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Proverbs 31:1-31 NIV - 1 The sayings of King Lemuel--an inspired utterance his mother taught him. 2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! 3 Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, Lemuel--it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, 5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. 6 Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! 7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. 10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.   As we read Proverbs, we discover all the wicked things that a good man should avoid. As a woman, what can we do to not be one of these wicked women? In the last chapter the last nineteen verses explains what we can do to be a woman after God’s heart and a good influence on our husband. We are not given many clues about King Lemuel. This may not be an important point of the proverb. The woman would be someone well respected. She is doing impossible task for the time. Men were merchants, property owners, and held positions that allowed them to sit at the city gate. This woman had a better place in the community than Deborah the prophetess from the book of Judges 4-5. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, was in a place of respect because of her husband’s wealth. (1 Samuel 25:32-35) Their servants respected her and followed her lead. She became one of King David’s wives. Rehab, was a property owner in Jericho. She saved the spies and became a descendent in the line of Jesus. In these verses, we are given the many characteristics of several women in the Old Testament. Key Words: Flax, Wool, Linen, Purple, City Gate, Children Flax is a plant used to make linen. The fibers of the flax stem are the most ancient of textile fibers. During biblical times making linen was a household chore.[1] The stalks were dried, deseeded, soaked until the fibers were loosened, and redried. Once the fibers were dried then it was spun into thread. The courser fibers were used to make twine and wicks for candles. Wool is the thick hair forming the coat of sheep. It is made into thread and used to make clothes, blankets, and other articles.[2]  Linen is the most common fabric used in the ancient Near East.[3] It was spun from the flax plant and bleached before being woven into clothing, bedding, curtains, and burial shrouds. Purple: The color was obtained from the Mediterranean mollusks.[4] The mollusks is an invertebrate. It looks like a snail with shell on its back. The glands of the insect were boiled in lead vats to make the dye. Children were the instrument to pass on the traditions. In the parable, children may have two meanings. The reference can be for children under the age of twelve as well as adults being given the training in an informal setting.[5] City gate is a place of defensive structure as well an entry way. It would be the most vulnerable location for the city being protected. It was normally located at the low point of the city. The low point would allow easier access for merchants and travelers. [6]  Proverbs 31 is lists of good characteristics to seek in a potential wife. The list is not exhaustive, but has a good foundation. There have been many men in the Bible that were positive examples to follow. Men like Moses, Aaron, and Joshua were given roles to complete. Moses had anger issues, but he pleaded with God for the Israelites. King David ruled for many years and did many great things, but he did not hold his son accountable for his actions causing a sad chain of events. Solomon had a great start, but said “I Do” too many times and fell away from praising God alone. The information provided offers men and women a goal to seek to reach. Wives may not have all of these characteristics, but a few of them make her the woman after God’s heart and an asset for a good husband who seeks God’s favor.   Bibliography   “Blue.” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 228. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015. Drinkard, Jr., Joel F. and Jared Chatfield. “City Gate.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 302-303. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015. “Family.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 555-557. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015. “Flax.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 577. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015. “Linen.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1019. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015. “Wool.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1666. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.       [1] “Flax,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 577.   [2] “Wool,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1666.   [3] “Linen,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1019.   [4] “Blue,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 228.   [5] “Family,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 555-557.   [6] Joel F. Drinkard, Jr. and Jared Chatfield, “City Gate,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 302-303.  

καὶ ἔχει ἐπὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν αὐτοῦ ὄνομα γεγραμμένον βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ κύριος κυρίων. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords. Revelation 19:16. The highlighted words have the same meaning in Greek and English. What do you think? The Bible is broken down in six parts which are Law, History, Wisdom, Gospel, Letters, and Prophetic. The book of Revelation is a Prophetic book. When reading prophecy, understanding the history and time of the writer is important. The writing was after the Jesus’ death. Scholars agree the book was written around 95AD in Patmos by John. John was one of the twelve with Jesus. The question that is looked into further is what did it mean to John and his readers when it was stated written on his thigh. Does this mean with removeable ink or permanent ink? In the Old Testament there are references to not making marking on your body. The references can be found in Leviticus. The reference to Leviticus leads me to believe John understood a tattoo in the same terms as the current reader. The method has changed from soot to ink as well as the application process has changed from one needle to tattoo gun. The Greek word for written is γεγραμμένον. The stem word is γράφω. Variations of this form can be found 208 times in 38 forms. To write is a verb and can be found seventeen times in the form above. From the forms in the Bible, the word means to write, draw letters, and write in means of recording. The scripture describes a vision that John saw flashing before his eyes. There are visions that he saw that he was told not to write. Interpreting a book as Revelation is difficult. The places described are based on the existing knowledge of the writer. The research agrees Jesus arrived on a white horse. On his robe and thigh was written: king of kings and lord of lords. The word written indicates that words were long term. It appears that Jesus returned to fight the final battle with his name and authority written in a manner that all would see. No one can ask by whose power he brings about the destructions.

When reading a passage in the Bible, allow Scripture to answer your questions. When reading the book of Luke, his writing answers many questions about him. In Luke 1:1-4, we are told that he is a Historian writing the account regarding Jesus for Theophilus. As a rule of thumb, it is a good idea to read the complete book of the New Testament in one sitting. The letters written by Paul were meant to be read in a single sitting. The letters may seem lengthy, but the entertainment was different for those times.