The Woman and the King: Proverbs 31 Chapter Overview

If you are a woman (and maybe even a man) then many times when you think of Proverbs 31, you instantly jump to verses 10-31 and begin considering how you can be (or locate, if you are male) the scarcely found "excellent wife." While this is the ultimate desire and the part on which we will focus most of this study, I also would argue it is important not to dismiss verse 1-9 where we learn about the oracle King Lemuel's mother taught him.

We don't know very much about King Lemuel except that he was a king, really. We don't know for sure the time that he lived, where he reigned or his nationality. These are debated topics. The curiosity of any connection between the first portion of the chapter and the latter 21 verses also is a mystery. Some commentators would say there is a clear linkage between the two parts, solidified by the nature of the topics thus maintaining a consistent author (being the Queen Mother). Others would argue there is no connection between the two, because of the use of a different writing language. We do know that verses 1-9 are more than likely an oracle that King Lemuel's mother recited over him as an infant and something he is now ( in this chapter) reciting from memory.

In this specific study, we will not necessarily consider the connectedness or lack thereof. But I encourage you to look more into it and at some ideas that could prove it true or false — Did the Queen Mother write both portions? Was King Lemuel reciting verse 1-9 and then trailed into the ideas he wanted as a wife? Was the Proverbs 31 woman King Lemuel's wife and he began describing here? If she was his wife, what was his role as the "husband" in "the gates" (v. 23)?

What we have to remember is that both the early and latter portions are included in this chapter. In this study, we will consider both portions and learn about why each of these are important to our growth as Godly women.

In the first third of the chapter, we see the description of an excellent king — we see the actions of the type of man he needs to be, despite what culture says. The second two-thirds of the chapter describes a Godly woman and what it looks like for a woman to be an excellent wife. As single women, this is a great opportunity for you to see what a man of good character and Godliness looks like. Don't skip this part!

Throughout this study, we will focus on how we can be Godly women both in our marriages and in singleness. But let's look at the men, too. If you are single, consider the type of man God desires for you and then hide yourself in Christ. If you are married to a Godly man, consider the ways your husband strives to maintain this kind of character for you. If you are married to someone who does not know Christ, pray this over him that God may draw your husband's heart to Himself.

I pray this is a journey of prayer for all of us to become better than we are as we are more conformed to the image of Christ. Next week, we will look more specifically at King Lemuel's words, at the character his mother longed for him to maintain and how those words apply to us today.

I look forward to learning with you.

Brittany