Lessons #39 and 40
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual exposition not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GWT = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Instructions to various groups of believers (Titus 2:1-6)
1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
We are still considering the third virtue essential in domestic life that older women are to instill on younger women which is that of being always busy in a profitable manner. To expound on this, we began to consider the activities of the model wife that is described as capable wife in Proverbs 31:13-22. We have begun considering her first activity of providing for the needs of her family in two areas of food and clothing for her household and herself. We have completed the area of her taking care of the needs of her family with respect to food but we have not completed the area of clothing for her household and herself and so we continue with these in our present study.
Activities of the capable wife (Proverbs 31: 13-22)
... 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17She 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. 19In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 22She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 24She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
In our last study, we began to consider the activity of the capable wife with respect to clothing of her family but following the human author of our passage, we digressed to consider the virtue of generosity of the capable wife in verse 20. We resume with the consideration of her activity of providing clothes for her family, as conveyed in Proverbs 31:21:
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
Verse 21 begins in the Hebrew with a declaration of the confidence of the capable wife although the verse communicates that she indeed made clothes from the raw materials mentioned in verse 13. This is because although the translators of the NIV begin the verse with the clause When it snows the Hebrew begins with the sentence she does not fear for her house. By the way, the word “house” in the literal translation is translated from a Hebrew word (bǎyiṯ) that may mean house as a place of dwelling but it may also mean “household, family”, as in the instruction of God to Noah about the preservation of members of his family before the flood judgment in Genesis 7:1:
The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
It is in the sense of “household” that in the ancient world would consist of husband, wife, children, and slaves that the word is used in Proverbs 31:21. Thus, the capable wife is said not to be afraid for her household.
That aside, we contend that verse 21 begins with declaration of the capable wife’s confidence. But why can we speak of her confidence since the word “confidence” is not used in verse 21? It is because when there is confidence fear is absent. The capable wife is described in the sentence she has no fear for her household. The word “fear” is translated from a Hebrew word (yārēʾ) that as a verb may mean “to fear, to be afraid.” To be afraid could refer to being frightened, that is, to being in a state of feeling great distress, and deep concern of pain or unfavorable circumstance, as the Israelites felt when they observed that Pharaoh with his army was in pursuit of them, as recorded in Exodus 14:10:
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
The translators of the NIV used the word “terrified” in this passage in Exodus instead of the word “afraid”. As an adjective, our Hebrew word may pertain to being in a state of alarm because of an event that is about to take place. It is in the sense of being alarmed that our word is used to describe a soldier in Israel who should not go into battle field with others in Deuteronomy 20:8:
Then the officers shall add, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened too.”
In our passage of Proverbs 31:21, our Hebrew word is used in the sense of feeling anxious or apprehensive about an event that is about to take place.
When a person faces a situation that can cause anxiety but the individual does not become alarmed then it is because the individual has confidence in what the person expects with respect to the situation. In our passage of Proverbs 31:21, the situation that should cause anxiety or apprehension on the part of the capable wife is the approach of cold wealth as in the clause When it snows of the NIV of our passage. When it snows, it is because the temperature has dropped to certain level that is certainly uncomfortable for humans to endure. Hence, when there is the indication that it is about to snow, the implication is that it is cold and will get colder after the snow. Thus, people prepare for it to ensure that they remain warm.
Be that as it may, confidence is that which results from knowledge. We are saying that when we lack confidence it is because of lack of knowledge of either what we should know or of what we should have done. This point that confidence results from knowledge is demonstrated in our passage by the capable wife. She has no apprehension concerning the approach of cold weather because of her knowledge of what she has done to prepare for it, as we read in the last clause of Proverbs 31:21 for all of them are clothed in scarlet. This clause, based on the context, indicates that the capable wife indeed used raw materials of wool and flax to produce clothing for her household. She was quite active that she was able to make clothes for all members of her household that will include the slaves who were a part of her household. This being the case, we can see that the capable wife’s activity included clothing of the family. Although the focus was on cold weather, there is the implication that she also provided the right clothing for the hot weather. This is because of the mention of flax in the context that certainly was used to produce clothes for hot weather in contrast to wool that is used to provide clothing for cold seasons. Anyway, it should be clear that the capable wife had confidence because of her knowledge of her preparation for the cold weather, substantiating the point we made that confidence results from knowledge. If you want to have confidence in any area then you should have knowledge with respect to the area of your concern.
