Proverbs 31:13–18
The capable woman works gladly, rises early and plans a field
Study it word by word13She seeks wool and flax, and works with the delight of her palms.
14She is like the ships of the merchant; from far away she brings her bread.
15And she rises while it is still night, and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidservants.
16She considers a field and takes it; from the fruit of her palms she plants a vineyard.
17She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms.
18She tastes that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night.
In its context
11The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack plunder.
12She repays him with good and not with evil all the days of her life.
…
19Her hands she stretches out to the distaff, and her palms hold the spindle.
20Her palm she opens to the afflicted, and her hands she stretches out to the needy.
Its words in the original
- דָּרְשָׁהdarsha· seek, inquire
Seek earnestly; inquire; require an account. Turned toward God, consult him or seek him.
- צֶמֶרtsemer· wool
Wool.
- פִשְׁתִּיםfishtim· linen, flax
Flax: the plant whose fibers are made into thread and cloth; linen.
- תַּעַשׂtaas· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- חֵפֶץchefets· delight, desire, matter
Delight, pleasure, desire: what pleases someone. It can also be a valuable thing or a matter, an affair.
- כַּפֶּיkape· palm, sole
The palm of the hand or the sole of the foot; also a pan or small bowl.
- הָיְתָהhayta· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- אֳנִיּוֹתoniyot· ship
Ship.
- סוֹחֵרsocher· trade, trader
Go about trading; merchant, trader.
- מֶּרְחָקmerchak· distance, far place
Distance, a far place; "from afar".
- תָּבִיאtavi· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- לַחְמָlachma· bread, food
Bread; in a wide sense, food.
- תָּקָםtakam· rise, stand, establish
Rise, stand up; also stand firm, establish or fulfill something. "Rise against" is to attack.
- לַיְלָהlayla· night
Night.
- תִּתֵּןtiten· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- טֶרֶףteref· prey
Prey: the animal a wild beast hunts; food.
- בֵיתָveta· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- חֹקchok· statute, allotted portion
What is fixed: an allotted portion, a rule, a statute; a limit.
- נַעֲרֹתֶיnaarote· girl, young woman
Girl, young woman; also maidservant.
- זָמְמָהzamma· plan, purpose
Plan, purpose, devise; often in a bad sense.
- שָׂדֶהsade· field
Field: open country, cultivated or not.
- תִּקָּחֵtikache· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- פְּרִיperi· fruit
Fruit: what a tree or a plant bears. Figuratively, the result of something, or children ("fruit of the womb").
- נָטְעָהnata· plant
Plant; set firmly.
- כָּרֶםkarem· vineyard
Vineyard.
- חָגְרָהchagra· gird
Gird: fasten a garment, a belt or a weapon around the waist for walking, working or fighting.
- עוֹזoz· strength, might
Strength, power.
- מָתְנֶיmatne· waist, loins
Waist, loins.
- תְּאַמֵּץteamets· be strong, prevail
Be strong, prevail over; take courage, be bold; make strong.
- זְרֹעוֹתֶיzeroote· arm
Arm; an image of strength.
- טָעֲמָהtaama· taste
To taste food; figuratively, to perceive.
- טוֹבtov· good
Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".
- סַחְרָsachra· profit, gain
The profit gained by trading.
- יִכְבֶּהyichbe· go out, quench
Go out (of fire or a lamp); put out, quench.
- נֵרָnera· lamp
Lamp: a vessel with oil and a wick; also light.