afflicted and needy.
---------------------------------------------------------

10Who can find a woman of worth? for her price is far above rubies.

11The heart of her husband confideth in her, and he shall have no lack of spoil.

12She doeth him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.

13She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14She is like the merchants' ships: she bringeth her food from afar;

15And she riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and the day's work to her maidens.

16She considereth a field, and acquireth it; of the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.

18She perceiveth that her earning is good; her lamp goeth not out by night.

19She putteth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

20She stretcheth out her hand to the afflicted, and she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22She maketh herself coverlets; her clothing is byssus and purple.

23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24She maketh body linen and selleth it, and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laugheth [at] the coming day.

26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and upon her tongue is the law of kindness.

27She surveyeth the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

28Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her:

29Many daughters have done worthily, but thou excellest them all.

30Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman [that] feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

31Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
----------------------------------------------------

Isn't it interesting how the Proverb is structured?

Verses 1- 9 concern, Lemuel, and the burden given him from his mother.
They are his words, but words that he previously received as instruction from his mother to her son.

She warned him about giving his "strength" to women.
And, going in ways that would possibly harm his leadership.

She ended the section by telling him to use his mouth for two major purposes; 1.) speaking up for those who don't or can't speak for themselves and are headed to destruction, and, 2.) pleading the cause of the poor and judging righteously.

Then, in verses 10 - 31, there is a wonderful description of the "virtuous" woman.......the word "virtue" is linked to "strength" of vs. 3.

He is not to give her his strength....and she is not to get her strength from her husband as he is use his own strength to do the things applicable to him.

She is to get her strength from the Lord.....strength to do her works.

The focus is on "what she does"...not on "what she says" as her mouth is mentioned in only one verse, verse 26....her words are to be used for "kindness"....they are to be helpful, uplifting words. And, her words will carry much weight when she has lived her life in service to her husband, her family, the needy, and poor.

Concerning his mouth, it is to be used primarily to speak up for others...and to correct and guide others.

In the garden story, Adam listened to the words of his wife as she received them from the serpent, and were not the words God gave to Adam to give to her.

The pain and sorrow multiplied in child birth is to help her realize that she has a job to do raising her children that no one else can do, and that it will be a long hard process that will require the strength and mercy and kindness of the Lord to complete.

Joel

[Rose]

In the garden story, Adam listened to the words of his wife as she received them from the serpent, and were not the words God gave to Adam to give to her.

The pain and sorrow multiplied in child birth is to help her realize that she has a job to do raising her children that no one else can do, and that it will be a long hard process that will require the strength and mercy and kindness of the Lord to complete.

Joel

I would be deeply saddened if I truly believed that was the reason women suffer pain and sorrow in child birth. When I think of all the husbands who have lost wives and children mothers to the hardships of child birth, I find it hard to comprehend that God would inflict that upon the human race because of Eves transgression. Wasn't banishing them from the Garden enough?


Rose

[CWH]

I would be deeply saddened if I truly believed that was the reason women suffer pain and sorrow in child birth. When I think of all the husbands who have lost wives and children mothers to the hardships of child birth, I find it hard to comprehend that God would inflict that upon the human race because of Eves transgression. Wasn't banishing them from the Garden enough?


Rose

That is the very fact:

Genesis 3:16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."

God is a very strict God (He is not a soft God) who will even punished sinners even to the fourth generation. Is this fair in human terms? Why would the generations suffer for the sins of their parents which they have not committed? Well, we may never know, for His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God certainly believes in punishments as a deterrent tool and in rewards as a motivating tool.

Many Blessings.

[Rose]

That is the very fact:

Genesis 3:16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."

God is a very strict God (He is not a soft God) who will even punished sinners even to the fourth generation. Is this fair in human terms? Why would the generations suffer for the sins of their parents which they have not committed? Well, we may never know, for His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God certainly believes in punishments as a deterrent tool and in rewards as a motivating tool.

Many Blessings.

That is true: Gods ways are higher than ours, but He does tell us in His Word of His kindness, mercy, and longsuffering....and that is what He expects of us!

Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Eph. 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Col. 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Kindness does not mean one is soft.

Rose