Proverbs 31:31Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. City gates where business and justice happened. Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: passionate advocate demanding justice
The original word
sha'ar (שַׁעַר) — gates, the place where reputation was made public, like today's social media
Why it matters
City gates were where contracts were witnessed, court cases heard, and reputations established
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 31:31
This is a command to the community — WE are supposed to praise her work, not wait for her to promote herself
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about the woman promoting herself, but it's a command to society — WE should celebrate faithful work, especially work that's typically invisible.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 31:31
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 31:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 31:31 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the United Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is joyful, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is celebratory. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include reward, recognition. Notable phrases: fruit of her hands; works praise her. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same joyful
“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, …”
— Isaiah 9:6
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22
“"Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?"”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55
“Rejoice always.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 31:31 mean to you, today?
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