Proverbs 31: Week Forty-Seven | The Wolfe Notes

Welcome to week forty-seven of our Proverbs 31 journey. This week, topics include raising children, being called blessed, and receiving praise. If you'd like to return to one of our previous stops, let our "Wolfe Notes" guide you. 

• In January we examined our value with the help of Proverbs 31 verses 10 and 29.
• In February we learned what uplifting means by looking at Proverbs 31:11 and 23.
• In March, we considered the virtue of respect by studying Proverbs 31:12 and 28.
• In April, we trained to be hardworking with Proverbs 31:13 and 19 as our instructors.
• In May, we saw what it takes to be resourceful by examining Proverbs 31:14 and 21. 
• In June, we developed our caring muscle by exercising Proverbs 31:15 and 22.
• In July, we practiced being savvy with help from Proverbs 31:16 and 27.
• In August, we witnessed exemplary behavior outlined in Proverbs 31:18 and 31.
• In September, we found what being necessary looks like from Proverbs 31:20 and 24.
• In October, we exercised strength in Jesus from Proverbs 31:17 and 25.
• In November, we are rehearsing being well-spoken by looking to Proverbs 31:26 and 28.

If you're ready to travel with us, welcome! Grab your November calendar with daily activities, the lamp for your feet (the Bible), and let's get going! We're journeying through the concluding poem of Proverbs and we're so glad you decided to walk along this road with us! Imagine that as we walk, we're talking about the daily activities. Our side of the discussion is outlined below. What would you add? How would you challenge us? (Ideas that are our thoughts alone are designated with an *.)

Contents:

About Children from various sources.
Other Versions and writing our own.

Commentaries of Proverbs 31:28.

*As Christ's Bride applying Proverbs 31:28.
*Look at Roles to apply Proverbs 31:28.
*Godly Wisdom What Proverbs 31:28 reveals about God's character.
*Applications in our past, present, and hopes for the future.

About Children

From various sources.

Hebrew from Bible Hub

• ben: son
• Other uses: brothers, builders, descendants, lambs, offspring, warriors, young

Definition from Merriam-Webster

1. young person especially between infancy and puberty (*in need of help)
2. descendant (e.g. of Israel)
3. one strongly influenced by another (*children of God)
4. product, result (*work of her hands)

Article: "What does the Bible say about raising children?" from Got Questions

• God created family. His desire is for a man and woman to bond for life and together raise children who know and honor Him. 
• Mark 10:9 KJV What therefore God hath joined together [man and wife], let not man put asunder.
• Malachi 2:15 ESV Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
• Children are a gift from God (*entrusted to us) and he cares about how they are raised. (*Not just biological children, He asks us to tend to all His sheep. John 21:15-17)
• Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
• Psalm 34:11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
• Proverbs 23:13-14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.
• Raise your children (*and sheep entrusted to you) for God.
• Teach them all God has done for them (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 11-19)
• Do not provoke them to anger but bring them up in the discipline (*wisdom) and instruction of the Lord (*law of kindness). Ephesians 6:4. 
• We provoke them to anger when we:
• Set impossible standards.
• Tease, ridicule, or humiliate as a form of punishment.
• Are inconsistent because it makes them unsure of the consequences.
• Hypocritical - we fail to model the expected behavior.
• Instead, bring them up as God trains us:
• Be slow to anger (Numbers 14:18 & Psalm 145:8)
• Be patient (Psalm 86:15)
• Be forgiving (Daniel 9:9)
• Discipline to direct toward repentance (Hebrews 12:6-11)
• Discipline means "make a disciple of". You can discipline your children by:
• Instilling values and life lessons
• Practicing Godly living
• Making spirit-controlled decisions (Galatians 5:16-25)
• Encouraging children to follow the example set before them.
• God's discipline is to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29)
• It must be proper and consistent discipline to yield a harvest of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11)
• Failure to discipline leads to dishonor for both parent and child (Proverbs 10:1)
• Ignore discipline and despise yourself (Proverbs 15:32)
• Instruct according to the Bible (John 17:17 & Psalm 119:97)
• Fill your homes with His truth (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
• The goal is to produce wise children who know (*truth) and honor (*grace) God with their lives.
• Conclusions: Her children are the people and ideas she's invested into (the field she's purchased) and labored to produce through restraint, patience, mercy, grace, training, discipline, instruction, truth, along with constant reminders of who they are.

Scripture from Open Bible

1. Proverbs 22:6 KJV: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
2. Ephesians 6:4 NASB: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.
3. Proverbs 17:6 KJV: Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
4. Psalm 127:3-5 KJV: Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (*Metaphorically: anything you labor to produce. What are you raising up?)
5. Mark 10:14-16 KJV: But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

*Conclusions: Our children - the works of our hands, what we labor to produce - are to be raised up as God raises us up. They - our children, the works of our hands - are a gift from God to us who long to be part of God's Kingdom where they will reflect God's glory and will speak well of us even among those who despise us. (Let her own works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31:31)

Other Versions

Of Proverbs 31:28 and writing our own.

