Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Proverbs 31:19

She reaches forth her arms to needful works, and applies her hands to the spindle.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Art;   Distaff;   Economics;   Industry;   Poetry;   Spindle;   Spinning;   Wife;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Arts and Crafts;   Ostentation;   Spindles;   Spinners;   Woman;   The Topic Concordance - Charity;   Praise;   Speech/communication;   Virtue;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arts of the;   Hands, the;   Industry;   Wives;   Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Garments;   Lemuel;   Letters;   Proverb, the Book of;   Weaving;   Woman;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wife;   Work;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Beauty;   Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Distaff;   Poetry;   Wife;   Woman;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Education;   Lemuel;   Marriage;   Weaving;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acrostic;   Cloth, Clothing;   Distaff;   Marriage;   Proverbs, Book of;   Spindle;   Spinning and Weaving;   Wisdom and Wise Men;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Ethics;   Marriage;   Massa;   Song of Songs;   Spinning and Weaving;   Trade and Commerce;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Home (2);   Parents (2);   Sirach;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Distaff;   Poetry;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Spinning;   Writing;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Distaff;   Linen;   Spinning;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Acrostics;   Distaff;   Monogamy;   Poetry;   Spinning;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
She extends her hands to the spinning staff,and her hands hold the spindle.
Hebrew Names Version
She lays her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.
King James Version
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
English Standard Version
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
New American Standard Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.
New Century Version
She makes thread with her hands and weaves her own cloth.
Amplified Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle [as she spins wool into thread for clothing].
World English Bible
She lays her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.
Geneva Bible (1587)
She putteth her handes to the wherue, and her handes handle the spindle.
Legacy Standard Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,And her hands hold fast the spindle.
Berean Standard Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
Contemporary English Version
She spins her own cloth,
Complete Jewish Bible
י She puts her hands to the staff with the flax; her fingers hold the spinning rod.
Darby Translation
She putteth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
Easy-to-Read Version
She makes her own thread and weaves her own cloth.
George Lamsa Translation
She stretches out her arms diligently, and puts her hands to the spindle.
Good News Translation
She spins her own thread and weaves her own cloth.
Lexham English Bible
Her hands she puts onto the distaff, and her palms hold a spindle.
Literal Translation
She has sent forth her hands on the distaff, and her hands have held the spindle.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
She layeth hir fyngers to the spyndle, & hir hande taketh holde of ye rocke.
American Standard Version
She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.
Bible in Basic English
She puts her hands to the cloth-working rod, and her fingers take the wheel.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
She layeth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
King James Version (1611)
She layeth her handes to the spindle, and her handes hold the distaffe.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
She layeth her fingers to the spindle, & her hande taketh holde of the distaffe.
English Revised Version
She layeth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sche putte hir hondis to stronge thingis, and hir fyngris token the spyndil.
Update Bible Version
She lays her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.
Webster's Bible Translation
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
New English Translation
Her hands take hold of the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.
New King James Version
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.
New Living Translation
Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
New Life Bible
She puts her hands to the wheel to make cloth.
New Revised Standard
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Her hands, she putteth forth to the distaff, and, her palms, lay hold of the spindle:
Douay-Rheims Bible
She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
Revised Standard Version
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
Young's Literal Translation
Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

Contextual Overview

10 Who shall find a virtuous woman? for such a one is more valuable than precious stones. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her: such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils. 12 For she employs all her living for her husband’s good. 13 Gathering wool and flax, she makes it serviceable with her hands. 14 She is like a ship trading from a distance: so she procures her livelihood. 15 And she rises by night, and gives food to her household, and appointed tasks to her maidens. 16 She views a farm, and buys it: and with the fruit of her hands she plants and a possession. 17 She strongly girds her loins, and strengthens her arms for work. 18 And she finds by experience that working is good; and her candle goes not out all night. 19 She reaches forth her arms to needful works, and applies her hands to the spindle.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

She takes the spindle in her right hand, by twisting which she twists the thread; while she holds the distaff, on which the wool or flax is rolled, in the guard of the left arm, and draws down the thread with the fingers of the left hand. Exodus 35:25, Exodus 35:26

Reciprocal: Proverbs 31:24 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 31:4
And Jacob sent and called Lea and Rachel to the plain where the flocks were.
Genesis 31:5
And he said to them, I see the face of your father, that it is not toward me as before, but the God of my father was with me.
Genesis 31:14
And Rachel and Lea answered and said to him, Have we yet a part or inheritance in the house of our father?
Genesis 31:24
And God came to Laban the Syrian in sleep by night, and said to him, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not at any time to Jacob evil things.
Genesis 31:30
Now then go on thy way, for thou hast earnestly desired to depart to the house of thy father; wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
Genesis 31:32
And Jacob said, With whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, he shall not live in the presence of our brethren; take notice of what I have of thy property, and take it; and he observed nothing with him, but Jacob knew not that his wife Rachel had stolen them.
Genesis 31:34
And Rachel took the idols, and cast them among the camel’s packs, and sat upon them.
Genesis 35:2
And Jacob said to his house, and to all that were with him, Remove the strange gods that are with you from the midst of you, and purify yourselves, and change your clothes.
Joshua 24:2
And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers at first sojourned beyond the river, even Thara, the father of Abraam and the father of Nachor; and they served other gods.
Judges 18:31
And they set up for themselves the graven image which Michaias made, all the days that the house of God was in Selom; and it was so in those days that there was no king in Israel.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

She layeth her hands to the spindle,.... As Penelope and her maidens did t. Or spinning wheel, more properly, the wheel itself, which is laid hold on by the right hand, and turned round;

and her hands hold the distaff; the rock, stick, or staff, about which the wool is wrapped, which is spun, and is held in the left hand; for though hands are mentioned in both clauses, yet it is only with one hand the wheel is turned, and the distaff held with the other. Not only wool and flax were sought by her, Proverbs 31:13; but she spins them, and works them up into garments her web is not like the spider's, spun out of its own bowels, on which it hangs; to which the hope and trust of a hypocrite are compared, and whose webs do not become garments to cover them, Job 8:14; but the church's web is both for ornament, to the adorning of her profession, and for defence and protection from the calumnies of the world; for by these are meant good works, as Ambrose interprets them.

t Homer, Odyss. 1. v. 357. & 21. v. 351.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 31:19. She layeth her hands to the spindle

10. She gives an example of skill and industry to her household. She takes the distaff, that on which the wool or flax was rolled; and the spindle, that by twisting of which she twisted the thread with the right hand, while she held the distaff in the guard of the left arm, and drew down the thread with the fingers of the left hand. Allowing that spindle and distaff are proper translations of כישור kishor, and פלך pelech, this was their use, and the way in which they were used. The spindle and distaff are the most ancient of all the instruments used for spinning, or making thread. The spinning-wheel superseded them in these countries; but still they were in considerable use till spinning machinery superseded both them and the spinning-wheels in general.


 
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