The Proverbs 31 Woman
We can't discuss women in the Old Testament without spending some time considering the famous—or infamous—Proverbs 31 woman. I think many women will identify with me when I say that my relationship with the Proverbs 31 woman has been complicated. At times I’ve seen her as an inspiration to follow, and at other times she has drawn my annoyance. No one can keep up with this woman! The Proverbs 31 woman has been placed on a pedestal by the pious and knocked off by the fed up. What is the deal with her anyway?
First, a little background. The book of Proverbs consists mostly of short sayings of wisdom attributed to King Solomon. And while Solomon did write much of the contents, some of it comes from other writers as well. Collecting and organizing the whole book took centuries. The proverbs are meant to cause the reader to fear the Lord (fear in this context means honor, respect, worship, submit to), draw near to Him, and be changed by Him through His Word and truth.
A major reason my relationship with the Proverbs 31 woman has been complicated over the years is because I’ve read it and been taught it out of context. I have seen it as a stand-alone to-do list for a good wife. And while there is certainly instruction here for wives, it’s far more than that.
When we take a look at the book as a whole, we can start to put the pieces together. Proverbs 1:7a says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,” and Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 8:11 says, “For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can equal it.”
Now, look at Proverbs 31:30b: “a woman who fears the LORD will be praised.” And a few verses before that, verse 10 says, “Who can find a wife of noble character? She is far more precious than jewels.”
The Proverbs 31 woman is the grand finale of Proverbs. She is a powerful and artistic culmination of all the wisdom laid out in the whole book. Old Testament theologian Dominick Hernandez says:
“The author of the Book of Proverbs was a genius. Not only was the author able to compile all these proverbs and put them together in such a way that readers thousands of years later can still learn from and apply . . . to their lives, the author saved this wonderful poem [for] the very end of the book and organized the proverbs in such a way that there would be foreshadowing leading up to this ultimate example, this model of wisdom.”[1]
In the first verse of Proverbs 31, we learn that this chapter was written by King Lemuel, “a pronouncement that his mother taught him.” King Lemuel’s mother sets before him not only an example of a good wife, but the embodiment of wisdom, from whom all men and women, married or single, can learn. And can we just pause here and celebrate the fact that the wisdom of a mother is on display both here and throughout the book of Proverbs? In the patricentric setting of ancient Israel, wisdom handed down from father to son would have been more widely expected. But bringing to mind the beauty of the intended partnership between husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, we see both parents repeatedly instruct their son throughout Proverbs, and this final chapter comes straight from the heart of a mother.
Proverbs 31:10 is the first line of what is an acrostic poem (each line from verses 10 to 31 begins with a succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet), and it says a wife of noble character (like wisdom!) is far more precious than jewels. The Hebrew word here for noble character is used many times throughout the Bible to indicate “physical strength, force, and even an army (for example, 2 Kings 18:17). On other occasions, the word relates to moral valor (Ruth 3:11).”[2]
The Proverbs 31 woman is noble, strong, industrious, diligent, servant-hearted, honest, and so much more. But what the author wants us to know—what matters most about her—is the truth that culminates in Proverbs 31:30 and is mirrored by the very beginning of Proverbs in 1:7.
All that she does flows from who she is. She is a woman who fears the Lord. A woman who worships God in heaven. A woman who lives by God and for God.
The Proverbs 31 woman has been a source of angst for generations of us who don’t think we can ever live up to what she can do. But the poem is not a to-do list. The point of the poem is that this woman is wise. And her wisdom comes from her fear of the Lord. She embodies all that is good in the Proverbs! She is Lady Wisdom, and she is far more precious than jewels.
Her example is not meant to condemn us but to prompt us: Do I fear the Lord? Do I walk in wisdom? Do I steward all that I have for the good of those inside and outside my household?
Content taken from Very Good: What the Bible Says About Being a Woman by Jen Oshman ©2026. Used by permission of Lifeway.