Viewing Women Through The Eyes of "The Wife of Noble Character" (Proverbs 31:10-31)

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." ~Proverbs 31:30

A young “tween”—perhaps no more than 12 years old—holds a video camera as he rides his bike on a very busy side walk. As he effortlessly wobbles on his bike, he fastidiously records—and evaluates—the buttocks of various twenty-something women that walk passed him. Excited, he gleefully exclaims that his upcoming music video is going to be the “bomb” because he is going to have a plethora of “booty” to vouch for his musical expertise.

While the scene described above is taken from the movie “Beauty Shop,” this scene has been played out—in one way or another (and again and again)—by many males across the world. Entranced by the physical prowess of a particular woman—or women, if you will—they share their gleeful enthusiasm not only with their friends, but with anyone who wants to hear it. Yet, men who solely view women based on their physical attributes are truly missing out on the true, internal beauty of a woman; this is because they are limiting their notion of beauty to physical standards designed, rather than to standards related to mental, emotional, and psychological prowess. 

Though many contend that internalized standards of beauty are very difficult to gage, Proverbs 31:10 does an exceptional job of showing that it is possible to look beyond a woman’s physical beauty to determine her true worth to society. Yet, our male dominated society rarely views women within this canon. Nonetheless, if our society thoroughly read, internalized, and eventually viewed women within the Proverbs 31:10 (also known as Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character)canon, it is fair to say that the current, societal based—and hence, sexist—based canon that is currently in place would be changed and altered. In turn, this biblical-based emphasis can encourage our men—and hence, our society as a whole—to look beyond the physical (and hence, sexual) prowess of women—forcing men to look at women from a more holistic and value-oriented perspective.

Upon an initial reading of Proverbs 31:10, it is not difficult to discern that the woman being described is being viewed by her actions, not her sexuality. For instance, in Proverbs 31:15-18, The Wife of Noble Character is described as getting up “while it is still dark.” In turn, she is described as literally sacrificing her sleep to “provide food for her family” (Proverbs 31:16). She also “sets upon her work vigorously… [since]her arms are [already] strong” for the task that she has ahead of her.

While this description is admirable within the Proverbs 31:15-18 canon, it is also fair to note that this is something that many women do daily. However, these admirable traits are rarely glorified and commended by our society.   Even in the rare instance where they are commended, this internal beauty is often admired within a woman who has a striking physical prowess to either match or exceed her internal attributes. To get a better grasp of this idea, it is best to take a close look at Ne-Yo’s music video “Miss Independent.” 

In the video, Ne-Yo is seen working alongside women who are business leaders. Yet while these women can easily be seen in positions of power, they are still compelled to walk around in scantily clad attire, and [in some instances] happily dance around in a provocative manner. Yet while many would contend that Ne-Yo’s song is meant to empower women, the images pushed forth throughout the video undermine the basic premise of the song. This is because it merely includes a certain type of woman within the definition of the “Miss Independent” portrait, thereby allowing the women’s physical attributes to overshadow the moral values and characteristics meant to be featured in Ne-Yo’s video, and hence in his song.   

Because of this problematic physical portrayal of women in our society, many women who exhibit these internal attributes are thereby underappreciated in our society—more so if they do not possess the physically pleasing features that so many men in our society seem to gravitate to. Yet if Proverbs 31:10 is taught as a way to view women—rather than the current, physical based means in which many of us currently see women within our culture—many will [in turn] realize that there is much more to a woman than physical prowess and beauty.  

It is also fair to assert that if standards consistent with Proverbs 31:10 are systematically implemented in our society, that the physical standard of beauty that is currently in place would no longer intellectually limit the opposite sex to viewing women from such a problematic standpoint.