Proverbs 31:15
She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights her role not just as a provider, but as a manager who delegates with intention. She doesn't just feed her household; she assigns specific "portions," which could mean food or work, ensuring everyone knows their task for the day and is equipped to do it.
This passage is part of an extended poem praising a capable wife, often called the "woman of noble character." It begins by establishing her immense value and follows her daily activities, detailing her hard work, wisdom, and economic shrewdness. This verse specifically shows her rising before dawn to manage the household's needs, setting the stage for her diligent labor throughout the day.
This isn't just about waking up early. It's about a deep-seated wisdom in managing every moment.
Mastering the Clock
The wise woman described here is a master of her time. She 'rises while it is yet night' not out of compulsion, but from a proactive spirit. This isn't about being busy for the sake of it; it's about intentionality. She understands that time is a precious resource, and she uses the early hours, often before the sun even crests the horizon, to set her household up for success. This involves preparing food – the sustenance her family needs for the day’s labor – and also setting the direction for those who serve alongside her.
What does it mean to give a 'portion' to her maidens? It reveals a deeper layer of leadership and care.
Beyond Basic Needs
The verse doesn't just say she feeds them; she gives them a 'portion.' This word carries a double meaning, encompassing both their daily food and their assigned tasks. It signifies thoughtful distribution – ensuring everyone has what they need to eat and clear direction for their work. This isn't a master-slave dynamic, but a leader ensuring her team is equipped and aligned. Her provision isn't just sustenance; it's also purpose and structure for the day. She delegates wisely, ensuring order and productivity within her domain.
Understand the original words
bayith · Hebrew Noun
The fundamental unit of biblical society, encompassing not just the nuclear family but the extended family, servants, and all those under one's care. It is the primary sphere for living out covenantal responsibility.
choq · Hebrew Noun
An assigned portion or allotment. It implies the responsibility of a leader or provider to ensure that everyone under their authority receives their due sustenance.
This passage shows Abraham's household rising early to prepare for guests, highlighting the ancient practice of early rising and diligent hospitality that Proverbs 31:15 reflects.
1 Samuel 25:18This verse depicts Abigail preparing provisions for her household and servants with great haste and foresight, mirroring the industrious and responsible spirit of the Proverbs 31 woman.
Luke 12:35-36Jesus calls His followers to be ready and watchful, like servants awaiting their master's return, a parallel to the Proverbs 31 woman's diligent and prepared nature in managing her household.
Philippians 2:3-4This passage encourages looking out for the interests of others, not just our own. The Proverbs 31 woman's early rising to provide for her household and maidens is a practical, everyday application of this selfless principle.
clarkeProverbs 31:15: "She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens."
She riseth also while it is yet night - 4. She is an economist of time; and when the nights are long, and the days short, her family not only spend a part of the evening after sunset in domestic labor, but they all arise before daylight, and prepare the day's food, that they may not have their labor interrupted. To those who are going to the fields, and to the flocks, she giv…
jfbProverbs 31:15: "She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens."
- She diligently attends to expending as well as gathering wealth;
This verse highlights her role not just as a provider, but as a manager who delegates with intention. She doesn't just feed her household; she assigns specific "portions," which could mean food or work, ensuring everyone knows their task for the day and is equipped to do it.
This passage is part of an extended poem praising a capable wife, often called the "woman of noble character." It begins by establishing her immense value and follows her daily activities, detailing her hard work, wisdom, and economic shrewdness. This verse specifically shows her rising before dawn to manage the household's needs, setting the stage for her diligent labor throughout the day.
This passage is part of an extended poem praising a capable wife, often called the "woman of noble character." It begins by establishing her immense value and follows her daily activities, detailing her hard work, wisdom, and economic shrewdness. This verse specifically shows her rising before dawn to manage the household's needs, setting the stage for her diligent labor throughout the day.
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"She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens." — This verse highlights her role not just as a provider, but as a manager who delegates with intention. She doesn't just feed her household; she assigns specific "portions," which could mean food or wo…
