Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 31:26
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness.
26. the law ] “Or, teaching,” R.V. marg. The wise instruction and counsel she gives is so combined with kindness, as to win rather than compel obedience. Comp. “the gracious words which proceeded out of His lips.” Luk 4:22.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Law of kindness – The words which come from the lips of the true wife are as a law giving guidance and instruction to those that hear them; but the law is not proclaimed in its sterner aspects, but as one in which mercy tempers justice, and love, the fulfilling of the law, is seen to be the source from which it springs.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom]
17. He comes now to the moral management of her family.
1) She is wise and intelligent; she has not neglected the cultivation of her mind.
2) She is amiable in her carriage, full of good nature, well tempered, and conciliating in her manners and address.
In her tongue is the law of kindness.] This is the most distinguishing excellence of this woman. There are very few of those who are called managing women who are not lords over their husbands, tyrants over their servants, and insolent among their neighbours. But this woman, with all her eminence and excellence, was of a meek and quiet spirit. Blessed woman!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; she is neither sullenly silent, nor full of vain and impertinent talk, as many women are, but speaks directly and piously, as occasion offereth itself.
In her tongue is the law of kindness; her speeches are not froward and provoking, as those of foolish women frequently are, but most obliging and amiable, as being guided by wisdom and grace, and not by inordinate lusts and passions. And this practice is called
a law in her tongue, because it is constant and customary, and proceeds from an inward and powerful principle of true wisdom, which in a manner necessitates and constrains her to discourse like herself, so that in a moral sense she cannot speak otherwise, unless she offer violence to herself, or the nature of the thing require sharp and severe expressions.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. Her conversation is wise andgentle.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
She openeth her mouth with wisdom,…. When she opens her mouth, for it is not always open, she expresses herself in a discreet and prudent manner; as well as speaks of things not foolish and trifling, but of moment and importance, and of usefulness to others: or “concerning wisdom” a; the church and people of Christ talk of the wisdom of God in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; of Christ, the Wisdom of God, and as made so to them; of the Gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom; and of wisdom in the hidden part, or the truth of grace in their souls; of their gracious experiences; nor will they suffer any foolish, filthy, and corrupt communication to proceed out of their mouths, but speak the pure language of Canaan; what is for the use of edifying, and being taken out of the Scriptures is profitable for instruction in righteousness; see Ps 37:30;
and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness; or “the law of love” b, grace and mercy; which is the law of Christ, Ga 6:2; speaking kindly and tenderly to everyone, exhorting to acts of mercy and kindness, and doing them herself: or “the doctrine of grace [is] in her tongue” c; the Gospel, which is called the Gospel of the grace of God, and the grace of God itself; it is the doctrine of the grace and love of God the Father towards men in Christ, as it appears in their election in him and redemption by him; of the grace of Christ in his incarnation, sufferings, and death; and of the grace of the Spirit in regeneration, conversion, and sanctification; and which contains various doctrines of grace, as of justification, pardon of sin, and effectual calling; and of salvation itself, which is all of grace: and this doctrine of grace, in the several branches of it, the church, and all gracious souls, cannot forbear speaking of; it is often in their mouths, it dwells upon their tongues; and careful are they in other respects that their speech be seasoned with grace, and be such that ministers grace to the hearers, Eph 4:29.
a “de sapientia”, Mercerus. b “lex misericordiae”, Montanus. c “Instructio gratiae”, Gejerus; “lex, vel doctrina gratiae”, Cocceius, so the Targum; “doctrina benigniatis”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The next verse presents one of the most beautiful features in the portrait:
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom,
And amiable instruction is on her tongue.
The of is, as also at Psa 49:5; Psa 78:2, that of means: when she speaks, then it is wisdom pressing itself from her heart outward, by means of which she breaks the silence of her mouth. With , in the expression 26b, elsewhere interchanges: under the tongue, Psa 10:7, one has that which is ready to be spoken out, and on the tongue, Psa 15:3, that which is in the act of being spoken out. is a genitive connection after the manner of torath , Mal 2:6. The gen. is not, as at Lev 6:2, in torath , the gen. of the object (thus e.g., Fleischer’s institutio ad humanitatem ), but the gen. of property, but not so that denotes grace (Symmachus, ; Theodotion, ), because for this meaning there is no example except Isa 40:6; and since in the O.T. is the very same as in the N.T., love, which is the fulfilling of the law, Hos 6:6, cf. 1Ki 20:31,
(Note: Immanuel remarks that Torath probably refers to the Tora , and , i.e., which is wholly love, which goes forth in love, to the Gesetz = statute.)