The confidence of the capable wife, as we have stated, is because of what she did by providing clothes for her household as indicated in the last clause of Proverbs 31:21 for all of them are clothed in scarlet. The word “scarlet” is translated from a Hebrew word (šānî) with a range of meanings. It primarily denotes the color “scarlet” or “crimson”, as it is used in description of sin where God offers forgiveness to those who accept His offer to come to Him, presumably in repentance, as we read in Isaiah 1:18:
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
The Hebrew word may refer to “crimson thread”, that is, a red-dyed yarn or thread as the thread used by a midwife to tie around the wrist of Tamar’s firstborn twin to distinguish him from the second in Genesis 38:28:
As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”
The Hebrew word may denote garment made from a red-dyed thread and so means “scarlet apparel” as the word is used to describe the clothes of Israel’s women in David’s lament over the death of Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1:24:
“O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
It is used to describe the color of women’s clothing that some presume to be fashionable and probably provocative in Jeremiah 4:30:
What are you doing, O devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why shade your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.
In our passage of Proverbs 31:21, the sense is that of “scarlet apparel” or garment that has been dyed crimson although some, based on a few Hebrew manuscripts, supported by the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the Vulgate, suggest the meaning “double.” The translators of the REB (Revised English Bible) followed this second meaning so that the clause for all of them are clothed in scarlet in the NIV is rendered for they are wrapped in double cloaks in the REB. Nonetheless, the context suggests that the clothing in view is such as to keep someone warm in the cold season. Thus, it is likely that the capable wife made the clothes from wool that are dyed and expensive as that is the reason the household would be kept warm in the cold season. Regardless of how we understand the Hebrew word translated “scarlet” in the NIV, the point of the human author is to convey that the capable wife is busy and caring for the household that she made clothes for them that kept them warm in the winter. This explanation is reflected in those English versions that combined both possible meanings of the Hebrew word used. For example, the TEV rendered the Hebrew line as because her family has warm clothing. Again, it is because she prepared for the winter by making the proper kind of clothes suitable for that period that the capable wife was not disturbed or alarmed at the prospect of winter. Her activity in taking care of her household’s need with respect to their clothing is that every capable wife should be careful to ensure that her family is provided with adequate clothing fit for a specific season of the year. In effect, it is the capable wife that is responsible for dressing her household.
The capable wife is a woman who is well balanced in what she does. You see, there is the tendency for some wives to be so concerned about their families that they neglect themselves. In other words, they work hard to take care of the needs of their households that they ignore themselves. This is an unbalanced approach to being a capable wife. There is no doubt that the Scripture demands us to be concerned about the interest of others but there should be a balance in which we are concerned with the interest of others as well as ours, as conveyed in Philippians 2:4:
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The Holy Spirit in this passage tells us that we are not to be concerned only with our interests but also those of others. It did not say that we should not take care of our own interests but that we should not be self-fish or self-centered that we are only concerned with our own interests without considering others. As we stated, some wives are so consumed with taking care of their household that they do not care for themselves. That is wrong. A capable wife knows how to maintain proper balance between taking care of her household and herself. This is demonstrated by the fact that the capable woman not only sees that her household’s need for clothing is taken care of but also hers. It is her effort in taking care of her own clothing that is stated in Proverbs 31:22:
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
The first sentence of verse 22 suggests that the capable wife makes bed covering or furnishing for her bed as indicated in the NIV and in many of our English versions. A handful of English versions such as the GWT and the NJB take the view that the capable wife made quilts so that the NJB translates the first Hebrew line as She makes her own quilts. The CEV adopted a unique approach by translating the first Hebrew line as She does her own sewing. Truly, the Hebrew line reads literally She makes for herself coverings. This is because we have a Hebrew word (mǎrḇǎḏ) that means “covering, spread.” It is used in the sense of “bedspread” in Proverbs 7:16:
I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.
