|
A) Definitions - First Off my friend we need to know what the word
"Virtuous" and "Virtue" actually
means
so that we can have a
complete understanding of what
the scriptures are talking
about. Let us look at some
meanings on the subject. When
you see the initials (JFB) that
means that my additional study
resource came from Jamieson, Faucet and Brown commentary.
A1) Nelsons
Bible Dictionary; Virtue;
a) Moral
excellence or goodness (Philippians
4:8).
c) Virtue
is considered a necessary
ingredient in the exercise of
faith (2 Peter 1:3,5).
d) Sometimes
the Greek word for virtue is
used to express the idea of
power or strength (Luke 6:19).
2) Microsoft
Works 9 Dictionary; Virtuous;vir·tu·ous
[vúrchoo əss] adj
a) with
moral integrity: having or showing moral goodness or righteousness
b) chaste: not
having sexual intercourse with
anyone except a partner in
marriage, especially a husband
Some resources that I have used in this study/teaching is the New
American Standard Bible-Updated,
Matthew Henry Commentary, Barnes
Notes, Geneva Notes 2 and
Jamieson, Faucet and Brown
Commentary.
1) Who
can find a virtuous wife?
For
her worth is far above rubies.
(Proverbs 31:10)
a) For
a man to find such a woman is
like a pirate who finds buried
treasures that fulfills his
wildest dreams.
b) The
"Virtuous Wife"
is highly Valuable, She is
Priceless, And very rare find
just as finding the perfect
diamond that was created just right.
2)
The
heart of her husband safely
trusts her; So he will have no
lack of gain.
(Proverbs 31:11)
a) She
has a husband that can trust her
to take care of the children &
the management of the household.
b) Her
husband can trust her with the
money,
c) Her
husband can trust her with her
time that it is wisely spent,
where she does not slack on any
needs of
her husband, her
children and her household.
d) Her
husband can trust her with her
entire household when he is away
at work or on a trip.
3)
She
does him good and not evil All
the days of her life.
(Proverbs 31:12)
a) She
will not use sex as a tool to
get revenge against him, nor to
get her own way. Her body does
not
belong to herself, nor does
his body belong to himself. Their bodies belong to each other (1Co
7:4-6).
b) She
will not throw fits, do false
crying, nor anything else in
order to get her own way like a
spoiled
child. He will not have
to buy her anything to make her happy, to please her so he can have peace in
his own home.
c) She
will not dishonor, nor disgrace
her husband in public.
d) Nor
will she bash her husband to
others, she will not put her
friends/parents or relatives
above her
husband, she will not
be a disgrace to him and she will not show him disrespect (Eph
5:33).
e) She
will be a glory to him (1
Co 11:7) when communicating with others rather than a disgrace and
do him
an injustice.
4)
She
seeks wool and flax, And
willingly works with her hands.
(Proverbs 31:13)
a) She
is a hard worker and constant at
it.
b) She
does not sit and play video
games all day, nor watches soap
operas, nor partake in social
networks
constantly when she should be working.
c) She
is not a sluggard, (not lazy).
d) She
does not sit all of the time and
gain weight for her lack of
work, her lack of activity.
5)
She
is like the merchant ships, She
brings her food from afar.
(Proverbs 31:14)
a) She
makes sure that her household
has plenty of food, that they
are healthy meals (balanced
Meals).
b) She
makes sure that her families
personal cares and needs are met
to the best of her abilities and
financial resources.
c) She
tends the medical needs of her
family that she is able to do,
and what she is not able to do,
then she
takes her family to the
people who do have medical training that has more medical knowledge and
abilities than she has.
6) She
also rises while it is yet
night, And provides food for her
household, And a portion for her
maidservants.
(Proverbs
31:15)
a) She
awakes before dawn (day light)
and awakes those who needs to
get up to start their daily
school,
jobs and such.
b) She
then prepares breakfast for her
household & even her servants if
she has any (JFB Commentary )
c) She
assigns everyone their daily
task, by making sure her
children does their chores,
brush their teeth,
gets dressed
and such. She makes sure her servants daily task are assigned to them, to help
her to run her household
smoothly.
7)
She
considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a
vineyard.
(Proverbs 31:16)
a) She
is a wife who carefully & wisely
considers if she can afford
things for her self, her husband
and her
children before making a purchase. (JFB)
b) She
keeps a budget to determine
their finances, so that she may
know what they can and can not
afford.
c) She
wisely keeps track of their
finances, so that their current
and future finances keep in
check each and
every day.
8)
She
girds herself with strength, And
strengthens her arms.
(Proverbs 31:17)
a) She
is teachable, she learns what
she needs to know in order to
keep her household running
smoothly.
b) She
increases with knowledge, with
resources, with new learned
abilities as her family and her
household grows.
d) She
puts all of her best effort in
what projects that she starts up
and continues in doing so.
e)
She takes good care of her
spiritual, physical and mental
needs.
9)
She
perceives that her merchandise
is good, And her lamp does not
go out by night.
