HH Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div

Proverbs 31:12

She will do him good, and not evil

Her husband can safely trust in her because he does not need to worry about her being a financial liability (v. 11) and because he knows that she will do him only good, and not evil.  “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour from the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22).  Of course, the man must find the right kind of wife.  Job’s wife was a curse who only added to his trials (Job 2:9-10).  Some men find “a crown of their head” while others find “rottenness to their bones” (Proverbs 12:4).  One of the reasons Proverbs 31:10-31 was written, no doubt, was to help guide men in finding the right kind of wife. [Some see Proverbs 31:10-31 as a continuation of what King Lemuel’s mother taught him (Proverbs 31:1-9), concluding with this description of an ideal wife for her royal son.]  The key to finding the right woman, is to look to the Lord in prayer and steadfast trust, so that God Himself might be the One who finds her.  God knows who my life partner should be.

The verb “will do” is of interest.  It is not the common Hebrew verb for “do.” It means to deal out, to deal fully, to deal bountifully.  At times it even approaches the meaning of “to reward, to pay back.”  Let’s illustrate how it is used.  In 1 Samuel 24:17 David had just spared Saul’s life even though he easily could have killed his persecutor.  Saul’s response:  “Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.”   Saul deserved evil but David dealt with him in a good way.  Saul dished out evil to David but David dished out good to Saul who actually deserved evil.  Genesis 50:15,17 the term is used of Joseph’s guilty brothers who remembered what they had done to Joseph:  “Joseph…will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him….So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil.”  They dealt out and dished out evil to Joseph but he did not pay them back in the same way.  Joseph saw God’s good and sovereign hand in it all (Genesis 50:20).

This verb is also used of the LORD who deals bountifully with his servants. (See Psalm 13:6; 116:7; 119:17; 142:7).

The virtuous woman deals out to her husband that which is good.  She dishes out to him and serves him that which is good and not evil.  She wants only God’s highest and best for him.   Her life and her deeds are a constant benefit and blessing to her husband.

All the days of her life

In doing good to her husband she is consistent.  She doesn’t serve him that which is good one day and that which is evil the next day.  Her husband can count on her to do him good and to be a blessing to him.  He can count on her to do this today, five days from now, one year from now, ten years from now, and all the days of her life.  She is not up and down, hot and cold.  Her godliness is marked with consistency.