PROV 31:30 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 31:10–31: This poem describes a capable wife who has good character

In Hebrew, this section is arranged in the form of an acrostic poem. Each of its twenty-two verses begins with a different letter, following the normal order of the Hebrew alphabet. The poem praises the character and abilities of an ideal wife. After an introduction that describes her value (vv. 10–12), the poem describes her activities and achievements in various areas (vv. 13–27). It concludes with praise by her family (vv. 28–29) and all the people (vv. 30–31). The last two verses also serve as the poet’s final conclusion. They summarize what is truly important in an ideal wife.Waltke (page 515) says that the final two verses are praise “by all.” Murphy (page 245) agrees that the “praise” in the final two verses is the “goal or purpose of the poem.”

Some other headings for this section are:

A good wife with many abilities

Description of a Worthy Woman (NASB)

A truly good wife (CEV)

Paragraph 31:30–31

The words in this paragraph are the writer’s summary of the poem in 31:10–31. They are not a continuation of what the husband said in 31:29.

The overall meaning of this paragraph is that the ideal wife deserves to be praised by everyone. This paragraph also reminds the reader of the overall theme of Proverbs (1:7 and 9:10) that the basis of wisdom is a person’s fear of the LORD.Waltke (page 535).

31:30

This verse contrasts a woman’s charm and beauty (31:30a) with the character quality that is truly worthy of praise (31:30b).

^30a Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,

^30bbut a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31:30a–b

Charm…beauty: In Hebrew, the words Charm and beauty both refer here to a woman’s pleasing or attractive appearance. The word Charm has a wider range of meaning.Waltke (page 535). Here it may include the idea of elegant clothing or jewelry (see 31:22) that adds to the woman’s natural beauty.Hubbard (page 485). In other verses it can refer to an attractive personality (see 11:16) or pleasing words (see 22:11).

31:30a

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,

¶ The pleasing/attractive appearance of a woman is sometimes deceptive/misleading, and her beauty does not last.
¶ When a person sees an attractive woman, he may mistakenly think that her character is also good. And even though she is now beautiful, her appearance will not remain the same.
¶ A woman’s lovely clothes and beauty may hide/cover a bad character, and that beauty of hers will soon fade/disappear.

Charm is deceptive: This phrase indicates that a woman’s attractive appearance may deceive or mislead an observer. A person who sees an attractive woman may mistakenly think that she also has a good/pleasing personality and character. In this sense, he is deceived or misled. The phrase does not mean that the abstract quality “charm” intentionally deceives anyone.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

A pleasing/lovely appearance is sometimes deceptive/misleading

A woman’s attractive appearance can deceive a person about her

and beauty is fleeting: In Hebrew, the word that the BSB translates here as fleeting is literally “vapor/breath.” In the book of Ecclesiastes, the BSB usually translates it as “futile” or “futility.” But here it means that a woman’s beauty is temporary. It does not last long.TWOT #463a (pages 204–205), Fox (page 898), Delitzsch (page 489), Cohen (page 215). Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

and beauty does not last (NLT)

and beauty disappears (GNT)

General Comment on 31:30a

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts in this line. See the last meaning line in the Display.

31:30b

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

But a woman who has awe/fear and respect for Yahweh, it is she who truly deserves to be praised.
As for a woman who respects and obeys Yahweh, she is a woman that people should praise.

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised: This line is more literally “A woman who fears the LORD, it is she who will be praised.” It emphasizes that this kind of woman should be praised instead of a woman with misleading beauty.

fears the LORD: This phrase indicates both real fear and reverential awe. It also implies that the woman submits to the LORD and obeys him. For translation advice, see the notes on 1:7a or 10:27a.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

the woman who fears Yahweh is the one to praise (NJB)

but as for a woman who respects and obeys the LORD, she is the woman who should be praised

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

הַ֭⁠חֵן & הַ⁠יֹּ֑פִי

(the),grace & (the),beauty

Here, The charm and the beauty refer to these qualities in general, not any specific charm or beauty. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any charm … any beauty”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭⁠חֵן וְ⁠הֶ֣בֶל הַ⁠יֹּ֑פִי

deceitful (the),grace and=Abel (the),beauty

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of charm, falsehood, and beauty, you could express the same ideas in other ways. See how you translated falsehood in [6:17](../06/17.md) and beauty in [6:25](../06/25.md). Alternate translation: “What is charming is false and what is beautiful is vapor”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭⁠חֵן וְ⁠הֶ֣בֶל הַ⁠יֹּ֑פִי

deceitful (the),grace and=Abel (the),beauty

The parallelism between this half of the verse and the second half indicates that charm and beauty refer to the physical attractiveness of women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “A woman’s charm can be deceptive and a woman’s beauty is vapor”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠הֶ֣בֶל הַ⁠יֹּ֑פִי

and=Abel (the),beauty

Here, Lemuel’s mother speaks of the disappearance of beauty as if it were a vapor that quickly goes away. See how you translated the same use of vapor in [21:6](../21/06.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל

woman/wife fears_of YHWH she/it praised

Here, a woman, she, and herself refer to a type of woman in general, not a specific woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any woman fearful of Yahweh, that woman herself will be praised”

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה

woman/wife fears_of YHWH

This half of the verse is a strong contrast with the previous half. Use the most natural way in your language to indicate a contrast. Alternate translation: “by contrast, a woman fearful of Yahweh”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל

she/it praised

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “people will praise her herself”

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.

OET interlinear PROV 31:30

Hebrew word order