(I wonder whether it is significant, by way of contrast, that the whole exercise of wisdom-collection in the OT is associated with the time of Solomon, when Israel enjoyed “rest from all their enemies” and the king could spend his days entertaining the Queen of Sheba and swapping proverbs.)

Yes, this seems to be at the centre of what you’re saying. We are on war footing and can’t be too fussed about the armour we are wearing into battle. Enough for attack, enough for defense.

Hi Scott,

What evidence is there of this very strange interpretation of Proverbs 31?  In proverbs 8 the woman ‘wisdom’ is called ‘wisdom’; the woman ‘folly’ is called ‘folly’.  These are very obvious markers of metaphor.  Chapter 31 presents a real, earthy female character. 

Furthermore, is Lemuel’s mother (31:1) figurative because she is a woman? 

And when she says:
do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. (3:3) Are these women metaphors?

When the wife of noble character is introduced.  Is this a way that a personification begins?

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. (31:10-11)

Perhaps the woman like wisdom is to be admired and valued.  But that doesn’t take away her flesh and blood.

I think this is a wonderfully practical chapter for women to meditate on and men to delight in over their wives (or mothers!).  I think my wife is a proverbs 31 woman.  As a man, I will not try and be a woman of noble character (ohhh! yuck!) - but delight in my wife of noble character.

Nicole,

Thanks for putting my thoughts better than I could and for not reading your post more carefully!

All wisdom is concentrated into this one woman and as such she is the prime example of what it would look like if someone could hold all wisdom at once. As you say, the ideal identkit example. Good call.

Andrew,

While Nicole’s comment balanced this women so that she is not purely a personification, surely you can’t hold to the other extreme?

With all due respect to your wife - and mine! - does she weave and sew (v11) shop for the family (v14) get up before sunrise to cook (v15) speculate on real estate (v16) make her own bedding (v23) etc?

If Prov 31 is reduced solely to flesh and blood, then it does make a bit of nonsense out of the whole thing.

Hey Scott.  You’ve changed your tune.  I’m disagreeing with:

1. you calling the woman of chapter 31 ‘wisdom personified’. 

and

2. thinking that we should ‘neuter’ the chapter and apply it men.

I stand by my claim that my wife is a proverbs 31 wife because she works hard for our family and fears the Lord.  I can trust her 100% and she is the best thing going for me.

Furthermore, I think there is an odd way that women (and some men) read Prov 31 which see it as a burden rather than just a description of beautiful womanhood.

I have never disagreed with the good point that Cathy / Nicole makes (that Prov 31 is to be an example and guide), all I am saying is let’s not be reductionist about this women, but read her responsibility in light of the wisdom genre.

When I said, ‘she is not purely a personification’ I wasn’t changing my tune to allow for more application.

I was just asking if a simple 1 to 1 direct comparison was the best way to lay claim to the wisdom that the end of Proverbs offers. To say a literary figure is a personification (rather than flesh and blood) is not to make the character irrelevant or academic. She is most certainly there for teaching rebuking correcting and training!

Rather than ‘neutering’ her, this actually makes her more accessible for every Christian to learn wisdom from, rather than her just being avalible for the ladies. As such, I can make sense of her skill as a dressmaker - but if you insist that she is a real person and all women today must be like her by direct comparison, you have to do some fancy foot work somewhere.

But ‘nuff said - there are more important things from this post worthy of discussion!

I have nothing particularly to add; I just wanted to say how much I enjoy some debate happening in the comments. And thanks to all involved in putting this blog together. Nicole, as always, I appreciate your thoughts.