Proverbs 31 Overview | Bible Study | Discover Timeless Wisdom

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Introduction: Proverbs 31 Overview Bible Study

Welcome, to the bible study series Know the Bible: Proverbs 31 overview. 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, we will look at the chapter’s history and what each verse means in context. I have broken it up 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.

Proverbs 31 is one of the most popular teachings to study among Christian women. Bible studies have been dedicated to being a Proverbs 31 woman. In this Proverbs 31 overview, we cover the bases to prepare you for the verse-by-verse study that follows!

Surprisingly, you might not know Proverbs 31 as well as you think!

Proverbs 31 Overview: Who wrote Proverbs 31?

It is highly debated who wrote Proverbs 31. One recurring thought is that the author was Solomon, King David’s son, and heir. Jewish legend and tradition believe Solomon was the writer of Proverbs 31. Some early scholars have also come to the same conclusion.

Moving forward in the study I will be looking at the verses from the perspective that Solomon is indeed the writer.

Who was Proverbs 31 written for?

The beginning of the proverb identifies it as a lesson the king’s mother spoke to him in childhood. From that information, we can see that this proverb is a lesson Solomon was taught by his mother for wisdom in his own circumstances as an affluent king.

The lessons in Proverbs 31 are directed toward men. (Bet you didn’t see that coming!)

When was Proverbs 31 written?

Proverbs 31 was written during the reign of King Solomon, during his reign of the nation of Israel sometime around 900 B.C. This is what we can gather if the tradition of Solomon as the author is correct.

What is the purpose of Proverbs 31?

Proverbs 31 was written as instruction by a mother to her son who would one day be king. The purpose of the lesson is to lead him to make wise life decisions as king and reign correctly. Proverbs 31 also gives instructions on what to look for in a wife and how to treat her. It could be used in the same manner today when bringing up children in wisdom.

Traditionally Proverbs 31 is taught to Jewish boys so that when they are married they can sing it as praise over their wife before Shabbat dinner.

What style is Proverbs 31 written in?

Proverbs 31 is composed of 31 verses. The first 9 verses contain instructions on how a man (specifically a king) should live honorably with wisdom. 

Proverbs 31:10-31 is an acrostic poem

Verses 10-31 are instructions on finding a virtuous wife. When written in Hebrew it contains a style of poetry called an acrostic poem. In this acrostic poem, each line begins with a sequential letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 

An acrostic is a literary device often used in poetry. In this case, it was most likely written this way as a means to help with memorization of the lesson being taught.

Proverbs 31:10-31 is a chiastic poem

Proverbs 31:10-31 are also written in a chiasm. In a chiastic poem, the author structures the text in an intentional X-shaped pattern, where the first and last elements parallel each other, the second and second-to-last elements parallel, and so, on.

Conclusion of the Proverbs 31 Overview

Proverbs 31 contains wisdom that is fantastic for life application. As women, we can certainly draw from the lessons included and apply them to our own lives as well as teach them to our children. However, this particular teaching was not specifically written to women about how they should act.

I imagine mothers of that time would have taught their daughters in all of the ways listed, yet, this particular lesson was given by a mother to her son. So it would be a good idea for men to study this as much as we women do. It has been a great topic for the pastor to allude to on Mother’s Day, but how life-changing would it be if he did an in-depth study of Proverbs 31 during men’s bible study?

Ready to dig in? Go straight to our verse-by-verse women’s bible study Proverbs 31 verse 1!

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

If you would like to be my companion in this journey, 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

Proverbs 31 Overview Verse-by-Verse Studies

• Guide to the Proverbs 31 Study
• Proverbs 31:1
• Proverbs 31:2
• Proverbs 31:3
• Proverbs 31:4-5
• Proverbs 31:6-7
• Proverbs 31:8-9
• Proverbs 31:10
• Proverbs 31:11
• Proverbs 31:12
• Proverbs 31:13
• Proverbs 31:14
• Proverbs 31:15
• Proverbs 31:16
• Proverbs 31:17
• Proverbs 31:18
• Proverbs 31:19
• Proverbs 31:20
• Proverbs 31:21
• Proverbs 31:22
• Proverbs 31:23
• Proverbs 31:24
• Proverbs 31:25
• Proverbs 31:26
• Proverbs 31:27
• Proverbs 31:28-29
• Proverbs 31:30-31