“A virtuous woman adds distinction and dignity to her husband. He is proud to wear her. He wants to show her off. He praises her before others. When she honors him as king of her home, he will rise to kingly heights in his manhood. When she awards him ‘first rank’ he becomes free to reach his full potential and is inspired to do things he never thought possible. He will treat his wife like a Queen with dignity and respect. Have you crowned your husband? The more richly you crown him the more you will be blessed.”
– NANCY CAMPBELL
United Bible Societies Handbook on Proverbs 12:4: “A good wife is the crown of her husband: The Hebrew term translated good refers principally to strength or power. It is used in 31:10–31. The activities of the good wife there show her to be trustworthy, competent, and industrious. See also Ruth 3:11 where “woman of worth” is used. GECL calls her “capable,” FRCL “courageous,” SPCL “exemplary,” and CEV “helpful.” The crown, the object worn on the head of a king or queen, is a symbol of authority, status, or honor. Translations differ in the way they understand the good wife to be a crown. Some take it to mean that she gives honor to her husband. For example, SPCL says “The exemplary wife makes her husband a king” and GECL “The capable wife brings the highest honor to her husband.” In TEV, on the other hand, the woman is honored by her husband: “… is her husband’s pride and joy.” Both approaches are suitable; however, the first understanding seems more appropriate when the sense of the contrasting second line is considered. In some languages it may be necessary to say, for example, “A husband who has a capable wife is respected by others” or “People respect a man whose wife is industrious.” But she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones: Brings shame contrasts with the honor and respect given to the husband in line 1. For brings shame refer to 10:5. The sense is the opposite of honor and so the meaning is “dishonor” or “disgrace.” The thought in line 2 is that the opposite kind of wife brings shame on her husband; as one translation says, “But if a wife does all kinds of bad things and her husband is ashamed ….” The wife in line 2 is compared to rottenness in his [her husband’s] bones. This figure suggests a disease that weakens the body and leads to death. CEV says “but a shameless wife will make his bones rot.” Note TEV “… is like cancer in his bones.” SPCL offers a nonfigurative rendering: “but a bad wife destroys him completely.”
Proverbs 12:4: “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.”
If you can’t be honest with others, at least be honest with yourself. The Holy Spirit has already given you the answer, I’m sure. But I will say, if you’re on the scale, there is always room for improvement, as none of us has reached the state of perfection in our Christian walk. So let’s band together and pray one for another that we would be the virtuous women God calls us to be.
— Ella Breedlove
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