A Wise Woman...

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
– Proverbs 14:1

This is my verse for right now… I don’t know how long, but I really need this one to sink in and transform my heart. I desire to be a “wise woman”, but have a lot to learn and many areas that need growth. So I decided to start off by doing a word study on this verse, here are the definitions and my thoughts:

Word Study from the KJV Strong’s Dictionary

Wise – from the Hebrew root word “chokmah” meaning: Wisdom, Skilled, Wits, and Shrewdness. I have been a wife for almost 8 years and a mother for 6 years. I am becoming more and more skilled each passing year, but still have so far to go. I am not an organized person; I am in my mind… a perfectionist at heart… which is more disabling than one would think. If I can’t do something “perfect” then I give up and don’t do it at all. However if I would listen to myself as I lecture Jordan on this very issue I would realize that perfection does not just “happen”, I did not become the perfect “housewife” the minute I became a wife. I did not become the best mom just because I had a child. But with each day that I have the honor to work at it, I am getting better at both. To obtain wisdom and become wise, skilled (organized, story teller, puppet maker, homemaker, loving), to have wits (intelligence, common sense, understanding) and to be shrewd (smart, clever, reasonable and on the ball).

Buildeth – from the Hebrew word “banah” meaning: Build, Build up, Repair, Set up, Have children and Obtain children. This definition was interesting, not only do we “wise women” need to build up our homes (families), but we also need to repair. There are many times where I wish I didn’t have the job of ‘building’ or ‘repairing’, but God has made it clear in His word that I am the best person in this family for doing just that. I am to help my husband and he is to love me. :o) The other part of this definition that I did not see coming was the part about children… ‘to have and/or obtain children’. However it makes sense. Children help us to grow, to learn and to become better people. As I bring up children in this home I reflect on much more than I ever thought I would. With each child my heart has become softer, more loving. With each child I find myself more alive. And with each child I find myself in more desperate need for God’s strength. ;o)

Foolish – from the Hebrew root word “eviyl” meaning: be foolish; of one who despises wisdom; of one who mocks when guilty; of one who is quarrelsome; of one who is licentious. I find it mildly humorous that the root word for foolish is “eviyl”. Did you know that “quarrelsome” means: Apt to quarrel; given to brawls and contention; inclined to petty fighting; easily irritated or provoked to contest; irascible; choleric; petulant, grouchy, hot-tempered, and difficult? Ouch.

Down – from the Hebrew word “harac” meaning: to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer. Not only can a foolish woman tear down the home, but it is equally destructive to “overthrow” it. Beat down has an image of constant badgering… mean words and actions. When I read “pluck down” I can imagine a wife slowly and quietly plucking away at the home, stealing the joy of the house… nothing major or big, just little things… an unhappy tone, disapproving glances, hiding hurts deep down and not dealing with them, etc… they may be minor irritants/plucks but eventually all the good will be gone.