Proverbs 31:16-20
 
Prov 31:16 (KJB)
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
 
Here the wise wife spots a nice field which could yield good fruit, so in her wisdom, she will buy it and then plant a vineyard which eventually will yield a great amount of produce. This verse also points to the Christian who seeks to obey the Great Commission. They see where there is a good field to bring the Gospel and so they begin to evangelize that area and as they plant the seeds of truth in the people, eventually it will be like a vineyard which produces good fruit, when people start to become saved.
 
Prov 31:17 (KJB)
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
 
Strength - Power or be strong
 
In ancient times, when there was much work to do and people normally wore the long robes, they would bring them up and tuck them in so they would not interfere with the work. Here the wise woman girds her loins or her hips with strength or power which would be necessary to meet the task at hand. She also strengthens her arms for the work. This strengthening means that she is going to give her all in the execution of the task at hand. She will not be withholding anything and part of the strength is to exercise wisdom in the task. It is wise to work smarter and not harder if possible. (Isa 41:10 KJV) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. The Christian can also count upon God to strengthen them for the task which they need to carry on. God states that He is with us in all tasks which we must perform and we can definitely count upon His strength.
 
Prov 31:18 (KJB)
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
 
Merchandise - Profit or gain
 
She takes the time to assess that all she has done has resulted in good profit or gain, and not necessarily monetarily. Everything she has done has not only profited her but has profited those she did things for such as the clothes which she made. The fact that her candle is always burning shows that she is willing to accept those weary travelers who may come by the house. A candle in the window is a sign that there is welcome in this house. Just like the Christian who never allows their candle to go out because they are always ready to give the Gospel or to give an answer to those who ask them concerning the Gospel. (1 Pet 3:15 KJV) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
 
Prov 31:19 (KJB)
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
 
This verse may be tied to the previous verse in that included in the candle not going out, she may work late into the night when necessary. If her family needs clothing or if some of her close friends may need a piece of clothing, she is not afraid to meet that need even into the night. The Christian must be like so and not afraid to put in the extra hours for the Kingdom of God. Christians must be ready for anything the Lord may send their way and at different hours.
 
Prov 31:20 (KJB)
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
 
Normally, it was the poor and needy who would stretch forth their hands to receive something from those who are walking by. Here we see the wise woman making the first moves toward meeting the needs of the poor and needy. This must also be the attitude of the Christian. We must not wait for people to come to us but we must stretch out our hands and give them the Gospel. We look for opportunities to bring the Gospel to others.

Back