Proverbs 31:14 |Bible Study | Bringer of Food

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Introduction: Proverbs 31 Bible Study verse 14 Bible Study | Know the BIBLE series

Welcome, to the bible study series Know the Bible: Proverbs 31:14. I am glad you are meeting me AT FORESTS EDGE, where women can study the word of God together and encourage one another while we walk out our faith, embrace womanhood, and live fearlessly.

In this study of Proverbs 31:14, we will look at the fourteenth verse in context. I have broken the chapter into mini-studies so busy women like myself can take in the information in just a few minutes each day. 

If you have more time then feel free to continue to the next section whenever you are ready.

This study is perfect for a personal bible study or a women’s small group.

New here? The Proverbs 31 overview sets the stage for the context of the chapter, otherwise, let’s jump right into Proverbs 31 verse 14!

Proverbs 31:14

“She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.”

Proverbs 31:14 NKJV

Proverbs 31:14 Strong’s Definition:

merchants’- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H5503)סָחַר çâchar, saw-khar’; a primitive root; to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate:—go about, merchant(-man), occupy with, pant, trade, traffick.

ship- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H591)אֳנִיָּה ʼŏnîyâh, on-ee-yaw’; feminine of H590; a ship:—ship(-men).

afar- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H4801)מֶרְחָק merchâq, mer-khawk’; from H7368; remoteness, i.e. (concretely) a distant place; often (adverbially) from afar:—(a-, dwell in, very) far (country, off). See also 1023.

Proverbs 31:14 Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

MER’CHANT, noun [Latin mercor, to buy.]

1. A man who trafficks or carries on trade with foreign countries, or who exports and imports goods and sells them by wholesale.

2. In popular usage, any trader, or one who deals in the purchase and sale of goods.

3. A ship in trade. [Not used.]

MER’CHANT, verb intransitive To trade. [Not in use.]

SHIP, noun [Latin scapha; from the root of shape.]

 In a general sense, a vessel or building of a peculiar structure, adapted to navigation, or floating on water by means of sails. In an appropriate sense, a building of a structure or form fitted for navigation, furnished with a bowsprit and three masts, a main-mast, a fore-mast and a mizen-mast, each of which is composed a lower-mast, a top-mast and top-gallant-mast, and square rigged. Ships are of various sizes and are for various uses; most of them however fall under the denomination of ships of war and merchant’s ships.

AF’AR, adverb [a and far. See Far].

1. At a distance in place; to or from a distance; used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off.

Summary of Proverbs 31:14

The virtuous wife is like the merchant’s ships because she travels a great distance to obtain her food.

My notes from Proverbs 31:14

There have been teachings comparing the Proverbs 31 woman to the merchants. They focus on her being the ultimate businesswoman, trading, and dealing shrewdly, that all may be true of her.

However, when I took a deeper look at this passage, it was clear that she was being compared to the ships of the merchant, not the merchant themselves. 

The virtuous wife is like the vessel not the businessman in this instance.

She brings her food from a distant place.

She travels a great distance to obtain food that is diverse and nutritious. 

Thought and effort go into meal planning for her household. 

She is seeking out locations that offer the freshest food.

This virtuous woman travels, seeks out, procures, and journeys home with her treasure. Food for her family and household.

It is a tedious task and she does it well.

This is a quest that women throughout time have completed for their own households. (Men can do it too, my husband actually does most of our shopping these days because it works for our family better.) 

The focus isn’t who does the shopping, it’s that we can meal plan and make choices for our family’s nutrition.

We do our best to feed our family

Sure, anyone can just eat out all the time (if they can afford it).

Or we can just purchase the frozen premade meals packed with preservatives and a long list of names that are difficult to pronounce.

Time has shown us that many long-term health issues can be traced to poor nutrition.

As a mother and homemaker, I try to find or grow fresh ingredients for meals to cook from scratch. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am not threshing my own grain and doing everything flawlessly while raising a whole bunch of kids. 

I still rely on foods that have taken those steps for me because I don’t have time to do it all myself. The women who do, I applaud them, great job! But, I hardly feel like I have enough hours in a day to complete the things I want to do. 

Our meals are not always gourmet masterpieces. However, I can say I make an effort to cook a hot dinner for my family every day. 

Sometimes I give myself a break and bake some pizzas. Sometimes I make the same cycle of meals over and over again. 

Overall, I try. That’s what truly matters. 

Next time you are driving to the store, remember you are like the merchants’ ships, bringing your food from afar off. Good job, mama!

Simple Truths

1. The task of feeding our family is important.
2. Seeing her example makes me thankful for our access to food.
3. Effort over perfection is a good mindset to keep.

Questions:

1. Why do you think it was important to point out she is like the merchants’ ships and not just the merchants?
2. What is the best meal you make?
3. What things do you do often that you thought were unimportant but upon a perspective shift you realize are truly important?

Thank you, for meeting me here, AT FORESTS EDGE. I hope this in-depth women’s bible study of Proverbs 31 is a blessing to you. 

I’d love to know if you have gained insight from the study. 

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior you can find out more about salvation.

Are you ready for the next study, Proverbs 31:15? Feel free to check out my favorite bible study tools.

I’d love for you to be my companion in this journey, and join my newsletter where I share encouragement throughout the year for women to walk in faith, embrace womanhood, and live fearlessly. 

Until we meet again,

Raeanna