The Virtues of a Noble Wife
Proverbs 31 lays out beautifully the details of the virtuous woman. The description, ever so eloquently stated, can leave many of us women and wives in particular feeling somewhat inadequate. It seems so unattainable when you look at the passage as a whole. At the very least, we look at the passage and say, “That woman is TIRED. It’s not possible to be her.” When you realize that this is a guideline and not a specific listing of qualifications, it is more palatable.
As we have a look at Proverbs 31:10-12, 23 we see who the Noble Wife is. “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life…Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” In light of the scriptures, let us look at the definition of noble to get a better understanding.
Noble is defined as “to be distinguished; to be of high moral and mental character and excellence; to be admirable in dignity; grand or impressive especially in appearance.” It is marvelous that all of these words are included in the definition of noble because they are all highly important to who the noble wife is at her core. When a wife or noble woman looks good, it can be a reflection of her husband both in 1) how he is treating her and 2) that she has made the efforts to make him look good to the world that she encounters. My late uncle would always tell my husband that “he” had me looking good. What a great depiction of this very point.
Proverbs 12:4 tells us that “an excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness to his bones.” The Passion Translation of the Bible puts it this way: “The integrity and strength of a virtuous wife transforms her husband into an honored king. but the wife who disgraces her husband weakens the strength of his identity.” As a mentor to young women over the years, and to young wives in particular, it has been necessary to address with some how they leave home. It may not matter to most, but you are not most, dear noble wife.
In our marriage ministry and in our premarital counseling, we ask the couples two questions. First, how is your spouse’s (fiancée’s) life better because of you? And secondly, how is your life better because of your spouse (fiancé)? The noble wife is a gift to her husband and everything in his life increases and is made better because of her. Proverbs 18:22 tells us that. A man’s greatest treasure is his wife— she is a gift from the Lord. (CEV) Or as we see from the New King James version, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” It may seem that this is all about the husband but trust me. What increases for him is an increase for you!
What does being a noble wife look like?To be a noble wife is that whatever is in your hand to do, you do excellently.It is bringing glory to God in word and in deed and also bringing honor to your husband in your sphere of influence.Proverbs 31:23 tells us that the husband of the noble wife is greatly respected because of her.Represent God as His royal daughter and represent your husband as his crown in your speech, your public presentation or appearance, in your connections, and in your home environment.Let everything that you do be a reflection of your strength, valor, and let it show that you are a noble wife.
