Proverbs 31:6-16

6 Give strong drink to the one who ¹is perishing, and wine to ²those in bitter distress;^[a]

7 ³let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

8 ⁴Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.^[b]

9 Open your mouth, ⁵judge righteously, ⁶defend the rights of ⁷the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 ^[c]⁸An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than ⁹jewels.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

13 She ¹⁰seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.

14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.

15 She ¹¹rises while it is yet night and ¹²provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

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Proverbs 31:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 31

This chapter contains the last part of the book of Proverbs; which some reckon the fifth, others the sixth. It contains the instructions of the mother of a prince, whose name was Lemuel, which she gave unto him; and which are so valuable, as to be annexed to the proverbs of Solomon. The preface or introduction to them is in Pr 31:1; the address to her son, Pr 31:2. The vices she cautions him against are uncleanness and intemperance; which she dissuades from, because of the pernicious consequences of both to kings and to their subjects, Pr 31:3-5. Advises rather to give wine and strong drink to poor people, such as are in distress; as being more useful to them, at least less prejudicial, Pr 31:6,7; and exhorts her son to the duties of his office; by pleading the cause of the poor and injured, and administering justice to them, Pr 31:8,9. And then at large describes a virtuous woman; perhaps designed as an instruction to her son in the choice of a wife, Pr 31:10-31; though more than that may be intended by it.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 12

1. Job 29:13
2. Job 3:20
3. [Psalms 104:15]
4. Job 29:12, 15, 16; [Isaiah 1:17]
5. Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:16
6. Jeremiah 22:16; [Isaiah 1:17]
7. ver. 20; Psalms 40:17; Psalms 86:1
8. Proverbs 12:4; Ruth 3:11; [Proverbs 18:22; Proverbs 19:14]
9. Job 28:18
10. [ver. 21, 22, 24]
11. [Proverbs 20:13]
12. Luke 12:42; [Psalms 111:5]

Footnotes 3

[a]. Hebrew those bitter in soul
[b]. Hebrew are sons of passing away
[c]. Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.