Friday, May 12, 2017

More information about the wife of valour

Isn't there something puzzling about the King James translation of Proverbs 31:28?

28  Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
               her husband also, and he praiseth her. (KJV)


Children "arising up" is unclear in what it means, it has a negative sense (cp. "uprising", "rebellion") when it is intransitive, and it is also unclear in its connection to calling the mother blessed. And then the husband does the same? 

What about the Greek version? Checking here, one finds wonderful new information about the wife of valour. 

27  Watertight are her houses' occupations; 

               yet idle grains she does not eat;
28  Yet the mouth opens wisely and lawfully; 
               yet her charity raises up her children,
               and they become wealthy,
               and her husband approves of her. (CFB)

Consider, for example, the need to meditate on the three contradictions (or antithetical parallelisms) that follow one another, each marked by "yet".* Here is beauty, as defined by God's Word, also in the New Testament: 


8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 
9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 
10 but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 
                           (1 Timothy 2, KJV)

1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 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 sight of God of great price. 
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 
6 even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 
                           (1 Peter 3, KJV)

________________
Notes

* A brief meditation and proposal on the three contradictions is this:

27 Watertight are her houses' occupations; 
         [The wife of valour operates the family's businesses in such a way 
         that they have watertight, entirely secure, incomes.]
                  yet idle grains she does not eat; 
                  [However, even though the income rolls in, 
                  she does not sit around inactively.]
28 Yet the mouth opens wisely and lawfully; 
         [Instead of being a lazy glutton, she has a mouth that opens with wisdom and lawfulness.]
                  yet her charity raises up her children, 
                  [The contradiction here is that although she is a business-like, active, wise and lawful
                  person, she is a charitable (rather than judgemental) person, also toward her children. 
                  That is to say: they are not judged by their mother for being kids who are not always
                  business-like, etc.; likewise she does not judge people who need charity.]
                  and they become wealthy,
                  and her husband approves of her. (CFB)

KJV: Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


No comments:

Post a Comment