I didn’t intend to come back to this passage. I had Matthew on my mind and had every intention of reviewing the material for our Wednesday evening Bible study. But I had to come back to a picture I shared online this week. I had to take care of a matter I left in a bit of a mess. Part of the post contained an inaccurate representation of the scripture.
My apologies to you or anyone who may have seen the post!
When I took the picture, I felt like there was one word that just didn’t make sense to me. A word that I had written in the margin struck me. I couldn’t leave it alone. I needed to verify what was shared. The intention of the post was to help and not hinder.
I do not know when I made these notes in the margin, but they must have been made during a sermon or teaching from someone at some point in time. The person didn’t provide the spelling and I wrote the incorrect word. The intention of their teaching was clear but I missed one word. I have not studied the original languages of the Bible in depth. But I know enough about the Bible to know that it should be handled with great care.
So here is my correction of what I shared!
I wrote “sapa” in the margin next to Proverbs 31:27. When you search the Hebrew meaning of that word you find it means lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding. This is not the correct word for this verse. To my untrained ears the word sounds like the intended word.
I looked it up this morning. “Looks well” in Hebrew is “tsaphah,” which means to look out or about, spy, keep watch, observe, watch. Notice I also wrote “to lean forward.” There is action here.
We could dig a little deeper into the verse and determine she is looking out for her household productively. She has an active interest in the welfare of her family and those that may work for her. This woman is actively watching over her household. She is leaning in and paying close attention to the needs around her. She knows the comings and goings of her people. She knows what is going on with her people. She intentionally leans forward to watch over her people.
Lesson for me: dig deeper; keep watch over the notes I make; be intentional to look it up for clarification and verification.
My post did not directly address this verse. It shared how I believed for many years the Proverbs 31 woman was an unattainable model. I shared that my belief had been all wrong. I encouraged you to look through the eyes of Jesus to find a glimpse of yourself in the passage. Did you? Will you?
Will you keep watch over your household and be intentional to lean forward into the work of your hands and diligently go about what God has given you to do?
What is one characteristic of the Proverbs 31 woman that you see in yourself? Read the chapter and ask God to reveal it to you.
Will you share it in the comments?
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