Literally, the Hebrew reads with coverings I have adorned my couch, spreads of the linen of Egypt. The context of Proverbs 7:16 makes the meaning “bedspread” a proper interpretation of the Hebrew word. This is because the context of Proverbs 7:16 is concerned with sinful sexual activity, as conveyed in Proverbs 7:18:
Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
The expression Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning may be translated Come, let us take our fill of love making. This being the case, it is proper to take our Hebrew word in Proverbs 7:16 as a reference to bedspread. However, it is doubtful that this meaning is applicable in Proverbs 31:22.
There are several reasons that it is doubtful that the human author used the Hebrew word that means “coverings, spread” in the sense of “bedspread” or “bed covering” in Proverbs 31:22. Firstly, the Hebrew line indicates that what the capable wife made is for herself since the Hebrew expression used translates into the English literally as she made for herself. If bed spread or quilt is the focus of the author, it will seem that he would state that the capable wife made bedspreads for her household as she did with respect to the clothes she made. But by indicating that she made covering for herself, it is likely that the human author of our passage had in mind something that is specific to the capable wife. Secondly, the translators of the Septuagint did not understand the meaning as bedspread instead they took it as clothes. Thus, the first Hebrew line in the Septuagint when translated into the English reads She makes for her husband clothes of double texture. It seems that the translators of the Septuagint probably adopted this view because the rest of the verse is concerned with the wife’s clothes hence, they took the first Hebrew line of verse 22 to be concerned with the husband’s clothes. Thirdly, the second Hebrew line of Proverbs 31:22 is concerned with the woman’s clothes and so should be determinative in the meaning we assign to the Hebrew word that means “covering, spread.” Based on these reasons, it is more appropriate to assert that the first Hebrew line introduced the concept of the capable wife’s clothes. This makes sense since verse 21 speaks to her making clothes for her household and so to ensure that we understand that she did not ignore herself, the human author informs us in verse 22 of her activities of clothing herself.
The human author of our passage was not only concerned with informing us that the capable wife dressed herself as she did for her household but that she dressed herself properly also with expensive clothing. But before we consider the reason for asserting that the capable wife dressed herself in expensive clothes, let me make a comment about a woman wearing expensive clothes because there is the possibility of misunderstanding the instruction concerning believing women’s dressing of themselves as the Holy Spirit conveyed through Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:9:
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,
The apostle is not saying that a woman should not fix her hair properly, or that she should not wear expensive clothes or jewelry but he is saying that her emphasis should not be on these. Because this instruction is to help the believing lady live a practical life, we need to expand on the application of what the apostle writes here to our daily living. A woman should use judgment in beautifying herself. Take for example, there are many women who cannot afford to visit the hair salon every week, but they do so to keep up with others. In doing so, they put a financial strain on their family and even on their marriage. This would be wrong. Similarly, it would be wrong to buy expensive clothing if such causes financial burden to the family. Clothes do not have to be expensive to be presentable. In effect, what the apostle is saying then is that at no time should a woman dress in such a way that causes financial strain on her family because outwardly she wants to beautify herself. Nor should a woman put greater emphasis on her outward grooming. If we may put it in another way, the apostle is saying that outward beauty is not as important as the inner beauty. That aside, we should be careful to realize that the Holy Spirit never ignores the fact that there are believers who are wealthy. Wives that belong to families with wealth may afford to buy expensive clothes but with the caution that they are not trying to show off their wealth. Of course, it is the thinking that goes into buying expensive clothes that may be the problem. Anyway, the capable wife that we are considering has through her hard work earned the right of having nice clothes. My point is that a wife that works hard in managing the family resources should be able to dress herself in keeping with the family income.
