Proverbs 31:29

“Many daughters have done virtuously, etc.] This, according to Aben Ezra and Gersom, is what was said by her husband and children, and which seems to be right; especially they may be thought to be the words of her husband. By these “daughters” may be meant false churches, such as the church of Rome and her daughters, who is the mother of harlots, (<661717>Revelation 17:17). These are “many”, when the true church of Christ is but one, to whom she is opposed, (<220608>Song of Solomon 6:8,9). These may do many virtuous things externally; may make a great show of religion and devotion; may have a form of godliness, without the power of it; and a name to live, and be dead. The Vulgate Latin…”

“The words are those of her husband, praising her. virtuously--(Compare Pro 31:10).”

“The words of praise which the husband Proverbs 31:28 is supposed to have addressed to the ideal wife. Virtuously - The Hebrew word has primarily (like “virtus”) the idea of “strength,” but is used with various shades of meaning. Here (as in Proverbs 12:4; Ruth 3:11) the strength is that of character stedfast in goodness. In other passages (e. g., Genesis 34:29; Psalms 49:10) it has the sense of “riches,” and is so taken here by the Septuagint and Vulgate, see also the marginal rendering. return to 'Top of Page'”

“done virtuously: or, gotten riches thou: Sol 6:8, Sol 6:9; Eph 5:27 Proverbs 31:30”

“29 ר "Many are the daughters who have done bravely, But thou hast surpassed them all together." We have already often remarked, last time under Pro 29:6, that רב, not indeed in its sing., but in its plur. רבּים and רבּות, can precede, after the manner of a numeral, as attribute; but this syntactical licence, Pro 28:12, by no means appears, and needs to be assumed as little here as at Pro 8:26, although there is no reason that can be adduced against it. עשׂה חיל signifies here not the gaining of riches (the lxx, Syr., Targ., Jerome, Luther, Gesenius, Bttcher, and others), which here, where the encomium comes to its height, would give to it a mercenary mammon-worship note - it indeed has this…”