Proverbs 31:30

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

Hebrew Names Version
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

King James Version
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord , she shall be praised.

English Standard Version
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

New American Standard Bible
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

New Century Version
Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you, but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.

Amplified Bible
Charm and grace are deceptive, and [superficial] beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD [reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], she shall be praised.

World English Bible
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lorde, she shall be praysed.

Legacy Standard Bible
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,But a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

Berean Standard Bible
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Contemporary English Version
Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the Lord deserves to be praised.

Complete Jewish Bible
ש Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears Adonai should be praised.

Darby Translation
Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman [that] feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

Easy-to-Read Version
Grace and beauty can fool you, but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.

George Lamsa Translation
Comeliness is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman who reverences the LORD shall be praised.

Good News Translation
Charm is deceptive and beauty disappears, but a woman who honors the Lord should be praised.

Lexham English Bible
Charm is deceit and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised.

Literal Translation
Grace may be deceitful, and beauty vain, but a woman who fears Jehovah, she shall be praised.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for fauor, it is disceatfull, and beutie is a vayne thinge: but a woman that feareth the LORDE, she is worthy to be praysed.

American Standard Version
Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

Bible in Basic English
Fair looks are a deceit, and a beautiful form is of no value; but a woman who has the fear of the Lord is to be praised.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

King James Version (1611)
Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vaine: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shalbe praised.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
As for fauour it is deceiptfull, & beautie is a vayne thyng: but a woman that feareth the Lorde, shalbe praysed.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Charms are false, and woman’s beauty is vain: for it is a wise woman that is blessed, and let her praise the fear the Lord.

English Revised Version
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Fairnesse is disseiuable grace, and veyn; thilke womman, that dredith the Lord, schal be preisid.

Update Bible Version
Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; [But] a woman that fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

Webster's Bible Translation
Favor [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

New English Translation
Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

New King James Version
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

New Living Translation
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

New Life Bible
Pleasing ways lie and beauty comes to nothing, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

New Revised Standard
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Deceitful is loveliness and vain is beauty, The woman that revereth Yahweh, she, shall be praised:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Revised Standard Version
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Young's Literal Translation
The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

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

Favour: Proverbs 6:25, Proverbs 11:22, 2 Samuel 14:25, Esther 1:11, Esther 1:12, Ezekiel 16:15, James 1:11, 1 Peter 1:24

a woman: Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 8:13, Exodus 1:17-21, Psalms 147:11, Luke 1:6, Luke 1:46-50, 1 Peter 3:4, 1 Peter 3:5

she: Ecclesiastes 7:18, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Romans 2:29, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Peter 3:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 29:17 - beautiful Deuteronomy 21:11 - desire 1 Samuel 16:7 - Look not 1 Samuel 25:3 - good 1 Samuel 25:39 - to take her 2 Samuel 11:2 - very beautiful 2 Samuel 13:1 - a fair sister 1 Kings 4:32 - he spake Proverbs 11:16 - gracious Acts 9:39 - and showing

Cross-References

Genesis 31:1
Jacob learned that Laban's sons were talking behind his back: "Jacob has used our father's wealth to make himself rich at our father's expense." At the same time, Jacob noticed that Laban had changed toward him. He wasn't treating him the same.

Genesis 31:19
Laban was off shearing sheep. Rachel stole her father's household gods. And Jacob had concealed his plans so well that Laban the Aramean had no idea what was going on—he was totally in the dark. Jacob got away with everything he had and was soon across the Euphrates headed for the hill country of Gilead.

Exodus 12:12
"I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am God . The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you—no disaster will touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Judges 6:31
But Joash stood up to the crowd pressing in on him, "Are you going to fight Baal's battles for him? Are you going to save him? Anyone who takes Baal's side will be dead by morning. If Baal is a god in fact, let him fight his own battles and defend his own altar."

Judges 18:24
Micah said, "You took my god, the one I made, and you took my priest. And you marched off! What do I have left? How can you now say, ‘What's the matter?'"

Jeremiah 10:11
"Tell them this, ‘The stick gods who made nothing, neither sky nor earth, Will come to nothing on the earth and under the sky.'" But it is God whose power made the earth, whose wisdom gave shape to the world, who crafted the cosmos. He thunders, and rain pours down. He sends the clouds soaring. He embellishes the storm with lightnings, launches wind from his warehouse. Stick-god worshipers looking mighty foolish, god-makers embarrassed by their handmade gods! Their gods are frauds—dead sticks, deadwood gods, tasteless jokes. When the fires of judgment come, they'll be ashes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Favour is deceitful, and beauty [is] vain,.... A well favoured look, a graceful countenance, symmetry and proportion of parts, natural or artificial beauty, are vain and deceitful; oftentimes under them lies an ill natured, deformed, and depraved mind; nor is the pleasure and satisfaction enjoyed as is promised along with these; and particularly how do they fade e and consume away by a fit of illness, and through old age, and at last by death? And so vain and deceitful are the favour and beauty, the artificial paintings, of Jezebel, that whore of Rome; all her meretricious deckings, dressings, and ornaments; her gaudy pomp and show in her worship, and the places of it; see

Revelation 17:4. Jarchi interprets this of the grandeur and glory of the kings of the nations;

[but] a woman [that] feareth the Lord, she shall be praised; any single individual, man or woman, that fears the Lord; or a collective body of them, a society consisting of such persons, as the true church of Christ does; who have the grace of fear in their hearts, which is the beginning of wisdom, and includes the whole of religious worship, internal and external, private and public: such are taken notice of and highly valued by the Lord; his eye is upon them; his hand communicates to them much grace; and many benefits are bestowed upon them here, and great honour is conferred upon them, and great goodness is laid up for them.

e "Forma bonum fragile est", Ovid. de Arte Amandi, l. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The last lesson of the book is the same as the first. The fear of the Lord is the condition of all womanly, as well as of all manly, excellence.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 31:30. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain, c. —

III. Here is the summing up of the character.

1. Favour, חן chen, grace of manner may be deceitful, many a fair appearance of this kind is put on, assumed for certain secular or more unworthy purposes it is learned by painful drilling in polished seminaries, and, being the effect of mere physical discipline, it continues while the restraint lasts; but it is שקר sheker, a lie, a mere semblance, an outward varnish. It is not the effect of internal moral regulation; it is an outside, at which the inside murmurs; and which, because not ingenuous, is a burden to itself.

2. Beauty, היפי haiyophi, elegance of shape, symmetry of features, dignity of mien, and beauty of countenance, are all הבל hebel, vanity; sickness impairs them, suffering deranges them, and death destroys them.

3. "But a woman that feareth the Lord," that possesses true religion, has that grace that harmonizes the soul, that purifies and refines all the tempers and passions, and that ornament of beauty, a meek and quiet mind, which in the sight of God is of great price-

She shall be praised. — This is the lasting grace, the unfading beauty.