Proverbs 31:10
in Proverbs 31A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies.
KJV
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
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This verse in Proverbs 31
Commentary
19 notes on this verseI have heard sacred Scripture saying, "Who shall find a valiant woman?" and also that she is a gift of God, and that a good marriage is arranged by the Lord. Those outside, too, have the same thought—if indeed the saying is theirs: "There is no greater boon for a man than a good wife, no worse, than the opposite." It is impossible to mention anyone who was more fortunate than my father in this respect.
This site's exposition
A wife of noble character, who can find
on Proverbs 31:10-13
The poem opens by asking where a wife of noble character can be found, for "She is far more precious than rubies." It is an alphabet acrostic in the Hebrew, twenty-two verses for the twenty-two letters. The first labor named is textile work, and she "works with eager hands."
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Gregory of NazianzusON HIS SISTER ST. GORGONIA, ORATION 8:9 · Written before 390.
proposed
The divinely inspired Solomon in his instructive wisdom, I mean in his Proverbs, praises the woman who keeps her house and loves her husband. And in contrast to the woman who wanders abroad, who is uncontrolled and dishonorable, who hunts precious souls with wanton ways and words, he praises her who is engaged honorably at home, who performs her womanly duties with fearless courage, her hands constantly holding the spindle as she prepares double cloaks for her husband, who buys a field in season, and carefully provides food for her servants, and receives her friends at a bountiful table, and who exhibits all other qualities for which he extols in song the modest and industrious woman. If I were to praise my sister on such counts, it would be like praising a statue for its shadow.
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES · Written before 380.
proposed
A religious wife is blessed. Let her praise the fear of the Lord: give her of the fruits of her lips, and let her husband be praised in the gates. And again, "A virtuous wife is a crown to her husband." And again, "Many wives have built a house." You have learned what great commendations a prudent and loving wife receives from the Lord God. .
A religious wife is blessed. Let her praise the fear of the Lord: give her of the fruits of her lips, and let her husband be praised in the gates. And again, "A virtuous wife is a crown to her husband." And again, "Many wives …
The catholic church was not only preached after the coming of our Lord and Savior, beloved brethren, but from the beginning of the world, it was designated by many figures and rather hidden mysteries. Indeed, in holy Abel the catholic church existed, in Noah, in …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Thus far the words of Lemuel. Hence the wisest of kings, Solomon, celebrates the praises of the holy Church in a few verses, but with the fullest truth. For it is established that the same poem consists of 22 verses, according to the order and …
12 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church4 voices
Who can find a strong woman? etc. The strong woman is called the Catholic Church: a woman, namely, because she customarily gives birth to spiritual children to God through water and the Holy Spirit; strong, because she despises all adversities and prosperities of the world …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"Who shall find a valiant woman?" This word is written in Proverbs: without doubt it was said in commendation of mother Church, and specially in commendation of the glorious Virgin. In which word she is commended for three things: first, for the strengthening of spiritual …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"Who shall find a valiant woman?" This is Solomon's word applied to the glorious Virgin, in which he commends her for three things: first, for the strength of spiritual fortitude; second, for the fruitfulness of supernatural conception; and third, for the discernment of salutary counsel. …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The most blessed glorious Virgin is commended in these words first for the strength of spiritual fortitude; second, for the fruitfulness of supernatural conception; and third, for the discretion of salutary counsel. The first is noted there: 'Who shall find a valiant woman?' the second …
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
Who can find a virtuous woman,.... This part of the chapter is disjoined from the rest in the Septuagint and Arabic versions; and Huetius (t) thinks it is a composition of some other person, and not Lemuel's mother, whose words he supposes end at Pro 31:9; but it is generally thought that what follows to the end of the chapter is a continuance of her words, in which she describes a person as a fit wife for her son.
3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: 5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The person enquired after, and that is a virtuous woman--a woman of strength (so the word is), though the weaker vessel, yet made strong by wisdom and grace, and the fear of God: it is the same word that is used in the character of good judges ( Exod. xviii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A virtuous woman - Here he lays down several qualifications of an excellent wife, which are delivered in alphabetical order, each verse beginning with a several letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
There have been many, but such a one as this cannot be paralleled. Note, Those that are good should aim and covet to excel in virtue. Many daughters, in their father's house, and in the single state, have done virtuously, but a good wife, if she be virtuous, excels them all, and does more good in her place than they can do in theirs.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Who can find a virtuous woman? - This and the following verses are acrostic, each beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet: Pro 31:10, א aleph; Pro 31:11, ב beth; Pro 31:12, ג gimel; and so on to the end of the chapter, the last verse of which has the letter ת tau.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
In Hebrew the verses begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order (compare Introduction to Poetical Books). Who . . . woman--The question implies that such are rare, though not entirely wanting (compare Pr 18:22; 19:14). virtuous--literally, "of strength," that is, moral courage (compare Pr 12:4;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
See the introduction to Proverbs. Rubies - Better, pearls. See the Pro 3:15 note.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and he will lack no gain lit. no plunder, i.e., he will lack no good.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֵֽשֶׁת־ | ʾeshet- | a wife of | H802 → | 781 times |
| חַ֭יִל | chayil | ability | H2428 → | 246 times |
| מִ֣י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| יִמְצָ֑א | yimtza' | will he find | H4672 → | 455 times |
| וְרָחֹ֖ק | verachok | and [is] far | H7350 → | 84 times |
| מִפְּנִינִ֣ים | mipeninim | more than jewels | H6443 → | 6 times |
| מִכְרָֽהּ׃ | mikhrah | price her | H4377 → |
אֵֽשֶׁת־a wife of
ʾeshet-H802 →781 times
חַ֭יִלability
chayilH2428 →246 times
מִ֣יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
יִמְצָ֑אwill he find
yimtza'H4672 →455 times
וְרָחֹ֖קand [is] far
verachokH7350 →84 times
מִפְּנִינִ֣יםmore than jewels
mipeninimH6443 →6 times
מִכְרָֽהּ׃price her
mikhrahH4377 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 18:22He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
it leads to
- Proverbs 31:10–31
A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 19:14
Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
- Proverbs 12:4
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.
- Ecclesiastes 9:9
Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your…
- 1 Corinthians 7:2
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
- Proverbs 31:10–31
Through
Proverbs 19:14Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
- Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
- Proverbs 18:22
Through
Proverbs 12:4A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.
it leads to
- Proverbs 31:10–25
A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
- Proverbs 31:10–25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on 17 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES; Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 7; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 139:1; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon; Gregory of Nazianzus, ON THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, ORATION 18:7; Gregory of Nazianzus, ON HIS SISTER ST. GORGONIA, ORATION 8:9; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Nilus of Sinai, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 1:3.8.