Trinity/After Pentecost · The Last Sunday of the Church Year
Proverbs 31:10-31
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
November 22, 2026
Overview & Insights
“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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Commentary
Commentary on Proverbs 31:10-31 (Working Preacher) Working Preacher
Reads the capable woman poem alongside Woman Wisdom rather than as mere domestic praise.
Proverbs 31:10-31 Commentary (Center for Excellence in Preaching) Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed preaching commentary on the acrostic portrait of wisdom in action.
Proverbs 31 (Enduring Word Bible Commentary) Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik on the words of King Lemuel and the noble wife of valor.
Proverbs 31:10 (BibleHub Commentaries) BibleHub
Classic commentators verse by verse on the woman of noble character.
Background & Word Study
Proverbs (Enter the Bible) Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary background on Proverbs as wisdom literature and its poetic forms.
Overview: Proverbs (BibleProject) BibleProject
Animated overview of Proverbs and the figure of Lady Wisdom that frames chapter 31.
Proverbs 31 (Sefaria) Sefaria
Hebrew text with Jewish translations and commentary on the eshet chayil acrostic.
Proverbs 31:10 Interlinear BibleHub
Hebrew word by word, including chayil, the valor term applied to the woman.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Who is the woman of Proverbs 31?
The book closes with an acrostic poem praising the valiant, industrious woman who works with willing hands and fears the Lord: “Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).
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