Proverbs 14:1

“Every wise woman buildeth her house, etc.] Not only by her fruitfulness, as Leah and Rachel built up the house of Israel; but by her good housewifery, prudent economy; looking well to the ways of her household; guiding the affairs of her house with discretion; keeping all things in a good decorum; and bringing up her children in virtue, and in the fear and admonition of the Lord. So Christ, who in this book goes by the name of “Wisdom”, or the wise woman, builds his house upon himself, the Rock; and all his people on their most holy faith, by means of the ministry of the word, and administration of ordinances: he guides and governs his house, where he is, as a Son in it and over it; and of…”

“(Pro. 14:1-35) Every wise, &c.--literally, "The wisdoms" (compare Pro 9:1) "of women," plural, a distributive form of speech. buildeth . . . house--increases wealth, which the foolish, by mismanagement, lessen.”

“Every wise woman - literally, Wise women. The fullest recognition that has as yet met us of the importance of woman, for good or evil, in all human society. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Buildeth - Maintains and improves her family and estate. Her hands - By her idleness or sin. Proverbs 14:3”

“14:1 Building or tearing down the home is a metaphor for strengthening or weakening one’s family.”

“wise: Pro 24:3, Pro 24:4, 31:10-31; Rut 4:11 the foolish: Pro 9:13-15, Pro 19:13, Pro 21:9, Pro 21:19; Kg1 16:31, Kg1 21:24, Kg1 21:25; Kg2 11:1 Proverbs 14:2”

“1 The wisdom of the woman buildeth her house, And folly teareth it down with its own hands. Were it חכמות נשׁים, after Jdg 5:29, cf. Isa 19:11, then the meaning would be: the wise among women, each of them buildeth her house. But why then not just אשּׁה חכמה, as Sa2 14:2, cf. Exo 35:25? The Syr., Targum, and Jerome write sapiens mulier. And if the whole class must be spoken of, why again immediately the individualizing in בּנתה? The lxx obliterates that by its ᾠκοδόμησαν. And does not אוּלת \[folly\] in the contrasted proverb (1b) lead us to conclude on a similar abstract in 1a? The translators conceal this, for they translate אולת personally. Thus also the Venet. and Luther; אוּלת is,…”