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This chapter is added to Solomon's proverbs, some think because it is of the same author, supposing king Lemuel to be king Solomon; others only because it is of the same nature, though left in writing by another author, called Lemuel; however it be, it is a prophecy, and therefore given by inspiration and direction of God, which Lemuel was under in the writing of it, and putting it into this form, as his mother was in dictating to him the matter of it. Here is, I. An exhortation to Lemuel, a young prince, to take heed of the sins he would be tempted to and to do the duties of the place he was called to (Pro 31:1-9). II. The description of a virtuous woman, especially in the relation of a wife and the mistress of a family, which Lemuel's mother drew up, not as an encomium of herself, though, no doubt, it was her own true picture, but either as an instruction to her daughters, as the foregoing verses were to her son, or as a direction to her son in the choice of a wife; she must be chaste and modest, diligent and frugal, dutiful to her husband, careful of her family, discreet in her discourse, and in the education of her children, and, above all, conscientious in her duty to God: such a one as this, if he can find her, will make him happy (v. 10-31).

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 31 This chapter contains the last part of the book of Proverbs; which some reckon the fifth, others the sixth. It contains the instructions of the mother of a prince, whose name was Lemuel, which she gave unto him; and which are so valuable, as to be annexed to the proverbs of Solomon. The preface or introduction to them is in Pro 31:1; the address to her son, Pro 31:2. The vices she cautions him against are uncleanness and intemperance; which she dissuades from, because of the pernicious consequences of both to kings and to their subjects, Pro 31:3. Advises rather to give wine and strong drink to poor people, such as are in distress; as being more useful to them, at least less prejudicial, Pro 31:6; and exhorts her son to the duties of his office; by pleading the cause of the poor and injured, and administering justice to them, Pro 31:8. And then at large describes a virtuous woman; perhaps designed as an instruction to her son in the choice of a wife, Pro 31:10; though more than that may be intended by it.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household,.... That her family should suffer through the rigour of a cold season, when it is frost and snow; for all her household are clothed with scarlet: the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "with double" (u), that is, with double garments; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, joining the words to a following verse; and this, by some, is thought to be the better rendering of the words; since the scarlet colour is no fence against cold, no more than any other, whereas double garments are; and which may be applied to the garment of justification, or the robe of Christ's righteousness, as one; and to the garment of sanctification, internal and external, as the other; the one, even the righteousness of Christ, or Christ the Lord our righteousness, is an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; a sufficient shelter from the cold of snow, and all inclemencies of the weather; by which the vindictive wrath and justice of God may be signified: and the other is a screen from the malicious insinuations and reproaches of men. But had the word been designed to signify "double", it would have been in the "dual" number; as it is not, and is always used in this form for "scarlet"; and so the Targum, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra interpret it; which colour is an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which the church is justified, Rom 5:9; and all the household of faith, the whole family of Christ and household of God, are all justified by the same righteousness of Christ, consisting of his active and passive obedience, for the whole of which his crimson blood is put; it is a garment down to the feet, which covers all his people; they are all made righteous by the one obedience of Christ; they are all clothed in scarlet alike, all kings and priests unto God, all alike justified, and shall be glorified alike. The literal sense is, that if her household are clothed in scarlet in common; much more may it be thought that coarse and suitable garments would be provided for them, to protect them from the cold in winter (w). (u) "indigitat vestem duplo crassiorem, Stockius, p. 1122. "duplicibus, V. L. Paguinus, Tigurine version, Gataker, Gejerus; "penulis duplicibus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "duplicatis", Cocceius: such as Homer describes, made by ths wife of Hector, Iliad 22. v. 440, 441. see Odyss. 19. v. 225, 226, 241. "change of raiment", David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 218. 1. (w) Vid. Braunium de Vest. Sacredot. Heb. l. 1. c. 15. p. 309.

