Proverbs 31:17

Pro 31:17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

Ver. 17. She girdeth her loins with strength.] She flies about her work, and sets on it with a courage. We have read of women in whom, besides their sex, there was nothing woman-like or weak; such were Semiramis, Zenobia, Blandina, that brave Hungarian woman, who, in an assault at the siege of Buda, thrusting in among the soldiers upon the top of the fort, with a great scythe in her hand, at one blow struck off two of the Turks’ heads as they were climbing up the rampier. {a} The like is reported of Marulla, a maid of Lemnos, who, seeing her father slain in the gates of the city by the Turks, which hoped to have surprised it, took up the weapons that lay by him, and, like a fierce Amazon, notably revenged his death. {b}

{a} Turkish History, fol. 741.

{b} Ibid., 413.

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 31:17-18. She girdeth her loins with strength — She uses great diligence and expedition in her employment; for which end, men in those times used to gird up their long and loose garments about their loins. And strengtheneth her arms — Puts forth her utmost strength in her business. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good — She finds great comfort and good success in her labours. Her candle goeth not out by night — Which is not to be taken strictly, but only signifies her unwearied care and industry.

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

To energy she adds a watchfulness in bargains, and a protracted and painful industry. The last clause may figuratively denote that her prosperity (compare Pro 24:20) is not short lived.

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 17. She girdeth her loins with strength]

7. She takes care of her own health and strength, not only by means of useful labour, but by healthy exercise. She avoids what might enervate her body, or soften her mind-she is ever active, and girt ready for every necessary exercise. Her loins are firm, and her arms strong.

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

She girdeth her loins with strength,.... Showing her readiness to every good work; and with what cheerfulness, spirit, and resolution, she set about it, and with what dispatch and expedition she performed it: the allusion is to the girding and tucking up of long garments, wore in the eastern countries, when any work was set about in earnest, which required dispatch; see Luk 17:8; the strength of creatures being in their loins, Job 40:16; the loins are sometimes put for strength, as in Plautus (r); and the sense is much the same with what follows;

and strengtheneth her arms; does all she finds to do with all her might and main, as the church does; not in her own strength, but in the strength of Christ; to whom she seeks for it, and in whose strength she goes forth about her business; by whom the arms of her hands are made strong, even by the mighty God of Jacob; and because she thus applies to him for it, she is said to do it herself, Gen 49:24; here she plays the man, and acts the manly part, Co1 16:13.

(r) "Lumbos defractos velim", Stichus, Act. 2. Sc. 1. v. 37.

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

Arm; working, and making others obey.

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 girdeth her loins with strength; she useth great diligence and expedition in her employment; for which end men in those times used to gird up their long and loose garments about their loins.

Strengtheneth her arms; putteth forth her utmost strength in her business.

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

17. She girdeth her loins with strength — The Orientals wear loose flowing robes, which need to be girded close to the body, or tucked up, when they engage in any active employment. The figure denotes her activity and energy. “She walks about.” says Patrick, “with great expedition, tucking up her garments that she may be fit for motion anywhere, and not minding clothes more than her business, nor neglecting it for fear of spoiling them; but prefers strength in her arms, acquired by labour, before the ornaments wherewith they are wont to be adorned.”

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

KHETH. She girdeth her loins with strength (ver. 25). This seems at first sight a strange assertion to make concerning one of the weaker sex; but the phrase is metaphorically expressive of the energy and force with which she prepares herself for her work. Strength and vigour are, as it were, the girdle which she binds round her waist to enable her to conduct her operations with case and freedom. So we have a similar metaphor boldly applied to God: (Psa_93:1) "The Lord reigneth, he is apparelled with majesty; the Lord is apparelled, he hath girded himself with strength". (cf. Job_38:3) Strengtheneth her arms. By daily exercise she makes her arms firm and strong, and capable of great and continued exertion.

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

Girdeth - She uses great diligence and expedition in her employment; for which end, men in those times used to gird up their long and loose garments about their loins. Strengtheneth - Puts forth her utmost strength in her business.

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

The poet has this augmented household wealth in his eye, for he continues:

17 ח She girdeth her loins with strength,

And moveth vigorously her arms.

Strength is as the girdle which she wraps around her body (Psa 93:1). We write חגרה בעוז; both words have Munach, and the ב of בעוז is aspirated. Thus girded with strength, out of this fulness of strength she makes firm or steels her arms (cf. Psa 89:22). The produce of the field and vineyard extend far beyond the necessity of her house; thus a great portion is brought to sale, and the gain thence arising stimulates the industry and the diligence of the unwearied woman.

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.)