(Proverbs 31:18)
a) She
sees that all of her hard work
has not be wasted, that it pays
off.
b) She
works into the evening. She
works long hours.
10)
She
stretches out her hands to the
distaff, And her hand holds the
spindle. (Proverbs
31:19)
a) Dictionary
Meaning of
distaff; 1) women's
concerns, work or other matters
regarded as the concern
of
women. 2) a
rod for unspun thread; a rod on which wool or flax is wound for somebody to use
when
spinning by hand, or the
corresponding rod on a spinning
wheel
b) Dictionary
meaning of
spindle; specially
shaped rod for spinning thread: a
handheld rod with a
notched end
through which strands of natural fibers are drawn, then twisted into thread and
wound around the rod
c) With
the meanings of the dictionary
this means that she also takes
good care of her self, the
concerns
for a woman. But not in
lavish or fancy apparel or extra additives and such of her outward appearance
in order to draw attention to
her self. See instruction for
women > (1Timothy
2:9-15)
She must be adorned with modest
clothing and not be made up with
special and expensive styling of
the hair.
d) If
the woman claims to be a Godly
woman, she will be adorned with
the means of Good works
(1
Timothy 2:11)
rather than the adorning of clothing.
e) She
will let the light of Jesus
Christ shine before mankind so
that God may be glorified by her
good
works, (MT
5:16) by her behavior, her appearance.
11)
She
extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands
to the needy.
(Proverbs 31:20)
a) She
does not ignore nor reject
helping the needy. (MT
25:35-40)
b) She
gives to them rather than her
household being of self
indulgence. (Having things they
don't need).
12)
She
is not afraid of snow for her
household, For all her household
is clothed with scarlet.
(Proverbs 31:21)
a) She
makes sure that her family i.e.,
Husband/Children has sufficient
clothing for the winter.
13)
She
makes tapestry for herself; Her
clothing is fine linen and
purple.
(Proverbs 31:22)
a) She
makes sure that he needs are
also met as far as clothing
with good quality, with modesty,
and yet
dressed according to the occasion. (1Tim
2:9-15)
14)
Her
husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of
the land.
(Proverbs 31:23)
a) His
wife's duties at home enables
him to focus more on his duties
and positions out side of the
home, if
he be working for a
company, self employed for the government, or any other duties that he has
out side of the home, including
duties at his local church as
well.
15)
She
makes linen garments and sells
them, And supplies sashes for
the merchants.
(Proverbs 31:24)
a) The
items that she makes from her
hard work, such as sewing
clothes. These are items that
she makes at
home.
b) She
sells them to others at a
profit.
16)
Strength
and honor are her clothing; She
shall rejoice in time to come.
(Proverbs 31:25)
a) With
her being teachable, willing to
learn what she needs to learn to
run her household smoothly.
b) She
gains wisdom and knowledge
c) With
that she is not over
emotionally, she uses self
control and takes her household
by the hand and
takes good care
of it.
d) And
that is her strength and she
shall gain honor from others
because of it.
17)
She
opens her mouth with wisdom, And
on her tongue is the law of
kindness.
(Proverbs 31:26)
a) It
is her fear of the Lord that is
the beginning of wisdom &
knowledge, and understanding
towards
others
is from the
Lord. (Proverbs 9:10)
b) As
written; the woman who fears the
Lord shall be praised (Proverbs
31:30)
18)
She
watches over the ways of her
household, And does not eat the
bread of idleness.
(Proverbs 31:27)
a) She
minds the business of her own
household rather than paying
attention to the affairs of
others
b) She
is not lazy,
c) She
works constantly at managing her
household, seeing to the needs
of everyone of her household.
19)
Her
children rise up and call her
blessed; Her husband also, and
he praises her:
(Proverbs 31:28)
a) In
public her children in their
mature ages they will be a
blessing to her, they shall
honor her because of
her teaching and training them in the ways of the Lord, in their youth, and in private.
b) Her
husband also, because of her
being a good and "Virtuous Wife"
shall her husband be honored,
admired and respected in the public places.
c) She
has given him honor and she has
been his glory. (1
Co 11:7)
d) And
with her being her husbands
glory will enable her husband to
even be more the Glory of God
(1
Co 11:7).
20)
"Many
daughters have done well, But
you excel them all." (Proverbs
31:29)
a) She
does better than all of the
women.
b) She
leads the pack, not only in
giving her husband honor and
glory, but also God gets the
glory and
honor through her as
well.
d) Because
of her, letting her light shine
through Jesus Christ, Gods name
also receives the Glory of Honor
so that they may no that God is GOD!
21)
Charm
is deceitful and beauty is
passing, But a woman who fears
the Lord, she shall be praised.
(Proverbs 31:30)
a) Looks
and Appearance is Vain and
deceitful. It is the love and
fear of the Lord makes her more
beautiful
than anyone on this
earth.
b) But
because of her fear of the Lord
she is praised.
22)
Give
her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her
in the gates.
(Proverbs 31:31)
a) Because
of her constant hard work, her
fear of the Lord, her good
management of her household, she
will be honored among mankind. |
Many of Christians likes to
refer