She shall not fear for her household from the snows. The cold of snow is the hearts of the reprobate, rigid with the numbness of their own treachery. Of whom the Lord says, "And because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24). These indeed are oppressed by that most wicked snow, which, falling from heaven due to the merit of original pride into the depths of darkness, still presumptuously shows itself to fools as an angel of light, and offers to the ignorant the habit of its merits similar to the whiteness of snow. It is proper for the Lord and his angels to signify the brightness of their virtue in a snowy garment. However, the Church will not fear for her household from the cold of the aforementioned snow, because she believes the Lord's promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against her. For all her household are clothed with double garments: wisdom, to reveal the heretical doctrines of false brethren, and patience, to endure the battles of open enemies. Or certainly, they are clothed with double garments because they have the promise of life both present and future. Now, in the temporal pilgrimage, they are aided by divine assistance so that they do not fail; then, in the eternal habitation of the homeland, they are uplifted by the vision of divine grace to live happily forever. Likewise, her household is clothed with a double garment: one of works, the other of faith of the mind, having the coverings of deeds, and imbued and informed by the sacraments of their Redeemer and his examples. Thus it becomes as the Apostle says, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3). The cold of snow can also be understood as eternal torments, which we read are near both fire and cold; when it is said, "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8). For indeed, fire and smoke produce weeping in the eyes, while cold usually causes gnashing of teeth. Hence the blessed Job speaks of the eternal punishments of the reprobate, saying, "They pass from the waters of snow to excessive heat" (Job 24). But from these, the Church will not fear for her household, because whoever perishes did not belong to her household, nor were they clothed in her spiritual garment; although for a time they seemed to be instructed in her mysteries. Indeed, we read in the Gospels that a man who presumed to enter the house of that feast with the filthy garments of works was cast out into the outer darkness, where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Rightly indeed, he was bound to the cold of punishment, because he had neglected to have the garments of piety.

(Pro. 31:1-31) On the title of this, the sixth part of the book, see Introduction. prophecy--(See on Pro 30:1).

scarlet--or, "purple," by reason of the dyes used, the best fabrics; as a matter of taste also; the color suits cold.

But the poet goes on to describe her fruitful activity in the nearest sphere of her calling: 21 ל She is not afraid of the snow for her house; For her whole house is clothed in scarlet. A fall of snow in the rainy season of winter is not rare in Palestine, the Hauran, and neighbouring countries, and is sometimes accompanied with freezing cold. (Note: Vid., regarding a fall of snow in Jerusalem, the journal Saat auf Hoffnung Jahrg. 3, Heft 3; and in the Hauran Comm. to Job 38:22.) She sees approaching the cold time of the year without any fear for her house, even though the season bring intense cold; for her whole house, i.e., the whole of the members of her family, are לבשׁ שׁנים. The connection is accusatival (Venet. ἐνδεδυμένος ἐρυθρά), as at Sa2 15:32; Eze 9:2-3. שׁני, from שׁנה, to shine, glance clear, or high red, and is with or without תולעת the name of the colour of the Kermes worm, crimson or scarlet, perhaps to be distinguished from ארגּמן, the red-purple shell colour, and תּכלת, the blue. שׁנים are clothing or material coloured with such שׁני (bright red) (vid., at Isa 1:18). The explanation of the word by dibapha is inadmissible, because the doubled colouring, wherever it is mentioned, always refers to the purple, particularly that of Tyre (dibapha Tyria), not to the scarlet. (Note: Vid., Blmner's Die gewerbliche Thtigkeit der Vlder des klassischen Alterthums (1869), p. 21f.) But why does the poet name scarlet-coloured clothing? On account of the contrast to the white snow, says Hitzig, he clothes the family in crimson. But this contrast would be a meaningless freak. Rather it is to be supposed that there is ascribed to the red material a power of retaining the heat, as there is to the white that of keeping off the heat; but evidence for this are wanting. Therefore Rosenmller, Vaihinger, and Bttcher approve of the translation duplicibus (Jerome, Luther) [= with double clothing], because they read, with the lxx, שׁנים. (Note: The lxx reads together שנים מרבדים, δισσὰς χλαίνας, and brings into Pro 31:21 (her husband remains without care for the members of the family if it does not snow χιονίζη, as it is to be read for χρονίζη) and 22 the husband, who appears to the translator too much kept in the background.) But, with right, the Syr., Targ. abide by זהוריתא, scarlet. The scarlet clothing is of wool, which as such preserves warmth, and, as high-coloured, appears at the same time dignified (Sa2 1:24).