Proverbs 31:12a
KJV - She will do him good and not evil
NKJV - She does him good and not evil
NIV - She brings him good, not harm,
The Hebrew word tove means prosperity, happiness, benefit, etc.
Everything that we say and do should be beneficial and bring prosperity and happiness to our husbands. Yes, this means being selfless and putting our own desires aside for the well-being of our husbands.
There are many ways we can bring/do our husbands good: Keep the home clean/tidy, have dinner planned and prepared, be respectful. A wife's demeanor should also be beneficial to her husband.
The Hebrew word rah means distress, misery, injury, calamity, etc. Even though it's probably rarely intentional, all of us have brought harm in one way or another to our husbands.
Proverbs 19:13b - a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
In other words, a nagging, argumentative and disrespectful wife is really, really annoying to her husband.
Proverbs 31:12b
KJV
NKJV > all the days of her life.
NIV
All the days. Everyday, without exception. We are not given days off. A virtuous wife should not say, "today I'm going to be lazy and selfish. Today I'm going to complain, nag, and argue." No, we are expected to always bring good and never bring harm to our husbands. Each and every day.
It seems like an impossible task. But if we are serving the Lord everyday...
Luke 9:23 - 23 Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."
... then it should not be difficult to bring good to our husbands. In fact, it will probably be a natural result of following Jesus.
***
Proverbs 31:12a
KJV - She seeketh wool, and flax,
NKJV - She seeks wool and flax,
NIV - She selects wool and flax
In my opinion, "select" does not sufficiently express the original meaning of the text. The word "seek" in Hebrew means to seek with care, enquire of, investigate, ask for.
Jeremiah 29:13:
Luke 11:9-10:
There is importance in the act of seeking. It was not good enough to just to go to the market and pick any wool and flax she found. In the same way, It's not good enough for us wives to select something without first thinking about it, investigating it, and seeking it with care.
Proverbs 31:13b
KJV - and worketh willingly with her hands.
NKJV - and works willingly with her hands.
NIV - and works with eager hands.
In this context, "work" means to make, produce, or prepare something.
Back in the day, it was necessary for a woman to be able to spin wool or flax into yarn in order to weave or knit blankets and clothing for her family. Today, that need is generally not as required, but there is value in working with your hands to create something of value.
The word "eager" or "willingly" is actually a noun in Hebrew - chephets - which means delight, pleasure, desire, longing.
As wives, we must not only be willing and eager to work hard with our hands taking care of things around the home, but we must delight in the tasks at hand.
After the Fall, God told the woman (Eve) her punishment, which would be the punishment for all women:
Genesis 3:16b NIV - "...Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Again, we have to be selfless and put our own desires aside. As difficult as it is, our husband's desires trump our own.
However, there is hope.
Ephesians 5:25 NIV - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
If our husbands are loving us like Christ loves the church (ie sacrificially), then they will want our desires to be met. They will want to make us happy as a result of the respect, dignity and happiness that we give them.
*** Proverbs 31:12-13 NKJV - She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. ***
KJV - She will do him good and not evil
NKJV - She does him good and not evil
NIV - She brings him good, not harm,
The Hebrew word tove means prosperity, happiness, benefit, etc.
Everything that we say and do should be beneficial and bring prosperity and happiness to our husbands. Yes, this means being selfless and putting our own desires aside for the well-being of our husbands.
There are many ways we can bring/do our husbands good: Keep the home clean/tidy, have dinner planned and prepared, be respectful. A wife's demeanor should also be beneficial to her husband.
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. - 1 Peter 3:1-2
The Hebrew word rah means distress, misery, injury, calamity, etc. Even though it's probably rarely intentional, all of us have brought harm in one way or another to our husbands.
Proverbs 19:13b - a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
In other words, a nagging, argumentative and disrespectful wife is really, really annoying to her husband.
Proverbs 31:12b
KJV
NKJV > all the days of her life.
NIV
All the days. Everyday, without exception. We are not given days off. A virtuous wife should not say, "today I'm going to be lazy and selfish. Today I'm going to complain, nag, and argue." No, we are expected to always bring good and never bring harm to our husbands. Each and every day.
It seems like an impossible task. But if we are serving the Lord everyday...
Luke 9:23 - 23 Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."
... then it should not be difficult to bring good to our husbands. In fact, it will probably be a natural result of following Jesus.
***
Proverbs 31:12a
KJV - She seeketh wool, and flax,
NKJV - She seeks wool and flax,
NIV - She selects wool and flax
In my opinion, "select" does not sufficiently express the original meaning of the text. The word "seek" in Hebrew means to seek with care, enquire of, investigate, ask for.
Jeremiah 29:13:
And you will seek (seek to secure, to desire, demand) Me and find (meet, encounter, acquire) Me when you search (seek with care, enquire of, investigate, ask for) for Me with all your heart.
Luke 11:9-10:
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.Zeteo in Greek means to seek a thing, to seek in order to find out by thinking, meditating, reasoning, aim at, strive after.
There is importance in the act of seeking. It was not good enough to just to go to the market and pick any wool and flax she found. In the same way, It's not good enough for us wives to select something without first thinking about it, investigating it, and seeking it with care.
Proverbs 31:13b
KJV - and worketh willingly with her hands.
NKJV - and works willingly with her hands.
NIV - and works with eager hands.
In this context, "work" means to make, produce, or prepare something.
Back in the day, it was necessary for a woman to be able to spin wool or flax into yarn in order to weave or knit blankets and clothing for her family. Today, that need is generally not as required, but there is value in working with your hands to create something of value.
The word "eager" or "willingly" is actually a noun in Hebrew - chephets - which means delight, pleasure, desire, longing.
As wives, we must not only be willing and eager to work hard with our hands taking care of things around the home, but we must delight in the tasks at hand.
After the Fall, God told the woman (Eve) her punishment, which would be the punishment for all women:
Genesis 3:16b NIV - "...Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Again, we have to be selfless and put our own desires aside. As difficult as it is, our husband's desires trump our own.
However, there is hope.
Ephesians 5:25 NIV - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
If our husbands are loving us like Christ loves the church (ie sacrificially), then they will want our desires to be met. They will want to make us happy as a result of the respect, dignity and happiness that we give them.
*** Proverbs 31:12-13 NKJV - She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. ***
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