Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 31:21

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household [are] clothed with scarlet.

21. scarlet ] It has been proposed to change the Heb. vowel-points and render, double garments, or garments of double texture and warmth, , LXX; duplicibus, Vulg. There is no reason, however, to alter the word. There is a touch of poetry in the contrast between the white snow, the emblem of cold, and the scarlet garment, which is the very picture of warmth in its glowing colour. That its texture does not belie its appearance goes without saying.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Scarlet – Probably some well-known articles of dress, at once conspicuous for their color, or, as some think, for their double texture and warmth.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. She is not afraid of the snow]

12. She is not anxious relative to the health and comfort of her family in the winter season, having provided clothes sufficient for each in the cold weather, in addition to those which they wore in the warm season.

For all her household are clothed with scarlet.] Not scarlet, for the colour can avail nothing in keeping off the cold; nor would it be a proper colour for the bogs and dirt of winter. But shanim, from shanah, to iterate, to double, signifies not only scarlet, so called from being twice or doubly dyed, but also double garments, not only the ordinary coat but the surtout or great-coat also, or a cloak to cover all. But most probably double garments, or twofold to what they were accustomed to wear, are here intended. If the general clothing be intended, scarlet cannot be the meaning, nor did our translators entirely rely on it; and therefore put double garments, the true meaning, in the margin, from which it cannot be too speedily transferred to the text. The Vulgate has “duplicibus.” And my old MS. very properly, Alle forsoth hir hoomli men, ben clothid with double. And Coverdale, with equal propriety, “For all hir householde folkes are duble clothed.” But if her husband and children alone are referred to, scarlet, which in the general meaning of the term, may be proper enough; as even in these countries of ours, scarlet, as being a lively bright colour, is used in the winter dresses.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

She is not afraid of the snow, or of any injuries of the weather.

All her household are clothed with scarlet; she hath provided enough, not only for their necessity and defence against cold and other inconveniences, which is here supposed, but also for their delight and ornament; so that not only herself, and husband, and children, but some of the better rank of her servants, wear scarlet; which was more cheap and familiar in those times and countries than now it is with us. Or, as it is rendered in our margin, and by divers others, are clothed with double garments, which is necessary and customary in cold seasons.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

21. scarletor, “purple,”by reason of the dyes used, the best fabrics; as a matter of tastealso; the color suits cold.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

She is not afraid of the snow for her household,…. That her family should suffer through the rigour of a cold season, when it is frost and snow;

for all her household [are] clothed with scarlet: the Vulgate Latin version renders it, “with double” u, that is, with double garments; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, joining the words to a following verse; and this, by some, is thought to be the better rendering of the words; since the scarlet colour is no fence against cold, no more than any other, whereas double garments are; and which may be applied to the garment of justification, or the robe of Christ’s righteousness, as one; and to the garment of sanctification, internal and external, as the other; the one, even the righteousness of Christ, or Christ the Lord our righteousness, is an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; a sufficient shelter from the cold of snow, and all inclemencies of the weather; by which the vindictive wrath and justice of God may be signified: and the other is a screen from the malicious insinuations and reproaches of men. But had the word been designed to signify “double”, it would have been in the “dual” number; as it is not, and is always used in this form for “scarlet”; and so the Targum, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra interpret it; which colour is an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which the church is justified, Ro 5:9; and all the household of faith, the whole family of Christ and household of God, are all justified by the same righteousness of Christ, consisting of his active and passive obedience, for the whole of which his crimson blood is put; it is a garment down to the feet, which covers all his people; they are all made righteous by the one obedience of Christ; they are all clothed in scarlet alike, all kings and priests unto God, all alike justified, and shall be glorified alike. The literal sense is, that if her household are clothed in scarlet in common; much more may it be thought that coarse and suitable garments would be provided for them, to protect them from the cold in winter w.

u “indigitat vestem duplo crassiorem, Stockius, p. 1122. “duplicibus, V. L. Paguinus, Tigurine version, Gataker, Gejerus; “penulis duplicibus”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “duplicatis”, Cocceius: such as Homer describes, made by ths wife of Hector, Iliad 22. v. 440, 441. see Odyss. 19. v. 225, 226, 241. “change of raiment”, David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 218. 1. w Vid. Braunium de Vest. Sacredot. Heb. l. 1. c. 15. p. 309.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

But the poet goes on to describe her fruitful activity in the nearest sphere of her calling:

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her house;

For her whole house is clothed in scarlet.

A fall of snow in the rainy season of winter is not rare in Palestine, the Hauran, and neighbouring countries, and is sometimes accompanied with freezing cold.

(Note: Vid., regarding a fall of snow in Jerusalem, the journal Saat auf Hoffnung Jahrg. 3, Heft 3; and in the Hauran Comm. to Job 38:22.)

She sees approaching the cold time of the year without any fear for her house, even though the season bring intense cold; for her whole house, i.e., the whole of the members of her family, are . The connection is accusatival ( Venet. ), as at 2Sa 15:32; Eze 9:2-3. , from , to shine, glance clear, or high red, and is with or without the name of the colour of the Kermes worm, crimson or scarlet, perhaps to be distinguished from , the red-purple shell colour, and , the blue. are clothing or material coloured with such (bright red) ( vid., at Isa 1:18). The explanation of the word by dibapha is inadmissible, because the doubled colouring, wherever it is mentioned, always refers to the purple, particularly that of Tyre ( dibapha Tyria ), not to the scarlet.

(Note: Vid., Blmner’s Die gewerbliche Thtigkeit der Vlder des klassischen Alterthums (1869), p. 21f.)

But why does the poet name scarlet-coloured clothing? On account of the contrast to the white snow, says Hitzig, he clothes the family in crimson. But this contrast would be a meaningless freak. Rather it is to be supposed that there is ascribed to the red material a power of retaining the heat, as there is to the white that of keeping off the heat; but evidence for this are wanting. Therefore Rosenmller, Vaihinger, and Bttcher approve of the translation duplicibus (Jerome, Luther) [= with double clothing], because they read, with the lxx, .

(Note: The lxx reads together , , and brings into Pro 31:21 (her husband remains without care for the members of the family if it does not snow , as it is to be read for ) and 22 the husband, who appears to the translator too much kept in the background.)

But, with right, the Syr., Targ. abide by , scarlet. The scarlet clothing is of wool, which as such preserves warmth, and, as high-coloured, appears at the same time dignified (2Sa 1:24).

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(21) She is not afraid of the snow.Not uncommon in winter-time in Palestine and the neighbouring countries. (Comp. 2Sa. 23:20; Psa. 147:16.)

All her household are clothed with scarlet, which by its very colour suggests warmth and comfort.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

21. Scarlet , ( shanim,) a deep red, or bright crimson. This word has troubled the critics. Some suppose it means double garments, or garments of double texture, or changes of clothing; clothed double for the winter. This gives a good sense, though it is not generally accepted by the more modern critics. It may have been “some well known articles of dress conspicuous at once for their colour and their warmth.” Speaker’s Commentary.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments