Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 31:31 - 31:31

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com

Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 31:31 - 31:31


(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)

This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

31 ת Give to her of the fruit of her hands;

And let her works praise her in the gates!

The fruit of her hands is the good which, by her conduct, she has brought to maturity - the blessing which she has secured for others, but, according to the promise (Isa 3:10), has also secured for her own enjoyment. The first line proceeds on the idea that, on account of this blessing, she herself shall rejoice. תְּֽנוּ־לָהּ (with Gaja, after Metheg-Setzung, §37) is not equivalent to give to her honour because of...; for in that case, instead of the ambiguous מִן, another preposition - such e.g., as עַל - would have been used; and so תְּנוּ, of itself, cannot be equivalent to תַּנּוּ (sing the praise of), as Ziegler would read, after Jdg 11:40. It must stand with כבוד, or instead of מִפְּרִי an accus. obj. is to be thought of, as at Psa 68:35; Deu 32:3, which the necessity of the case brings with it - the giving, as a return in the echo of the song of praise. Immanuel is right in explaining תנו־לה by תגמלו לה חסד or עשׂו עתה חסד וכבוד, cf. Psa 28:4. The מִן, as is not otherwise to be expected, after תנו is partitive: give to her something of the fruit of her hands, i.e., recompense it to her, render it thankfully, by which not exclusively a requital in the form of honourable recognition, but yet this specially, is to be thought of. Her best praise is her works themselves. In the gates, i.e., in the place where the representatives of the people come together, and where the people are assembled, her works praise her; and the poet desires that this may be right worthily done, full of certainty that she merits it, and that they honour themselves who seek to praise the works of such a woman, which carry in themselves their own commendation.