These translations are from the New American Standard Bible. Several other translations are available through the hyperlinked citations to the verses quoted below.
Excerpts from definitions of what seem to be key the Hebrew words are set out following the scriptural text. The sources are hyperlinked.
That is followed by excerpts from the scriptural texts that tell us what about God or His ways, what we should do, and what we should not do.
That is followed by commentary, in blue. The commentary is my own, so it is not entitled to any particular weight.
Scriptural Text:
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
Definitions:
strength, might, efficiency, wealth; able; virtuous(-ly); worthy(-ily); uprightness, integrity; fitness
crown =עֲטָרָה= `atarah
An ornament, dignity, wreath
finds, find=מָצָא= matsa'
attain to, secure, acquire, get (thing sought); to find (what is lost); to learn, devise; to be discovered, be detected; to be gained, be secured; to attain, i.e. find or acquire; to find out by thinking; to wish to find, to seek
obtains = פּוּק= puwq
to bring out, furnish, promote, go out, issue; to bring out, elicit, obtain, cause to come out from; causatively, to secure; figuratively, to succeed: —afford, draw out, further, get, obtain; to cause to come forth from anyone; to bring to an end, to let succeed
Youngs Literal Translation
“bringeth out”
favor = רָצוֹן= ratsown
pleasure, delight, goodwill, acceptance; satisfaction; benefits;
New English Translation:
“a pleasurable gift”
Youngs Literal Translation:
“good-will”
prudent= שָׂכַל= sakal
circumspect; have insight; to give attention to, consider, ponder; to have insight, have comprehension; to cause to consider, give insight, teach; to act circumspectly, act prudently, act wisely; to prosper, have success; wisdom
New Living Translation, Youngs Literal Translation:
“understanding”
trusts = בָּטַח= batach
to have confidence, be confident; to be bold; to be secure; to feel safe; to hide for refuge; to be sure; to fear nothing for one’s self;
New International Version:
“has full confidence in”
New English Translation:
“has confidence in”
Darby Translation:
“confideth in”
What these verses tell us:
What these verses tell us about God/His ways:
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband
obtains favor from the Lord.
a prudent wife is from the Lord.
her worth is far above jewels.
he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
What these verses tell us to do:
What this finds a wife
obtains
find
trusts
Commentary:
I wonder if these verses describe the goal to which the love, cleansing, and nourishing instructed in Ephesians 5:25-29 is directed. In other words, do they describe the outcome if we love, cleanse, and nourish the right way?
· If so, then we would do well to study them so (1) we can see what we are working towards and (2) gain increased motivation to keep working.
Proverbs 18:22 and 19:14 make it clear that our wives are gifts from God.
· That is consistent with the idea that they are provisions/helps God gives us to get through life, as set out in Genesis 2:18-25 and Ecclesiastes 9:9.
Many of the good things we receive from the Lord require work, effort, on our part. Perhaps these verses are telling us that a good wife is one of the things.
· And Ephesians 5:25-29 both reaffirms the need for work and tells us how some of to do it?
The idea that husbands have to work at our marriages to realize the benefits of that blessing is also supported by the definitions of “find,” “finds,” and “obtains” set out above.
Proverbs 31:11’s statement that a husband should trust is wife is consistent with the directions in Ephesians 5:28-29 and Colossians 3:19 to avoid negative attitudes towards our wives and 1 Peter 3:17’s direction to “honor” our wives.
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