Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 31:15
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
15. a portion ] So R.V. margin. But R.V. text, their task, the pensum, or amount of wool weighed out to each maiden for her day’s task. Comp.
“Noctem addens operi, famulasque ad lumina longo
Exercet penso.”
Virg. n. VIII. 411, 412.
Dean Plumptre ( Speak. Comm.) compares the picture of Lucretia, Liv. i. 57: “nocte sera, deditam lan, inter lucubrantes ancillas in medio dium sedentem invenerunt”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A portion to her maidens – The daily task assigned to each at the same time as the daily food. Compare Pro 30:8; Exo 5:14.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. She riseth also while it is yet night]
4. She is an economist of time; and when the nights are long, and the days short, her family not only spend a part of the evening after sunset in domestic labour, but they all arise before daylight, and prepare the day’s food, that they may not have their labour interrupted. To those who are going to the fields, and to the flocks, she gives the food necessary for the day: teref, prey, a term taken from hunting, the object of which was, the supplying their natural wants: hence applied to daily food. See Clarke on Pr 30:8. And to the women who are to be employed within, she gives chok, the task – the kind of work they are to do, the materials out of which they are to form it, and the quantity she expects from each. Thus all the servants are settled: their food, work, and tasks appointed. Every thing is done orderly.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
While it is yet night; early in the morning, to redeem thee.
Giveth meat; distributeth all her necessary provisions.
A portion; either,
1. Of work, which she allots to them. Or rather,
2. Of provisions for them; for so this word is used, Gen 47:22; Lev 10:13,14; Pr 30:8, and no where, to my remembrance, of an allotment of work. And so this clause agrees best with the former, expressing the same thing in other words, according to the manner.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. She diligently attends toexpending as well as gathering wealth;
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
She riseth also while it is yet night,…. That is, before the ascent of the morning, as Aben Ezra explains it, before break of day; a great while before day, as Christ is said to rise to pray, Mr 1:35; while it was yet dark; so the church here: which shows her affection for her family, her care of her children, and fervent zeal for her husband’s interest and good; a different frame of spirit this from that of hers in So 5:2;
and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens; in allusion to a daily stated allowance q of food given to such; and spiritually may be meant, by her “household” or family, the same with the family of Christ, that is named of himself, which consists of various persons, fathers, young men, and children; and by her “maidens” the ministers of the word; see Pr 9:3; who are stewards in the family, and have the food for it put into their hands to dispense; it is by these the church gives meat to her household feeds them with knowledge and understanding, with the wholesome words of Christ, with the good doctrines of the Gospel; these have a certain portion given them, and they rightly cut and divide the word of truth, and give to everyone their portion of meat in due season, according to their age and circumstances; milk indeed to babes and meat to strong men; see
Lu 12:42. The Targum renders the word for “portion [by] service”: understanding not a portion of food, but of work, a task set them, and so the word is used in Ex 5:14. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, “works”, which may be very well applied to the work and service of the Gospel ministry, and the several parts of it.
q “Gauldetque diurnos, ut famulae, praebere cibos”, Claudian. de Bello Gild. v. 71, 72.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With this diligence in her duties she is not a long sleeper, who is not awakened till the sun is up; but
15 She riseth up while it is yet night,
And giveth food to her house,
And the fixed portion to her maidens.
The fut. consec. express, if not a logical sequence of connection, yet a close inner binding together of the separate features of the character here described. Early, ere the morning dawns, such a housewife rises up, because she places care for her house above her own comfort; or rather, because this care is to her a satisfaction and a joy. Since now the poet means without doubt to say that she is up before the other inmates of the house, especially before the children, though not before the maids: we have not, in , to think that the inmates of the house, all in the morning night-watch, stand round about her, and that each receives from her a portion for the approaching day; but that she herself, early, whilst yet the most are asleep, gives out or prepares the necessary portions of food for the day (cf. , Isa 53:9). Regarding , food, from (to tear in pieces, viz., with the teeth), and regarding , a portion decreed, vid., at Pro 30:8. It is true that also means the appointed labour ( pensum ), and thus the day’s work ( ); but the parallelism brings it nearer to explain after Pro 30:8, as is done by Gesenius and Hitzig after Exo 5:14.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(15) And giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.Gives out food for her household, and the allotted portion of provisions (comp. Pro. 30:8) or work (comp. Exo. 5:14) to her maidens.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. A portion The allotted portion, or the assigned tasks. It is the same word as in Pro 30:8, which see.
While it is yet night That is, before daylight. The Orientals generally rise very early in the morning. The excessive heat of the day frequently renders labour, especially out of doors, insupportable. Hence, a great deal of business is transacted, even in royal courts, at a very early hour. The women usually rise earlier than the men, often long before day, engaging busily in the preparation of their meals, and in the various manufactures for the household and for sale.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 31:15. She riseth also while it is yet night She doth not indulge herself in too much sleep, but is an early riser, before the break of day, to make provision for those who are to go abroad to work in the fields, and to set her maidens their several tasks at home. The reader will observe, that the ideas here refer to those modest and ancient times, when female occupations were far different with those even of highest rank, from such as are usual in modern times. The employments of Penelope, in Homer, are similar to those here referred to; and the following comparison of Virgil will throw some light on the present description:
He rose refresh’d impatient from the bed, When half the silent hours of night were fled; What time the frugal and laborious dame, Who plies the distaff, stirs the dying flame; Employs her maidens by the winking light, And to their daily labour adds the night: Thus earning frugally her children’s bread, And keeping uncorrupt her nuptial bed. AEN. viii. ver. 410.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
Ver. 15. She riseth also while it is yet night. ] That is, Betime in the morning – “a great while before day,” as our Saviour also did to pray. Mar 1:35
And a portion to her maids.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
meat = [live] prey. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6, for all kinds of food.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
riseth: Jos 3:1, 2Ch 36:15, Psa 119:147, Psa 119:148, Ecc 9:10, Mar 1:35, Rom 12:11
and giveth: Mat 24:25, Luk 12:42
Reciprocal: Psa 127:2 – rise up
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 31:15. She riseth while it is yet night She doth not indulge herself in too much sleep, but is an early riser, before the break of day, to make provision for those who are to go abroad to work in the fields, and to set her maidens their several tasks at home. The reader will observe that the ideas here refer to those modest and ancient times when female occupations were far different: even of the highest rank, from such as are usual in modern times. Dodd.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and a {i} portion to her maidens.
(i) She prepares their food early.