Proverbs 31:15

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
She rises while it is still nightand provides food for her householdand portions for her female servants.

Hebrew Names Version
She rises also while it is yet night, Gives food to her household, And portions for her servant girls.

King James Version
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

English Standard Version
She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

New American Standard Bible
And she rises while it is still night And gives food to her household, And portions to her attendants.

New Century Version
She gets up while it is still dark and prepares food for her family and feeds her servant girls.

Amplified Bible
She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And assigns tasks to her maids.

World English Bible
She rises also while it is yet night, Gives food to her household, And their task to her servant girls.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And she riseth, whiles it is yet night: and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinarie to her maides.

Legacy Standard Bible
And she rises while it is still night,And gives food to her householdAnd a portion to her young women.

Berean Standard Bible
She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.

Contemporary English Version
She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and for her servants.

Complete Jewish Bible
ו It's still dark when she rises to give food to her household and orders to the young women serving her.

Darby Translation
And she riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and the day's work to her maidens.

Easy-to-Read Version
She wakes up early in the morning, cooks food for her family, and gives the servants their share.

George Lamsa Translation
She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household and work to her maids.

Good News Translation
She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and to tell her servant women what to do.

Lexham English Bible
And she arises while it is still night, and gives food to her household, and tasks to her servant girls.

Literal Translation
She also rises while it is still night and gives game to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
She is vp in ye night season, to prouyde meate for hir housholde, & foode for hir maydens.

American Standard Version
She riseth also while it is yet night, And giveth food to her household, And their task to her maidens.

Bible in Basic English
She gets up while it is still night, and gives meat to her family, and their food to her servant-girls.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

King James Version (1611)
Shee riseth also while it is yet night, and giueth meate to her household, and a portion to her maydens.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
She is vp in the nyght season, to prouide meate for her housholde, and foode for her maydens.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And she rises by night, and gives food to her household, and appointed tasks to her maidens.

English Revised Version
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and their task to her maidens.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sche roos bi nyyt, and yaf prey to hir meyneals, and metis to hir handmaidis.

Update Bible Version
She rises also while it is yet night, And gives food to her household, And their task to her maidens.

Webster's Bible Translation
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

New English Translation
She also gets up while it is still night, and provides food for her household and a portion to her female servants.

New King James Version
She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants.

New Living Translation
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls.

New Life Bible
She rises while it is still night and makes food for all those in her house. She gives work for the young women to do.

New Revised Standard
She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant-girls.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And she riseth, while yet it is night, and giveth food to her household, and a task to her maidens:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And she hath risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens.

Revised Standard Version
She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and tasks for her maidens.

Young's Literal Translation
Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of- God . Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

riseth: Joshua 3:1, 2 Chronicles 36:15, Psalms 119:147, Psalms 119:148, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Mark 1:35, Romans 12:11

and giveth: Matthew 24:25, Luke 12:42

Reciprocal: Psalms 127:2 - rise up

Cross-References

Nehemiah 5:8
The "Great Protest" A great protest was mounted by the people, including the wives, against their fellow Jews. Some said, "We have big families, and we need food just to survive." Others said, "We're having to mortgage our fields and vineyards and homes to get enough grain to keep from starving." And others said, "We're having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. Look: We're the same flesh and blood as our brothers here; our children are just as good as theirs. Yet here we are having to sell our children off as slaves—some of our daughters have already been sold—and we can't do anything about it because our fields and vineyards are owned by somebody else." I got really angry when I heard their protest and complaints. After thinking it over, I called the nobles and officials on the carpet. I said, "Each one of you is gouging his brother." Then I called a big meeting to deal with them. I told them, "We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners. And now you're selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?" They said nothing. What could they say?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

She riseth also while it is yet night,.... That is, before the ascent of the morning, as Aben Ezra explains it, before break of day; a great while before day, as Christ is said to rise to pray, Mark 1:35; while it was yet dark; so the church here: which shows her affection for her family, her care of her children, and fervent zeal for her husband's interest and good; a different frame of spirit this from that of hers in Song of Solomon 5:2;

and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens; in allusion to a daily stated allowance q of food given to such; and spiritually may be meant, by her "household" or family, the same with the family of Christ, that is named of himself, which consists of various persons, fathers, young men, and children; and by her "maidens" the ministers of the word; see Proverbs 9:3; who are stewards in the family, and have the food for it put into their hands to dispense; it is by these the church gives meat to her household feeds them with knowledge and understanding, with the wholesome words of Christ, with the good doctrines of the Gospel; these have a certain portion given them, and they rightly cut and divide the word of truth, and give to everyone their portion of meat in due season, according to their age and circumstances; milk indeed to babes and meat to strong men; see

Luke 12:42. The Targum renders the word for "portion [by] service": understanding not a portion of food, but of work, a task set them, and so the word is used in Exodus 5:14. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "works", which may be very well applied to the work and service of the Gospel ministry, and the several parts of it.

q "Gauldetque diurnos, ut famulae, praebere cibos", Claudian. de Bello Gild. v. 71, 72.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A portion to her maidens - The daily task assigned to each at the same time as the daily food. Compare Proverbs 30:8; Exodus 5:14.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 31:15. She riseth also while it is yet night —

4. She is an economist of time; and when the nights are long, and the days short, her family not only spend a part of the evening after sunset in domestic labour, but they all arise before daylight, and prepare the day's food, that they may not have their labour interrupted. To those who are going to the fields, and to the flocks, she gives the food necessary for the day: טרף teref, prey, a term taken from hunting, the object of which was, the supplying their natural wants: hence applied to daily food. Proverbs 30:8. And to the women who are to be employed within, she gives חק chok, the task - the kind of work they are to do, the materials out of which they are to form it, and the quantity she expects from each. Thus all the servants are settled: their food, work, and tasks appointed. Every thing is done orderly.