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Saturday, December 20th, 2025
the Third Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Proverbs 31:30

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beauty;   Economics;   Fear of God;   Poetry;   Vanity;   Wife;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Beauty;   Beauty-Disfigurement;   Virtues;   Wise;   Woman;   Women;   The Topic Concordance - Deception;   Fear;   Praise;   Vanity;   Virtue;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Industry;   Vanity;   Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Letters;   Proverb, the Book of;   Woman;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wife;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Beauty;   Boasting;   Praise;   Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Wife;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Education;   Lemuel;   Marriage;   Tamar (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acrostic;   Charm;   Praise;   Proverbs, Book of;   Wisdom and Wise Men;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Ethics;   Grace;   Marriage;   Massa;   Song of Songs;   Trade and Commerce;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Face;   Home (2);   Parents (2);   Sirach;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mother;   Writing;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Favor;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Acrostics;   Monogamy;   Poetry;  

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.
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

10 A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price. 11 The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not. 12 She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life. 13 She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands. 14 She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread. 15 Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels. 16 She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard. 17 She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms. 18 She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night. 19 Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.

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
And he heareth the words of Laban's sons, saying, `Jacob hath taken all that our father hath; yea, from that which our father hath, he hath made all this honour;'
Genesis 31:2
and Jacob seeth the face of Laban, and lo, it is not with him as heretofore.
Genesis 31:6
and ye -- ye have known that with all my power I have served your father,
Genesis 31:19
And Laban hath gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stealeth the teraphim which her father hath;
Exodus 12:12
and I have passed over through the land of Egypt during this night, and have smitten every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man even unto beast, and on all the gods of Egypt I do judgments; I [am] Jehovah.
Numbers 33:4
and the Egyptians are burying those whom Jehovah hath smitten among them, every first-born, and on their gods hath Jehovah done judgments --
Judges 6:31
And Joash saith to all who have stood against him, `Ye, do ye plead for Baal? ye -- do ye save him? he who pleadeth for him is put to death during the morning; if he [is] a god he himself doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.'
Judges 18:24
And he saith, `My gods which I made ye have taken, and the priest, and ye go; and what to me more? and what [is] this ye say unto me, What -- to thee!'
2 Samuel 5:21
And they forsake there their idols, and David and his men lift them up.
Isaiah 37:19
so as to put their gods into fire -- for they [are] no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone -- and they destroy them.

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.


 
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