This is where cultural insight is useful. How would you get around at night if you didn’t have electricity? An oil lamp would come in handy if you had to use the latrine. It’s common in societies without electricity to leave a lamp burning at night, even while you sleep, so people don’t have to fumble around in complete blackness (source).
So why is it significant that her lamp does not go out? Consider verse 18 in its entirety: “She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.” Her side hustles are making enough money to keep everyone comfortable! She is also wise enough to ration the oil so it doesn’t run out (see the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25).
5. Every wife and mother should aspire to live like the Proverbs 31 woman.
Consider this: the family in Proverbs 31 is making enough money to employ servants and have nice clothes. This is in part because of Mrs. 31’s side businesses, but it’s also evident that her husband is a man of standing the community, hanging out with the elders (v. 23). She is also in excellent health as far as we can tell.
Not everyone is blessed in these ways—with wealth, health and privilege. So would this passage not be relevant for them (most women in the world, actually)? Are you any less godly if you’re poor or in bad health? Of course not.
You have to look past the specifics and more at the principles.
6. The Proverbs 31 woman does everything.
Does she really “do it all”? Nope. This lady has servants.
I used to think, “Well, if I had servants, maybe I could do all of that too.” Granted, many of us in Western society have “servants” in the form of modern appliances, but if you’re dwelling on these thoughts then you’re missing the point of the passage. Most people in the world do not have servants, yet this passage is relevant for them. Again, you have to look past the specifics and more at the principles.
7. The Proverbs 31 woman never stops to rest.
She works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, right? Wrong!
How do I know? I’m fairly confident that someone upheld as a God-fearing woman in the Old Testament would observe the Sabbath. This didn’t mean just going to church on Sunday; this meant complete rest. No cooking. No cleaning. No gardening. No sewing. You couldn’t even walk more than half a mile! You had to sit and enjoy being with your family all day. Just imagine.
Have you ever tried observing a Sabbath like that ever, let alone regularly? While I don’t believe Christians are required to observe this old law, we probably could learning a thing or two about chilling out from Mrs. 31.
8. Proverbs 31 has no relevance for single women.
As a single woman more than a few years back, I was completely befuddled by this passage and assumed it wasn’t for me anyway. So I essentially ignored it. That was my loss.
Is this passage only for wives or only for women who want to be married? Absolutely not! Let’s start talking more about the principles of this passage, which are about character, not deeds. More specifically, “noble character.”
The only other time this phrase appears in the Bible outside of Proverbs is describing Ruth (Ruth 3:11). Who was Ruth? It’s a quick read in the Old Testament, so I’d recommend checking it out if you never have. She was a real person, she was single and she was she was dirt poor. She wasn’t trying to catch a husband; she was doing whatever she could to survive.
Hardly the same circumstances as Mrs. 31. And yet these women have identical character qualities. Single or married, we should focus on those.
9. This passage is irrelevant to the modern woman.
I hope it’s evident by now that it shouldn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, married or single, young or old, living in modern America or in a hut in the jungle; when you’re focusing on the principles of the passage and not the circumstances, there is much to take away. These timeless, cultureless principles include love, generosity, work ethic and faithfulness.
10. We should wonder, “How does she do it?”
One question that might hinder you when you consider Mrs. 31 is, “How does she do it?” But unless you enjoy feeling insecure about your talents and stamina, that’s the worst kind of question you can ask.
We should be asking, “Who is she?” Not her name or her place in history, but what is the essence of her being? That question is the right one when we’re trying to determine the core principles of the passage. And the answer is quite simple. She is a woman who loves God (v. 30). Her character, her wisdom, her self-discipline—all of these qualities flow from this fact.
I hope you’ve found these insights useful as a you figure out who you are. Whether you’ve loved her or hated her, I also hope and pray that you can find the incredible inspiration at the core of Proverbs 31.
Want to learn more about what it means to be a woman of strength like Mrs. 31? Check out the Woman of Strength devotional, one of the many resources you’ll find in my free resource collection on my website, ginampoirier.com.
What do you think about the Proverbs 31 woman?
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A version of this piece originally appeared at www.ginampoirier.com, published with permission.
