Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

“A woman of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” (Proverbs 31:10)

An acrostic poem (vv. 10–31) is a rather surprising ending to a book that consists mainly of collections of sayings and it adds to the intriguing nature of this work. The Hebrew phrase, ʾēšetḥayil (cf. Ruth 3:11), “wife of noble character,” has been rendered in many ways: mulier fortis (Vulgate), etc. Her qualities are described from a male point of view. But the description of the woman is such that no human being could possibly possess all these qualities. Hence many look to another level of meaning in the poem; cf. T. P. McCreesh, “Wisdom as Wife: Proverbs 31:10–31,” RB 92 (1985), pp. 25–46; C. V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs (Sheffield; Almond, 1985), pp. 90–97. 31:10–12 Who can find ? is a rhetorical question that suggests the answer—no one. Compare Job 28:20, where the question is used of personified Wisdom that is known only to God. Yet this woman is clearly “found.

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