The wife of noble character.
v.10-31 are an acrostic poem.
Praise for her character.
v.10-12 An excellent wife who can find? (Rhetorical question.) A good wife comes from the Lord (19:14) and she (like wisdom, 3:15) is more precious than jewels. Her husband trusts her with his heart and she will enrich his life. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life. In the Bible, Ruth was said to be a woman of noble character (Ru 3:11, worthy woman).
Praise for her activities.
v.13-15 She is an industrious woman providing food for her large household and spinning yarn. She works with willing hands, rising early to get a good start on the day.
v.16-18 She is a woman of financial enterprise, buying a field and operating it at a profit. She sets about her work vigorously and with strength.
v.19-21 She provides warm clothing for her family working hard at the sewing machine. She opens her arms to the poor and needy in her community.
v.22-24 She makes bed coverings and fine clothes for her family. Her husband is well respected in the community. She makes clothing and other items to sell to merchants.
Praise for her wisdom and merit.
v.25-27 She is clothed with strength and dignity and can confidently look to the future. She is wise and gracious in her speech and provides faithful instruction. She watches over all the affairs of her household and is not slothful.
v.28-29 Her children rise and call her blessed and her husband praises her: “many woman do excellent things, but you surpass them all.”
v.30-31 She is a woman who fears the Lord and deserves reward and recognition.

Read Proverbs 31:10-31

The words of King Lemuel.
v.1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him. No one knows who King Lemuel was or where he was king. “An oracle” could be rendered “of Massa” as in 30:1. v.2-9 provide instruction on what the ideal human king should look like.
v.2-3 What are you doing my son? (The repetition of son indicates the seriousness.) Do not waste your strength on women and on those who destroy kings. Perhaps the idea is that having many women saps his strength to rule well.
v.4-5 Kings should not be given to strong drink (20:1). It clouds their judgment and interferes with their role as protector of the afflicted. They will forget their laws and pervert justice.
v.6-7 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing and those in bitter distress; that they remember their misery no more.
v.8-9 Judge righteously, protecting the rights of the poor and needy and all who are destitute. Speak for the one who is mute and unable to speak for himself.

Read Proverbs 31:1-9

Numerical proverbs.
v.15a The leech has two daughters named Give and Give (or give, give, they cry, ESV text note). The point may be an observation of someone who is demanding of you and never satisfied.
v.15b-16 This proverb uses the formula n, n+1. Three things are never satisfied, four never say enough: (1) Sheol, (2) the barren womb, (3) land never watered, and (4) a fire that is never quenched. Life is full of such situations.
v.17 A curse, this proverb says that a child who does not honor his parents will die (using the metaphor of an eye picked out by ravens).
v.18-20 Three things are too wonderful, four I don’t understand: (1) the way of an eagle in the sky, (2) the way of a serpent on a rock, (3) the way of a ship on the high seas, and (4) the way of a man with a virgin. Verse 20 is perhaps a key to the significance of the list of four situations. The eagle, serpent, and ship move along but leave no mark (an likewise the man with the virgin, assuming she stays a virgin). Likewise an adulteress leaves no mark but there are consequences to her behavior.
v.21-23 Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear: (1) a slave who becomes king, (2) a fool filled with food, (3) an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and (4) a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. Such persons are insufferable (like someone at work promoted beyond his or her level of competence).
v.24-28 Four things on earth are small but very wise: (1) ants are not strong but they provide their food in summer, (2) rock badgers are not mighty but they make their homes in the cliffs, (3) locusts have no king but they march in ranks, (4) the lizard you can hold in your hand but it lives in king’s palaces. Each provides an important life lesson (e.g., ants teach us to make provision for the future).
v.29-31 There are three things that walk stately, four that strut about: (1) the lion, (2) the rooster, (3) the he-goat, and (4) a king whose army is with him. The majesty of a king is not in himself (like the animals) but in his subjects.
v.32-33 If you have acted foolishly by exalting yourself or planning evil, put a hand over your mouth and keep silent. For as the churning of milk produces curd, so stirring up anger produces strife.

Read Proverbs 30:15-33

The words of Agur.
v.1 These are the words of Agur, but the identity of this Agur is unknown. All we know is what is indicated in the text: Agur, son of Jakeh, the man of Massa (ESV text note). His words are given as: “I am weary O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.” These rather depressing words are difficult to translate and there are varying interpretations.
v.2-4 Here Agur considers himself too stupid to be a man. He doesn’t have understanding and has not learned wisdom. He does not have knowledge of the holy one. He asks several rhetorical questions reminiscent of God’s questions in Jb 38-39. The answer to them is of course only God himself.
v.5-6 Every word of God proves to be true, do not add to them lest you be found a liar (and he rebuke you). The Lord is a shield to those who take refuge in him. See Ps 18:30. Wise people recognize their ignorance and trust in the words of God.
v.7-9 The only prayer in Proverbs. Agur asks for: (1) remove me far from falsehood and lying, (2) give me neither poverty nor riches, and (3) feed me with the food that is needful for me. His requests indicate that what he wants is good character and to be keep from circumstances that would endanger his character. He wants fair winds and a following sea (don’t we all). The poor worry about having sufficient food and the rich are weighted down with worries.
v.10 Don’t slander (lie about) a worker to his employer (nor servant to his master) lest he curse you and you be held guilty (by God). You would be damaging the person’s livelihood.
v.11-14 Here are described four types of loathsome people: (1) those who curse their father and do not bless their mother, (2) those who are clean in their own eyes but are covered with filth, (3) those who are arrogant (lofty are their eyes), and (4) those whose teeth are swords devouring the poor and needy.

Read Proverbs 30:1-14