it is supposed that the poet, since he writes , and not , means to designate by this property without which her love for her husband, her industry, her high sentiment, would be no virtues, viz., unselfish, sympathizing, gentle love. Instruction which bears on itself the stamp of such amiability, and is also gracious, i.e., awakening love, because going forth from love (according to which Luther, translating holdselige Lere = pleasing instructions, thus understands it) – such instruction she carries, as house-mother (Pro 1:8), in her mouth. Accordingly the lxx translate ( vid., Lagarde regarding the mistakes of this text before us) , and Jerome lex clementiae . is related to as grace to love; it denotes love showing itself in kindness and gracefulness, particularly condescending love, proceeding from a compassionate sympathy with the sufferings and wants of men. Such graceful instruction she communicates now to this and now to that member of her household, for nothing that goes on in her house escapes her observation.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(26) She openeth her mouth with wisdom.She is not a mere household drudge, with no thought beyond providing food and clothing for her family. She cares for their higher interests, and knows how to guide them with her wisdom.
In her tongue is the law of kindness.Kindness is the law by which she regulates all her words.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. With wisdom She has not neglected the cultivation of her mind, consequently she is no idle talker, no mere prattler; spends not her breath in trifling gossip; but converses with intelligence and discretion. Moreover, she is habitually kind in her deportment and discourse.
The law of kindness Or pity, is on her tongue. Dr. Clarke, who was not an admirer of “strong-minded women,” thinks this the most remarkable characteristic of this remarkable woman. Hear him: “There are very few of those called managing women who are not lords over their husbands, tyrants over their servants, and insolent among their neighbours. But this woman, with all her eminence and excellence, was of a meek and quiet spirit.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness.
Ver. 26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom. ] Her mouth is not always open, but duly shut and discreetly opened – her words are few, true, and ponderous; the stream and current of her conference tends either to wisdom or kindness – that is, to duties either of piety or charity. The Jesuits forbid women to speak of God and his ways, either in good sort or in bad, and to meddle only with the distaff. But the good women in both Testaments, Abigail, Hannah, Esther, the Virgin Mary, Priscilla, Lois, &c., never heard of this new doctrine. Tatianus tells us that in the primitive Church every age and sex among the Christians were Christian philosophers; yea, that the very virgins and maids, as they sat at their work in wool, were wont to speak of God’s word. And Nicephorus writes that the Christians, even as they laboured or journeyed, were wont to sing psalms, and that thereby there was at a certain time a Jew converted. a It were surely a great grace, saith Lambert the martyr: if we might have the word of God diligently and often spoken and sung unto us in such wise that women and children might understand it. b Then should it come to pass that craftsmen should sing spiritual psalms sitting at their work, the husbandman at his plough, the good housewife at her wheel, as wisheth St Jerome.
And in her tongue is the law of kindness.
a Hist. Eccles., lib. iii. cap. 37.
b Acts and Mon., fol. 1015.
c Dan, 262.
d Speed, 646; Cavid. in Middlesex, fol. 432.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wisdom. Hebrew. chakmah. See note on Pro 1:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
openeth: Pro 31:8, Pro 31:9, Jdg 13:23, 1Sa 25:24-31, 2Sa 20:16-22, 2Ki 22:15-20, Est 4:4, Est 5:8, Est 7:3-6, Est 8:3-6, Luk 1:38, Luk 1:42-56, Act 18:26, Eph 4:29, Col 4:5
in her: Pro 12:18, Pro 16:24, Pro 25:15, Gen 24:18-20, Son 2:14, Son 4:11, Mal 2:6, Act 6:15, 1Pe 3:1, 1Pe 3:4, 1Pe 3:5, 1Pe 3:8, 1Pe 3:9
Reciprocal: 1Sa 25:3 – good Ecc 10:12 – words Son 4:3 – scarlet 1Co 13:4 – is kind
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 31:26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom She is neither sullenly silent, nor full of impertinent talk, but speaks discreetly and piously, as occasion offers. In her tongue is the law of kindness Her speeches are guided by wisdom and grace, and not by inordinate passions. And this practice is called a law in her tongue, because it is constant and customary, and proceeds from an inward and powerful principle of true wisdom.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and on her tongue [is] the {n} law of kindness.
(n) Her tongue is a book by which one might learn many good things: for she delights to talk of the word of God.