Read the whole chapter (KJV), with notes and a prayer
Proverbs 31
Proverbs Chapter 31, Explained
Proverbs 31 closes the book of Proverbs with two portraits of wisdom. First a mother counsels her son, King Lemuel, to speak up for the poor and to rule with justice. Then comes the famous poem of the virtuous woman, an alphabet of praise for a life of strength, dignity, and quiet faithfulness.
She is industrious, generous, and wise, trusted by her family and a blessing to her community. Yet the poem lands its point at the very end: charm is deceptive and beauty passes, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Her worth is rooted not in appearance but in her reverence for God.
Key verses from Proverbs 31
“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”
Proverbs 31:10
“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30
The main point
Proverbs 31 celebrates a life whose real beauty and strength flow from reverence for God, not from appearance.
How Proverbs 31 points to Jesus
The love this chapter honors, strong, faithful, self giving, is fully seen in Jesus, who laid down His life for His people. He is the fear of the LORD made visible, and He calls every one of us into that same reverent, fruitful life.
Want to sit with this chapter for yourself? Open The Living Bread to read Proverbs 31 in full, ask any question about it, and pray with others, free.
