Proverbs 31:16

Pro 31:16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

Ver. 16. She considereth a field and buyeth it.] Here is the fruit of her pains and providence. The manus motitans, the "stirring hand maketh rich," {Pro 10:4} and "a wise woman buildeth her house." {Pro 14:1} {See Trapp on "Pro 14:1"} She considers the convenience of this field, and then casts about how she may compass it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro 31:16. She considereth a field — Whether it be fit for use and of a reasonable price, and how she may purchase it. This excludes the rashness, as the proceeding to buy it excludes the inconstancy, which is often incident to that sex; with the fruit of her hands — With the effects of her diligence; she planteth a vineyard — She improveth the land to the best advantage.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

31:16-18 An excellent wife is engaged in commercial enterprises outside her home.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

She purchaseth it with the gains of her travail.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

and hence has means to purchase property.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 16. She considereth a field and buyeth it]

5. She provides for the growing wants of her family. More land will shortly be needed, for the family is growing up; and having seen a field contiguous to her own, which was on sale, she estimates its worth, and purchases it a good bargain; and she pays for it by the fruit of her own industry.

6. She does not restrict herself to the bare necessaries of life; she is able to procure some of its comforts. She plants a vineyard, that she may have wine for a beverage, for medicine, and for sacrifice. This also is procured of her own labour. Whatever goes out brings its worth in; and barter, not buying, is her chief mode of traffic.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) She considereth a field.—Fixes upon a suitable one for purchase.

With the fruit of her hands.—With her savings she buys a vineyard and stocks it.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it,.... The field are the Scriptures, in which are hid the rich treasures of Gospel doctrines and promises; and the church, and all truly enlightened persons, consider to what use this field may be put, to what account it will turn; how profitable the Scriptures are, for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness; what a rich mine and valuable treasure is in them; things more desirable, and of greater worth, than thousands of gold and silver; and therefore will buy this field at any rate, and not sell it; will part with all they have before they will part with that; even life itself, which in an improper sense is called buying of it, though it is without money and without price; see Mat 13:44;

with the fruit of her hand she planteth a vineyard; her own vineyard, whose plants are an orchard of pomegranates, Sol 1:6; who through the ministry of the word, are planted in the house of the Lord, and flourish there; this the church is said to do by her ministers, who plant and water, as Paul and Apollos did, Co1 3:6. And it is observable, that in the Hebrew text there is a double reading; the "Keri", or marginal reading, is feminine; but the "Cetib", or writing, is masculine; to show that she did it by means of men, she made use of in her vineyard for that service; it being, as Aben Ezra observes, not the custom and business of women to plant vineyards, but men. It may be rendered, "he planted", and be applied to her husband, Christ; who, through the ministry of the word in his church, plants souls in it; and happy are they who are the planting of the Lord! trees of righteousness, that he may be glorified, Isa 61:3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The verse points to a large sphere of feminine activity, strikingly in contrast with the degradation to which woman in the East has now fallen.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Considered. This conduct is suggested by prudence. (Calmet) --- Cato (Rust. 2.) says, "Do not go only once round the field," &c.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

She considereth a field; whether it be fit for her use, and of a reasonable price, and how she may purchase it. This excludes the rashness, as her proceeding to

buy it excludes the inconstancy, which is oft incident to that sex.

With the fruit of her hands, with the effects of her diligence,

she planteth a vineyard; she improveth the land to the best advantage.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. She considereth a field — Sets her mind upon it, estimates its worth, and plans the means of purchasing it. Literally, she takes it.

With the fruit of her hands — The product of her labour.

She planteth a vineyard — Or, as some read, the fruit of her hands is the planting of a vineyard. These various items mark the industry, economy, and thrift of the energetic and capable woman. They are strongly “in contrast with the degradation to which woman has fallen under the later polygamy of the East.” — Speaker’s Com.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

ZAYIN. She considereth a field, and buyeth it. She turns her attention to a certain field, the possession of which is for some cause desirable; and, after due examination and consideration, she buys it. One is reminded of Christ"s parable of the treasure hidden in a field, which the finder sold all that he had to purchase. (Mat_13:44) With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. Her prudent management and economy give her means to buy vines and plant a vineyard, and thus to increase her produce. Possibly it is meant that she sees the field she has gotten is more fitted for grapes than corn, and she cultivates it accordingly. Virgil "Georg.," 2:229"Altera frumentis quoniam favet, altera Baccho, Densa magis Cereri, rarissima quaeque Lyaeo.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Considereth - Whether it be fit for her use. The fruit - With the effects of her diligence. Planteth - She improves the land to the best advantage.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This industry - a pattern for the whole house - this punctuality in the management of household matters, secures to her success in the extension of her household wealth:

16 ז She seeketh a field and getteth possession of it;

Of the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

The field which she considereth, towards which her wish and her effort are directed, is perhaps not one beyond those which she already possesses, but one which has hitherto been wanting to her family; for the poet has, after Pro 31:23, an inhabitant of a town in his eye, - a woman whose husband is not a landlord, but has a business in the city. The perf. זממה precedes and gives circumstantiality to the chief factum expressed by ותּקּחה. Regarding זמם, vid., Pro 21:27. "לקח is the general expression for purchasing, as נתן, 24b, for selling. Thus the Aram. and Arab. אחד, while, (Arab.) akhadh w'ṭa, Turk. alisch werisch (from elmeḳ, to take, and wirmek, to give - viz. ṣâtun, in the way of selling; Lat. venum), post-bibl. משּׂא וּמתּן or מקּח וּממכּר, denotes giving and taking = business in general" (Fleischer). In 16b the Chethı̂b is, with Ewald and Bertheau, to be read נטע, and, with Hitzig, to be made dependent on ותקחה, as parallel obj.: "of her hands' fruit (she gaineth) a planting of vines." But a planting of vines would be expressed by מטּע כרם (Mic 1:6); and the Kerı̂ נטעה is more acceptable. The perf., as a fundamental verbal form, is here the expression of the abstract present: she plants a vineyard, for she purchases vines from the profit of her industry (Isa 7:23, cf. Pro 5:2).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

the fruit of her hands

The money she has earned from the work she did with wool and flax (Proverbs 31:13) is spoken of as if it were fruit growing off a tree. The hands are a synecdoche for the person. AT: "the money she has earned" (See: Metaphor and Synecdoche)

She dresses herself with strength

Putting on clothes is a metonym for preparing for work. AT: "She prepares herself for hard physical work" (See: Idiom)

makes her arms strong

"she strengthens her arms by doing her work"

translationWords

fruit

vineyard

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.