Proverbs 31:13 Commentary and Bible Study

The virtuous woman – or rather wife, for she is evidently married and the Hebrew word can mean either – is resourceful and industrious on behalf of her family. She obtains the raw materials she needs to make articles of clothing for her husband and her children, and she busies herself with dyeing these materials, turning them into cloth, and then designing and constructing garments from them. In an age where there was nothing like the modern factory and where mass production did not exist, this was her responsibility, and she was expected to acquire the skills needed to produce her own clothing and everything else the family required. These skills were no doubt passed down to her by her own mother, and she in turn would pass them on to her children. There may have been some specialisation, but a wife had to master far more practical skills in making what was needed for the household than would be required today, because almost everything was produced on a small scale by a cottage industry. She is diligent and plans and thinks out the needs of her household. She does it for her husband to please him, and he gives thanks to God for her in his prayers. She is a most practical person and has great foresight so that she provides against shortages in the future. These are the God-given strengths of the virtuous wife. She goes all this willingly and cheerfully ready to whole-heartedly embrace her calling as a wife.In this day when so much is available to us pre-processed, and the arduous work of taking raw ingredients and preparing them is no longer required, when few now make their own clothing except as a hobby, and when the shops sell a vast selection of all we need, she is freed from a great deal of this manual work. What will she do instead? Many women will find employment and this is entirely right, but they will not forget their responsibilities in the home.