Be that as it may, it is our assertion that the capable wife makes for herself expensive clothes similar to that of the household as stated in the second clause of Proverbs 31:22 she is clothed in fine linen and purple. The phrase in fine linen and purple is an indication of her clothes being expensive although not extravagant. The expression “fine linen” is translated from a Hebrew word (šēš) that means “fine linen” or “byssus”, that is, a cloth material made of processed flax plant fibers, noted for its strength, coolness, and luster. It is used for linen thread and material woven from it. Thus, it is used for linen thread in the materials for the Tabernacle in Exodus 35:25:
Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.
It is used for priestly garments in Exodus 28:5:
Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
It is used to describe the garment Pharaoh put on Joseph in Genesis 41:42:
Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
It is used for the curtains of the tabernacle, according to Exodus 26:1:
“Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman.
In our passage of Proverbs 31:22, it is used in the sense of a very costly, delicate, soft linen made from flax. Thus, we are correct, in saying that the capable wife made for herself clothes that are expensive since through her hard work, she was in a position to do so.
The word “purple” in Proverbs 31:22 is translated from a Hebrew word (ʾǎrgāmān) that may mean “purple thread” or “purple wool yarn used for making adorning cloth” as it is used in the curtains of Solomon’s Temple, according to 2 Chronicles 3:14:
He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim worked into it.
The Hebrew word may refer to “purple cloth”, mainly of garments as it is used to describe the attire of Mordecai in Esther 8:15:
Mordecai left the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.
In our passage of Proverbs 31:22, it is used in the sense of purple fabric that constitutes the capable wife’s clothing. By the way, the purple cloth is expensive which is appropriate for her since through her hard work the family can afford such clothing material. Anyway, the point is that the capable wife because of her hard work reaps the result of her labor in dressing herself in beautiful, expensive clothes that the family can afford. With this we end our consideration on the activities of the capable wife that focused on her providing the needs of her family in terms of food and clothing and so we move to the next area of her activity.
The second area of activity of the capable wife is concerned with the management of the family finances by ensuring that she stretches them. It is this second activity that is described in Proverbs 31:16–18, 24:
16She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 24She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
A first activity of the capable wife that concerns planting of cash crop reveals that she is quite a thoughtful wife who is mindful of the future condition of the family resources. She is not like many wives, especially those whose husbands are fairly well off financially, that engulf themselves in spending of money without thinking of the future. They spend money as if they have unlimited resources not thinking about tomorrow. No doubt a believing wife should not worry about tomorrow but that does not mean she should not think about the future in terms of saving for it. Some Christians are shallow in their understanding of the Scripture because they have limited knowledge of it. These Christians will run with the commands that tell us not to worry about the future and so proceed to spend money without careful planning and without saving for the future. A wife who behaves this way does not know that the Scripture also encourages believers to save for rainy day, as we use the term. This encouragement is given in Proverbs 6:6–8:
6Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
This passage is concerned with warning believers against laziness by watching how busy the ants are in providing for the future. Therefore, Proverbs 6:8 that refers to food storage when food is available conveys the sense that it is important to save for the future, especially when there are adequate resources. The fact is that believers should be wise when they have enough resources to save for the future.
Be that as it may, it is our assertion that the capable wife is quite thoughtful about the future of her family finances that she plans well. Her thoughtfulness is revealed in her purchase of land that is suitable for growing cash crop as we will note later. Meanwhile, her thoughtfulness is given in the first sentence of verse 16 She considers a field and buys it. The word “considers” is translated from a Hebrew word (zāmǎm) that can mean “to plan, plot, to intend”, as it is used to describe those involved in the building of the Tower of Babel, as we read in Genesis 11:6:
The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
It may mean “to resolve, choose, determine, to decide”, implying a course of action, as it is used in Psalm 17:3:
Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.
