Proverbs 31
Encyclopedia
Chapter 31 of the Book of Proverbs
in the Hebrew Bible
, is presented as advice which Lemuel's mother gave to him, about how a virtuous king should reign, and also detailing the attributes of a virtuous wife or ideal woman. The second section of text of this chapter directs women to be industrious and fear the Lord.
The 10th to 31st verses of the chapter are called Eisheth Ḥayil (אשת חיל). It is a praise of the good wife, a definition of a perfect wife
or "ideal woman" in Judaism
. This "Woman of Worth" has been described as the personification of wisdom, the ideal wife of an ancient patriarchal imagination, or in some sense as a description of a particular class of Women in Israel, Persia, Syria-Palestine or in Hellenistic society - or on all those levels. It is one of the thirteen alphabetical acrostic poems in the Bible. Traditionally, the Eisheth Ḥayil was viewed as written by King Solomon
and many prominent theologians continue to hold this belief. However there is a more recent branch of critical scholarship which suggests it was added to Proverbs later. This chapter is recited on Friday night, before Shabbat
dinner in some Jewish homes. Some see this as a praise directed from the husband to his wife. It has also been suggested that the son in Proverbs 31 is King Solomon, receiving advice from Bathsheba, herself the wife of a king.
The word חיל (chayil) appears in verse 10 and 29 of the passage, thought as the summary of the good woman's character. Traditionally it has been translated "virtuous" or "noble." Some scholars have suggested that it rather means "forceful," "mighty," or "valiant" because the use of the word in the Tanakh
is almost exclusively used regarding war
fare.
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, is presented as advice which Lemuel's mother gave to him, about how a virtuous king should reign, and also detailing the attributes of a virtuous wife or ideal woman. The second section of text of this chapter directs women to be industrious and fear the Lord.
The 10th to 31st verses of the chapter are called Eisheth Ḥayil (אשת חיל). It is a praise of the good wife, a definition of a perfect wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
or "ideal woman" in Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. This "Woman of Worth" has been described as the personification of wisdom, the ideal wife of an ancient patriarchal imagination, or in some sense as a description of a particular class of Women in Israel, Persia, Syria-Palestine or in Hellenistic society - or on all those levels. It is one of the thirteen alphabetical acrostic poems in the Bible. Traditionally, the Eisheth Ḥayil was viewed as written by King Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
and many prominent theologians continue to hold this belief. However there is a more recent branch of critical scholarship which suggests it was added to Proverbs later. This chapter is recited on Friday night, before Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
dinner in some Jewish homes. Some see this as a praise directed from the husband to his wife. It has also been suggested that the son in Proverbs 31 is King Solomon, receiving advice from Bathsheba, herself the wife of a king.
The word חיל (chayil) appears in verse 10 and 29 of the passage, thought as the summary of the good woman's character. Traditionally it has been translated "virtuous" or "noble." Some scholars have suggested that it rather means "forceful," "mighty," or "valiant" because the use of the word in the Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
is almost exclusively used regarding war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare.
External links
- Illustrated presentation of Eishes Chayil
- Shema Yisrael Torah Network - The Eishes Chayil
- Eishes Chayil - Define
- Sefer HaToldos Admur Maharash-Chapter 7
- Eishes Chayil - Intro
- Bat Mitzvah: Jewish women through the ages
- The role of women in traditional Judaism
- Recording of a traditional tune to Eshet Chayil
- Recording a tune to verses 26-28