Phrase-by-Phrase

• Her children arise up and call her blessed; happy, prosperous, to be admired (envied), make her happy, praise her, say good things about her, speak well of, show their appreciation, encourage her, consider her happy, respect and bless her, proclaim her blessed, honor her, stand and bless her, preached her most blessed, rose up, have risen up
• her husband also, and he praiseth her. saying: / with great pride he says: / brags about her 
• *Realizations: This verse paints various pictures dependent on the interpretation:
1. The children and husband rise together to praise her.
2. They rise separately.
3. After the children have grown (risen up), then they speak well of her.
4. The husband praises her with the specific words of the next verse: "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." Proverbs 31:29

Significantly Different Versions

• CEB: Her children bless her; her husband praises her.
• CJB: Her children arise; they make her happy; her husband too, as he praises her:
• CEV: Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says, 
• GNT: Her children show their appreciation, and her husband praises her.
• NOG: Her children and husband stand up and bless her. In addition, he sings her praises, by saying, 

Wolfe Stew Versions

• Wisdom's children - the work of her hands, the field she has invested in - tell everyone of the grace and truth being Wisdom's disciple exudes. Indeed, those who marry themselves to Wisdom cannot stop singing her praises. Wisdom is well-spoken of by her children who prosper from her truth and grace and her husband who loves and leads by her counsel.
• Christ's Bride is well-spoken of by the sheep it tends to and return to the fold because of God's favor. Her husband, Jesus Christ, in response proclaims "Well done, my good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your husband."
• The Godly wife is well spoken of by her children - the work of her hands, the field she has invested in - and her husband because they see God's favor is bestowed upon her as she rises while it is still night to let His glory shine.
• Personally, my efforts - my children, the work of my hands, the field I've invested in - all tell the story of God working in me and my leaders - my husband, those who account for me, those who guide and encourage me - speak well of me because they see I listen and follow the example set before me.
• Relationally, my interactions guided by wisdom and the law of kindness lead to God's favor on the relationship causing all who committedly enter in to joyfully praise God for it.
• Intellectually, pursue training, invest fully, and work eagerly to raise up offspring of truth that leads to God's grace which will joyously spread to all who bind themselves to you.
• Spiritually, my fruits will speak well of me because they are grown by Jesus and pruned by the Father as I remain in Him.

Commentaries

Of Proverbs 31:28 from Bible Hub.

Phrase-by-Phrase

• Her children arise up, and call her blessed:
• They apply themselves industriously to the work of setting forth her praises as "arise up" also indicates in these verses: Genesis 37:25 and Exodus 2:17. - Poole
• They are blessed because of who she is and how they were trained. - Poole
• Having grown in maturity and judgment and so are now capable of observing her. - Gill
• Or rising in reverence and respect due to the relationship. - Gill
• Or signifying a readiness to show regard and earnestly commend. - Gill
• Children = disciples of Zion (Isaiah 54:1) and mother to all. - Gill
• She is fruitful by sedulity and prudence, affectionate. The children celebrate and praise her knowing she is rightfully blessed by God. -Pulpit
• Her mercy raises up her children, and they grow rich. -Septuagint
• her husband also, and he praiseth her.
• God is her husband (Jarchi) who praises her for her beauty (given to her), gracefulness, her clothing (which is God's), her faith, love, humility, and other graces (all gifts from God). See Solomon 1:8. - Gill
• Using the words that follow he praises her. - Benson and Pulpit

Overall

• It's a credible testimony because both are constant eyewitnesses of her entire conduct. - Benson

*Conclusions: It's not a trite speech but one fostered from time and care. Not forced; nurtured. Not mandatory; desired. Because of who they've come to be by her hand, it becomes their ambition to tell others of who she is. Reminiscent of the church and Jesus: because of who we are becoming by His blessing, we can't help but tell others about Him. And, in response He can't help but love what He sees in us: the person He's created, the wife He's nurtured, fearlessly rising, clothed in His righteousness, to tell others shamelessly of His goodness.

*As Christ's Bride

Applying Proverbs 31:28.

As Christ's Bride, we:

• Submit to Him by praising His ways and honoring them in everything we do.
• Respect Him by rising to bless Him instead of ourselves.

Because He:

• Leads us by setting the example for us, training us, and calling us forth.
• Loves us by creating us, redeeming us, claiming us, and sharing His inheritance with us.

*Look at Roles

 To apply Proverbs 31:28.

A Helper:

• Submits to her husband by seeing the good in his ways and honoring them as they lead to godliness.
• Respects her husband by seeking to bless him instead of herself.

Because a Keeper:

• Leads his wife by setting the example, discipling, and calling her to walk in godliness.
• Loves his wife by choosing her again each moment, claiming her as his own by leaving anything that tears him away from her, and by sharing all that he had, has, and will have freely with her.

*Godly Wisdom

What Proverbs 31:28 reveals about God's character.

1. When we are mature in Him, our ambition is to tell others about His blessings.
2. He is worthy to be praised.
3. He speaks well of us.

*Applications

In our past, present, and hopes for the future.

• In the past, I DOUBTED this could ever be about me.
• Presently, I KNOW it is, but also that it isn't. It's about God through me.
• In the future, I hope to ARISE to bless God and sing His praises, refusing to be silent.

Final Thoughts

While we've studied this verse before, I'm shocked by the different lessons I learned each time. Last time we looked at it from a perspective of respect, and this time it was about being well-spoken. The concept of children took center stage the first time, but this time it was about what was being said and why. Despite the differences, the conclusion remained the same: only one person bestows blessings, the one that deserves all praise - Jesus. If we are well-spoken of, it is because of Him. Return it to Him, then. Give glory and honor to whom it is due. 

Growing with You,

Review Week 46 or

Move on to Week 48.

Sample these related posts:

To rehearse being well-spoken with us.

To interpret this verse from a "respect" perspective.

To consider your field before buying it.

To let your own works will praise you in the gates.

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