Another meaning of our Hebrew word is “to consider, ponder”, implying that an informed decision will be made. It is this meaning that is applicable to our passage of Proverbs 31:16. The capable wife thinks through regarding the family situation and determines that she needs to take actions that will ensure that the family resources are healthy. She is not, again, like many wives that do not give serious thought to the family finances especially if there is steady income that flows into the family resources. She takes steps to secure her family resources.
The first step the capable wife takes in planning for the family resources is the purchase of land suitable for future investment. It is this step that is described in the first sentence of Proverbs 31:16 She considers a field and buys it. The word “field” is translated from a Hebrew word (śāḏěh) that may mean “open field” as a pasture land for feeding animals, as it is used in God’s promise to Israel of providing grass for their livestock in Deuteronomy 11:15:
I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
It may mean “field, land” in the sense of cultivated ground for growing things, as it is used to describe where Ruth went to gather left over grain by harvesters in Ruth 2:2:
And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”
It can mean “field, land” as private property of the type Joseph bought for Pharaoh from the Egyptians, according to Genesis 47:20:
So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s,
It is in the sense of field as cultivated land that is suitable to grow plants that it is used in our passage of Proverbs 31:16.
The word “buys” of Proverbs 31:16 is translated from a Hebrew word (lāqǎḥ) that can mean “to procure, get” as the word is used for the instruction to Israelite slaves in Egypt to procure for themselves straw needed to make bricks in Exodus 5:11:
Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’”
It may mean “to receive” inheritance, as it is used in Numbers 34:14:
because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.
It can mean “to take possession”, especially of land as Israel did under the leadership of Joshua, as stated in Joshua 11:23:
So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.
In Proverbs 31:16, it is in the sense of acquiring a field through financial transactions that the word is used. This is important because it is possible that the capable wife could have inherited land from her family or the family of the husband, but such inheritance will not convey the thoughtfulness on her part. It is for this reason that we examined the word translated “buys” in our passage to show that that is the appropriate translation of the Hebrew word in our passage that reflects the capable wife’s thoughtfulness.
There is a problem regarding the source of the funds that the capable wife used in purchasing the field. Many of our English versions give the impression that the wife generated the income that she used to purchase the land or field in our passage through profit she made but that does not seem to be the case. The Holy Spirit through the human author did not specify the source of the funds, leaving us to deduce its source. The most probable source of the funds for the purchase is the family funds where there is no intention as to whether the husband or the wife brought in the funds for the purchase. I know that for many people today, especially in the West, there is the tendency to separate family resources where both husband and wife work outside the home. I understand that people do this sort of thing because of possibility of divorce. Well, to me once couples enter into marriage on that thinking, divorce will be at their minds as a possible way to resolve serious disagreement the couple may have in the future. I mean that when spouses enter into marriage with the possibility of divorce it is a matter of time when that actually takes place. If, however, they enter into that relationship with the thought that marriage should be lasting then they will work out whatever their differences happen to be at any stage in their marriage since none of them considers divorce an option to difficult problems that will arise in the marriage. My point is that when spouses separate their finances, it is an indication that they are not really united as husbands and wives. For if they are united, as marriage is intended, then they should have everything in common including their finances. This idea of “this is yours and that is mine” stems from self-centeredness of our time that is incompatible with the Christian husbands and wives who should share everything in common in Christ.
This aside, as we stated, most of our English versions indicate that the wife is the source of the funds used in the purchase of the field as given in the second clause of Proverbs 31:16 out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. This is an interpretative translation. This is because the Hebrew line does not mention income instead a literal translation from the Hebrew reads from the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. There are two problems. The first is to determine if there is a connection between this clause and one that precedes. The other problem is how to interpret the literal phrase from the fruit of her hands. With respect to the first problem, there seems to be no connection between the two since there is no connective between the two so that the second sentence is independent of the first. The second sentence states another activity that is related to that of purchase of a land since a land could be purchased for different purposes. The second problem of interpretation of the phrase hinges on three key words used in it.
