Proverbs 31:13

“She seeketh wool and flax, etc.] To get them, in order to spin them, and work them up into garments; she stays not till they are brought to her, and she is pressed to take them; but she seeks after them, which shows her willingness to work, as is after more fully expressed. It was usual in ancient times for great personages to do such works as these, both among the Greciansf940 and Romans: Lucretia with her maids were found spinning, when her husband Collatinus paid a visit to her from the campf941: Tanaquills, or Caia Caecilia, the wife of King Tarquin, was an excellent spinster of woolf942; her wool, with a distaff and spindle, long remained in the temple of Sangus, or Sancus, as Varrof943…”

“Ancient women of rank thus wrought with their hands; and such, indeed, were the customs of Western women a few centuries since. In the East also, the fabrics were articles of merchandise.”

“Worketh willingly with her hands - Or, worketh with willing hands. The stress laid upon the industrial habits of Israelite matrons may perhaps belong to a time when, as under the monarchy of Judah, those habits were passing away. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Flax - That she may find employment for her servants. Worketh - She encourages them to work by her example; which was a common practice among princesses in those first ages. Not that it is the duty of kings and queens to use manual operations, but it is the duty of all persons, the greatest not excepted, to improve all their talents, and particularly their time, which is one of the noblest of them, to the service of that God to whom they must give an account, and to the good of that community to which they are related. Proverbs 31:14”

“31:13-15 This wife works to provide food and clothing for her family.”

“worketh: Gen 18:6-8, Gen 24:13, Gen 24:14, Gen 24:18-20, Gen 29:9, Gen 29:10; Exo 2:16; Rut 2:2, Rut 2:3, Rut 2:23; Isa 3:16-24, Isa 32:9-11; Act 9:39, Act 9:40; Th1 4:11; Th2 3:10-12; Ti1 5:10, Ti1 5:14; Tit 2:5 Proverbs 31:14”

“The poet now describes how she disposes of things: 13 ד She careth for wool and flax, And worketh these with her hands' pleasure. The verb דּרשׁ proceeds, as the Arab. shows, (Note: The inquirer is there called (Arab.) daras, as libros terens.) from the primary meaning terere; but to translate with reference thereto: tractat lanam et linum (lxx, Schultens, Dathe, Rosemller, Fleischer), is inadmissible. The Heb. דרשׁ does not mean the external working at or manufacturing of a thing; but it means, even when it refers to this, the intention of the mind purposely directed thereto. Thus wool and flax come into view as the material of work which she cares to bring in; and ותּעשׂ signifies the work…”