Proverbs 31:30
in Proverbs 31Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.
KJV
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
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This verse in Proverbs 31
Commentary
13 notes on this verseFavor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, etc. - III. Here is the summing up of the character. 1. Favour, חן chen, grace of manner may be deceitful, many a fair appearance of this kind is put on, assumed for certain secular or more unworthy purposes; it is learned by painful drilling in polished seminaries, and, being the effect of mere physical discipline, it continues while the restraint lasts; but it is שקר sheker, a lie, a mere semblance, an outward varnish.
This site's exposition
Strength and honor are her clothing
on Proverbs 31:25-31
"Strength and honor are her clothing," her own character answering the scarlet. Her children and husband praise her, and verse 30 gives the motto, the fear of the LORD that opened the book at 1:7. The poem ends where it began, "at the gates" where her husband was known.
This site's exposition
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting
Clarke reads charm as a grace of manner that can be put on and is called a lie. Henry praises the woman who fears the LORD far above beauty. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown say true piety alone commands lasting respect.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
She paid this price as strong and devout with the devotion of divine veneration. Whence in Proverbs: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain; the woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." But there is no one who could restore the honor taken …
"Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain," etc. "Grace" is the praise that a person receives from men is deceitful, and "beauty" of chastity or good works which the soul shows to men is vain if it lacks the fear of God. But that conscience …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 2 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Good is the grace that makes a man good; but "grace is deceitful and beauty is vain," as is said in Proverbs. Grace freely given can coexist with mortal sin. This grace Ecclesiasticus regards as of little account, but the grace that makes one pleasing …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
With all those good qualities she lacks not that one thing needful; she is truly pious, and, in all she does, is guided and governed by principles of conscience and a regard to God; this is that which is here preferred far before beauty; that is vain and deceitful; all that are wise and good account it so, and value neither themselves nor others on it.
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
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
favour - Comeliness, which commonly gives women favour with those who behold them. Deceitful - It gives a false representation of the person, being often a cover to a deformed soul; it does not give a man that satisfaction, which at first he promised to himself from it; and it is soon lost, not only by death, but by many diseases and contingencies.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain,.... A well favoured look, a graceful countenance, symmetry and proportion of parts, natural or artificial beauty, are vain and deceitful; oftentimes under them lies an ill natured, deformed, and depraved mind; nor is the pleasure and satisfaction enjoyed as is promised along with these; and particularly how do they fade (e) and consume away by a fit of illness, and through old age, and at last by death?
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Favour--or, "Grace" of personal manner. beauty--of face, or form (compare Pr 11:22). True piety alone commands permanent respect and affection (1Pe 3:3).
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
The last lesson of the book is the same as the first. The fear of the Lord is the condition of all womanly, as well as of all manly, excellence.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שֶׁ֣קֶר | sheker | [is] deception | H8267 → | 113 times |
| הַ֭חֵן | hachen | <the> grace | H2580 → | 69 times |
| וְהֶ֣בֶל | vehevel | and [is] vanity | H1892 → | 73 times |
| הַיֹּ֑פִי | haiyofi | <the> beauty | H3308 → | |
| אִשָּׁ֥ה | ʾishah | a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| יִרְאַת־ | yirat- | fearing | H3373 → | 64 times |
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה | yahweh | <of> Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הִ֣יא | hi' | she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| תִתְהַלָּֽל׃ | tithalal | she will be praised | H1984 → | 165 times |
שֶׁ֣קֶר[is] deception
shekerH8267 →113 times
הַ֭חֵן<the> grace
hachenH2580 →69 times
וְהֶ֣בֶלand [is] vanity
vehevelH1892 →73 times
הַיֹּ֑פִי<the> beauty
haiyofiH3308 →
אִשָּׁ֥הa woman
ʾishahH802 →781 times
יִרְאַת־fearing
yirat-H3373 →64 times
יְ֝הוָ֗ה<of> Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הִ֣יאshe
hi'H1931 →1879 times
תִתְהַלָּֽל׃she will be praised
tithalalH1984 →165 times
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 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
it leads to
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Psalms 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
- Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
- Job 28:28
Through
1 Peter 1:24For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:6–8
A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field.
- Psalms 103:15
As for man, his days are like grass— he blooms like a flower of the field;
- James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
- Isaiah 40:6–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on 10 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); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 2; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.