Proverbs 9 of 14 – Proverbs and My Wife

Read: Proverbs 21:1-22:16

As I read through the list of proverbs this morning, warnings about doing what is right, being prudent, guarding my mouth, etc., I was drawn to the few in these chapters about the joy I have in marriage of nearly 30 years. To put it mildly, staying on the right path is much easier because of the relationship I have with my amazing wife. I’m much more emotional, more apt to say things that are inappropriate or not well thought out. Yes, I am so blessed to have found this treasure! For those who are not married, I pray this is the kind of spouse for your future.

So I got a bit distracted by the word “wife” in proverbs, so I did some research. In the NIV we find 14 proverbs that include the word “wife,” plus a bonus in chapter 31, The Wife of Noble Character. We’ll enjoy Proverbs 31 in a few days, for the moment, here’s a summary of what I found:

Warnings About Adultery

• Proverbs 5:18: May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
• Proverbs 5:20: Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
• Proverbs 6:24: keeping you from your neighbor’s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.
• Proverbs 6:26: For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life.
• Proverbs 6:29: So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
• Proverbs 23:26-27: My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways,for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

Quarrelsome Wife

• Proverbs 19:13: A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
• Proverbs 21:9: Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
• Proverbs 21:19: Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
• Proverbs 25:24: Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
• Proverbs 27:15: A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;

Wife of Character

• Proverbs 12:4: A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
• Proverbs 18:22: The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD. (NLT)
• Proverbs 19:14: Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

I have been blessed with an amazing wife, one of impeccable character and remarkable intelligence. She is far from quarrelsome or nagging, if anything, those words might be better used to describe my behavior at times. I appreciate the NLT’s translation of 18:22: my wife is indeed a treasure!

This particular weekend, once again, we find ourselves in different parts of the country. One of the many amazing things about Zoë is her strength as an independent woman of God. At the risk of misinterpretation, hear this: she doesn’t need me; rather, she chooses me and in that choice her needs are met. The same is true on my end. Life is simply much richer because God has put us together. We choose each other (yes, that’s in the present tense).

Marriage is such a foundational relationship in the Bible that Christ refers to the church as his bride. It’s not about need, it’s about a choice.

It’s hard to get my mind around this concept, but Jesus chose us, you and me, and in that choice our needs are met. This is the good news, the great news! Lord, help us to share this with the world through lives that reflect you and draw people to your light.