Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. – Proverbs 31:10
I first read this verse years ago as a teenager. Back then I was an avid reader, who was fascinated with words. I had not yet discovered the ideas that
(1) the Bible was originally written in another language; therefore, the translated English word may not do justice to the meaning that the original authors intended to convey;
(2) an understanding of the context in which a verse or passage was written (to whom was it written, what was the culture of the time, etc.) was needed to have an accurate understanding of what was being conveyed; and
3) a comparison of how that word was used in other passages gives a clearer picture of what it means.
In my youthful zeal, my first thought was that virtuous came from the root word virtue and so had something to do with being morally good. Consequently, I walked away with the idea that this passage was about how to be a good woman (wife and mother) or a woman with excellent values or character.
Now years later, as I am studying the Bible with the view of discovering more of who I am as a woman, my assignment/purpose, and what I have been equipped with to aid in this end time war, I am realizing that I had a flawed understanding of those verses in Proverbs 31:10-31.
In my search, I read about 50 different Bible translations of that verse. The majority translated ishah chayil as a good or excellent wife. Here are the English words that they translated chayil to mean:
WORDS FOR chayil
Virtuous
Worthy
Noble character
Competent
Superior
Excellent
Spiritual
Capable
Intelligent
Good
Perfect
Strong character
Accomplished
Valiant
Woman of valor
Woman of strength and mighty valor
Of the 50 Bible translations, only 3 translated the phrase ishah chayil as what it really means in the Hebrew.
- Who shall find a valiant woman?
– (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition – DRA) - Who can find an aishes chayil (a woman of valor)?
– (Orthodox Jewish Bible – OJB) - Who could ever find a wife like this one—
she is a woman of strength and mighty valor!
She’s full of wealth and wisdom.
– (The Passion Translation – TPT)
I like The Passion Translation’s best, because it utilizes all the definitions of chayil as used in the Bible. This word chayil cannot be limited to one meaning, because it has multiple meanings as seen in various passages of the Bible. Most frequently occurring bible usage definitions are as follows: strength, might, ability, efficiency, wealth, force, army. The word chayil then implies warlike strength, power and might. It presents the idea of showing oneself strong or displaying valor. Finally, it infers a capacity for uprightness and integrity.
When taken as a whole, the picture that comes to mind of this woman that is being described is somewhat different than what I visualized when I was a youth. As a youth, I saw the Proverbs 31 woman as a superhero mother and wife. This depiction of a superior and morally good homemaker has been replaced in my mind by the image of a warrior woman; a woman who, because of her fear of God, is endowed with the power of a mighty warrior in all spheres of life. Look at how the footnotes from the TPT translation describes it:
The Hebrew word used to describe this virtuous wife is khayil. The meaning of this word cannot be contained by one English equivalent word. It is often used in connection with military prowess. This is a warring wife. Khayil can be translated “mighty; wealthy; excellent; morally righteous; full of substance, integrity, abilities, and strength; mighty like an army.” The wife is a metaphor for the last-days church, the virtuous, overcoming bride of Jesus Christ. The word khayil is most often used to describe valiant men. See Ex. 18:21, where it is used for the mighty ones Moses was to commission as elders and leaders among the people. Because many of the cultural terms and metaphors used in this passage are not understood or even used in today’s English-speaking world, this translation has chosen to make them explicit.
Join me over the next few weeks, as I deepen my exploration into this warrior woman using characters like Jael, Achsah, and Zeruiah, among others. I pray that you would be challenged to find her buried deep within and awaken her to experience the victories for which she was destined.
DIG DEEPER:
1. Devotional – FOUND: A Virtuous Woman
2. Bible Study – Proverbs 31:1-10 – A work of Poetry