to open wide (literally or figuratively) · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person feminine singular
mouth
פִּ֭יהָPi.ha
H6310
the mouth (as the means of blowing) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person feminine singular
wisdom
בְחָכְמָ֑הve.cha.khe.Mah
H2451
wisdom (in a good sense) · preposition + noun, common feminine singular absolute
tongue
לְשׁוֹנָֽהּle.sho.Nah
H3956
the tongue (of man or animals) · noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person feminine singular
law
וְתֽוֹרַתve.to.rat-
H8451
a precept or statute · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct
kindness
חֶ֝֗סֶדChe.sed
H2617
kindness · noun, common masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the h…
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Proverbs 10:31 The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.
Proverbs 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
1 Peter 3:4-5 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the s…
Proverbs 31:8-9 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Malachi 2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away fro…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 31:10–end
This description of the virtuous woman is designed to show what wives the women should make and what wives the men should choose; it consists of twenty-two verses, each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order, as some of the Psalms, which makes some think it was no part of the lesson which Lemuel's mother taught him, but a poem by itself, written by some other hand, and perhaps had been commonly repeated among the pious Jews, for the ease of which it was made alphabetical. We have the abridgment of it in the New Testament (Ti1 2:9, Ti1 2:10, Pe1 3:1-6), where the duty prescribed to wives agrees with this description of a good wife; and with good reason is so much stress laid…
She openeth her mouth with wisdom,.... When she opens her mouth, for it is not always open, she expresses herself in a discreet and prudent manner; as well as speaks of things not foolish and trifling, but of moment and importance, and of usefulness to others: or "concerning wisdom" (a); the church and people of Christ talk of the wisdom of God in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; of Christ, the Wisdom of God, and as made so to them; of the Gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom; and of wisdom in the hidden part, or the truth of grace in their souls; of their gracious experiences; nor will they suffer any foolish, filthy, and corrupt communication to proce…
The next verse presents one of the most beautiful features in the portrait:
26 פ She openeth her mouth with wisdom,
And amiable instruction is on her tongue.
The ב of בּחכמה is, as also at Psa 49:5; Psa 78:2, that of means: when she speaks, then it is wisdom pressing itself from her heart outward, by means of which she breaks the silence of her mouth. With על, in the expression 26b, elsewhere תּהת interchanges: under the tongue, Psa 10:7, one has that which is ready to be spoken out, and on the tongue, Psa 15:3, that which is in the act of being spoken out. תּורת־חסד is a genitive connection after the manner of tôrath אמת, Mal 2:6. The gen. is not, as at Lev 6:2, in tôrath העלה, the gen. o…
The Church Fathers
There is mercy on [Jesus'] tongue, and so he teaches the Law mercifully, as was said about wisdom: "But she carries on her tongue the Law and mercy." Do not fear that you cannot fulfill the Law; flee to mercy.
"She has opened her mouth with care, and imposed order on her tongue," praising creatures as creatures, the creator as creator, angels as angels, heavenly things as heavenly, earthly things as earthly, men as men, animals as animals. Nothing mixed up, nothing out of order. Not taking the name of the Lord her God in vain, not attributing the nature of a creature to the creator, speaking about everything so methodically that she doesn't put lesser things above the more important or subordinate the more important to the lesser.
She opened her mouth with wisdom, etc. She opened her mouth for this only, to teach wisdom, according to that of the Apostle: Let no evil word proceed from your mouth, but only that which is good for the edification of faith, that it may give grace to the listeners (Ephesians IV). Or certainly she opened her heart, to learn inwardly from wisdom itself the truth which she would teach others outwardly. To both these senses, because the Church does both, appropriately applies what follows; And the law of kindness is on her tongue, namely this, that she did not immediately punish sinners in the manner of the Mosaic law, but mercifully called them to the medicine of penance. An example of this kindness she received clearly from the wisdom of God Himself, our Lord and Savior, when the adulterous woman was brought before Him: He said, If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her (John VIII); and so, having shown mercy under the condition that she sin no more, He absolved her from the crime she had committed.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Poetry — Has been well defined as “the measured language of emotion.” Hebrew poetry deals almost exclusively with the great question of man’s relation to God. “Guilt, condemnation, punishment, pardon,…
Wife — The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 4:19), and continued to prevail…
Writing — The art of writing must have been known in the time of the early Pharaohs. Moses is commanded “to write for a memorial in a book” (Ex. 17:14) a record of the attack of Amalek. Frequent mention is…
Economics · HOUSEHOLD — HOUSEHOLD
Industry · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Kindness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Missionaries, All Christians Should Be As · Women and children as well as men — Women and children as well as men
The noble wife’s character exemplifies wisdom. She is coolheaded as she faces future uncertainties. She gives advice in a winsome way.
Rashi on Proverbs 31:25
at the last day On the day of her death, she departs with a good name.
and she laughs all her life about the day of her death, that it should be honored with a good name.
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