A first key word is “from” in our literal translation that is translated from a Hebrew word (min) with a range of usages, but we mention those that are possible candidates in our passage. The Hebrew word may be used as a marker of source of an event or activity and so means “from, by.” Another usage is as a marker of instrument of an occurring event hence means “by means.” Another usage is as a marker of reason or cause of an event so that it may be translated “because of.” In our context, the meaning is either “from” or “by means, through.” Because the second sentence of verse 16 is independent and because there is no previous mention of finances up to this point, it is the meaning “by means, through” that was probably in the mind of the human author.
A second key word in the Hebrew text is the literal word “fruit.” It is translated from a Hebrew word (perî) that may mean “fruit,” that is, any produce from crop-bearing plants, shrubs, or trees, as it is used in 2 Kings 19:29:
“This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Figuratively, it may mean “result of an action”, as that is the sense in which it is used in the promise to the righteous in Isaiah 3:10:
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
The fact that “fruit” here in Isaiah is used in the sense of result is reflected in the translation of the NET that rendered the clause for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds of the NIV as for they will be rewarded for what they have done. Of course, the translators of the NIV used the figurative meaning of “result” in their translation of our Hebrew word in another passage, that is, in Micah 7:13:
The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the result of their deeds.
The phrase the result of their deeds is literally the fruit of their deeds. It is in the figurative sense of “result of an action” or “yield of a labor” that the word is used in Proverbs 31:16.
The third key word is the literal word “hands” that is translated from a Hebrew word (kǎp̄) that can mean the “palm of the hand”, as in Leviticus 14:15:
The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand,
It can refer to the “whole hand”, as it is used for the punishment that is to be meted to a woman that grabs an assailant’s male genital as part of her fight in defense of her husband, as in Deuteronomy 25:12:
you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity.
Figuratively, our word may mean “power, control”, as it is used in Judges 6:13:
“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”
The phrase the hand of Midian means the control of the Midianites. In our passage of Proverbs 31:16, the word is used figuratively with the sense of “control, power.”
Having considered the various meanings of the key words in the literal translation from the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard we are now in a position to interpret it. There are two possibilities. It can refer to the result of work of the capable wife so that it means her income, or it can refer to labor under her control that is the work she supervises. Both fit the context. The interpretation that takes the phrase as a reference to income is probably supported by a later reference in verse 24 of the wife earning some income although there is nothing in the preceding context that suggest financial gain. Furthermore, such interpretation assumes that the planting that takes place in the second line of the Hebrew text of verse 16 is focused on money. But it is probably that the focus is on the supervision she provided to ensure that the vineyard is properly cultivated and planted. This interpretation seems to be the way the translators of the NJV understood it since they translated the second Hebrew line as She plants a vineyard by her own labors. This removes the awkward situation of the implication that the husband does not contribute to the family finances, something that would be rare in the ancient world since the man was the one who provided most of the financial needs of the family.
The planting of the vineyard is the activity that we described as planting of cash crop because the vineyard will eventually produce grapes used in making wine. We consider the fruit of the vineyard as a cash crop because it is easily sold in the market because of demand for it. There is another fact that is involved in the planting of the vineyard, it is that the capable wife is thinking ahead for the future because planting of vines is a long-term project since it does not immediately yield grapes. Thus, the capable wife made investment that will benefit the family in the future. The implication is that a capable wife or a good wife must be a woman that is thoughtful regarding how to invest the resources of the family in a way to provide for the future. Furthermore, such a woman is thoughtful or reflexive about spending money. She does not buy out of impulse. These are things both older and younger women should know although it is expected that older women already have lived this way and so should teach that to younger women.
06/23/17