Proverbs 31:16-17
She Buys a Field and Plants a Vineyard
Review: So far we have learned several things about the virtuous woman:
→ Vs. 10 – She is valuable—like rubies.
→ Vs. 11 – She is trustworthy.
→ Vs. 12 – She did good deeds for her husband her whole life.
→ Vs. 13 – She was a willing worker and made clothing for her family.
→ Vs. 14 – She was a diligent and wise shopper.
→ Vs. 15 – She rises early to minister to her family and servants and organizes the day’s chores.
→ Vs. 16-17 – Tonight we will consider what she does with the fruit of her labors.
1. In this passage, the goal she had in mind was to plant a vineyard.
a. This was work outside of her house.
b. But the goal of planting a vineyard was clearly for the benefit of her family and her household.
c. We just saw in vs. 15 that she is the one who rises early in the morning to provide breakfast for her family.
d. Evidently she believed that her household would be benefited by having their own vineyard.
• Perhaps the cost of grapes was becoming excessive and she thought that she could grow grapes much cheaper.
• Wine was used to sweeten the water.
• Fresh grape juice was a real treat—a delight.
• We learned from vs. 14 that she traveled far and wide to provide the best products for her family.
• If she had her own vineyard, she could save money, and perhaps save the long trips to someone else’s vineyard to buy their grape juice or wine.
• She would have the freshest grape juice possible.
• It could save her time and money.
2. All of this was preceded by the fact that “she considered a field.”
a. She had her eye on a piece of property—a field.
b. Consider defined: To purpose; to devise; to plan.
c. This woman had a business plan in mind: To buy a field.
d. This was a deliberate plan; a well thought out plan.
e. Purchasing this field was not done impulsively or without much thought, prayer, and planning.
f. Though not stated, it is likely (conjecture here) that it was very close to her home—probably adjacent.
g. I Kings 21:2 – Ahab also had his eye on a field which was next to his property: “And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house.”
h. It was advantageous to purchase fields adjacent to one’s own property. Who would want a garden 20 miles away? That’s a long walk every morning to do the weeding or watering.
i. The virtuous woman had been eyeing the field which was probably right next door.
j. She “considered” it – meaning she devised a plan to obtain it.
k. Perhaps her neighbor just put it on the market—and the opportunity became available.
l. It seemed perfect to her.
• It would be able to produce much fruit.
• It was likely nearby and perhaps eliminated long trips to purchase wine and grape juice.
• It would be cheaper than in the marketplace.
• The children could be kept busy tending the vineyard.
• Though it involved a lot of work initially, she considered the long term benefit: it would save her husband money in the long run. It seemed like a great opportunity.
• So she made plans to obtain it.
3. She bought it.
a. After careful consideration, and after doing her homework, she decided to purchase it.
b. This was an investment.
c. It may not produce anything for a few years.
d. Up front, it would require investing a lot of time too—to till the ground and get the soil ready for planting.
e. Purchasing vines would also be an upfront expense.
f. She was willing to sacrifice the immediate for a long term gain.
g. This was not only a virtuous woman; this was a wise woman who planned ahead… like the ants.
1. Here we are told that she purchased this field with the “fruit of her hands.”
a. In other words, she bought the field with the money SHE made from her other “jobs.”
b. In vs. 18 we will see that she worked into the night to manufacture “merchandise” for selling. She made money from selling her merchandise.
c. In vs. 24 we are told that she sold fine linen and girdles or sashes that she made.
d. This was an extremely industrious woman. Who knows what other products she made and sold!
e. She took her profits (the fruit of her hands) and purchased the field. She had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit in her.
f. In vs. 31 we are told that her husband, the head of the household, “gave her” of the fruit of her own hands. What she earned, she could keep and use however she wanted.
g. Vs. 11 – “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.”
h. She wasn’t spending money behind his back or without his knowledge.
i. She and her husband worked together as a unit – as a team in using the household monies.
j. She proved herself to be skillful and wise and her husband trusted her. He trusted her in financial decisions and let her use her own hard earned money according to her proven wisdom.
k. Vs. 14 – Her husband knew from experience that she was a wise shopper and never used her money foolishly.
l. She had her eye on this field, and used the money she made selling her merchandise to buy the field.
m. And again, her motive was always to improve the lot in life for her family. This was not done out of greed or covetousness.
n. She loved her family and wanted them to have the freshest grape juice and the sweetest wine to sweeten their water.
1. The text says that she bought the field, and that she planted the vineyard.
2. It also says that she girded her loins with strength and that she strengthened her arms.
a. Girding up one’s loins means to tie up the long, flowing garment with a sash above the knees so that your legs are freed up for movement – like running or work.
b. Strengthening one’s arms speaks of doing whatever it takes to free up one’s arms to be ready for work.
c. This speaks of getting ready and prepared for manual labor in the field… planting a vineyard.
3. What we are told here is that this virtuous woman was STRONG.
a. Actually, that is what the word translated “virtuous” means.
b. This was a strong woman—morally, spiritually, and even physically.
c. Planting a vineyard is hard work.
d. But she was ready for the hard work. She wasn’t afraid of hard work. And she wasn’t afraid to get her fingernails dirty.
e. This was a very strong and capable lady.
4. What made this especially remarkable was the fact that she was a wealthy woman who had servants.
a. She didn’t have to plant the vineyard. She could have had her servants do all the hard labor.
b. But she set the example for her servants. She wasn’t afraid to work with them.
c. She didn’t have to gird her loin and her arms with strength. That was what household servants were for.
d. But this strong lady wasn’t your average woman of means.
e. She didn’t put herself above others. She didn’t see working with her hands as being “beneath” her.
f. She rolled up her sleeves, girded up her loins, and went to work in the field which she bought with the money that she earned, and she planted a vineyard.
g. This woman took the “fruit of her hands” (the money she made from selling the merchandise she made) and she invested in a field in which she planted a vineyard so that there would be continuous fruit from her hands… for generations to come.
h. Unlike the unwise and unfaithful servant, she didn’t take her “talent” and bury in the ground. She used it in a profitable manner.
i. This was a very wise woman.