Warrior Woman
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. Proverbs 31:10 ESV
Excellent – Perhaps a bit better than “virtuous,” the ESV translation makes an attempt to teach that this particular wife is not measured simply on the basis of her morals. But the Hebrew word is far more than our notion of “excellent.” We might be seduced into believing that “excellent” is a function of our (male) analysis. We might list the things we think make a good wife. Things like cooking, housekeeping, income, even-tempered, good looking and sex (of course). Hebrew will not permit that.
The word is hayil. The phrase is ‘eshet hayil. The best translation is something like “powerful woman,” “warrior woman,” “brave, competent, full of strength woman.” This is Princess Valiant. The focus of the word hayil is on strength, power and might. It is used twenty times of God Himself and most often associated with men of might, power, worth and even of armies and forces in war. No, this is not a word about morals or culinary excellence. When you meet this kind of woman, you will be impressed by one thing: toughness.
That characteristic infects everything she does. Look at the list in the following verses. Competent in management, business and negotiations. Tough in dealing with hardships and circumstances. Powerful and accomplished. Goal-setter. Money manager. Lauded. Leader. Certainly not the “silent” woman of Paul’s completely misunderstood verse. This is Deborah, Hagar, Ruth, Jael, Achsah, Sheerah, Zipporah. This woman is loved and feared. She fulfills the purpose God has in mind when He constructed the ‘ezer kenegdo.
Perhaps you know women like this. If so, your life is blessed by their presence. They steer the course that keeps us on track. They assist and assert. They measure and manage. They encourage and examine. Why would we not wish for the ‘eshet hayil every day of our lives? It is like having the face of God before our eyes.
What’s missing in our cultural myopia is the woman of Hebraic power. Oh, we have plenty of powerful women these days. But they come to us in Greek form. They exercise their strength through political compulsion or cultural attraction. We are in awe because they are goddesses from Olympus, not doers of the Word. They promote the values of the age rather than the virtues of the Lord. And there are plenty. They are not hard to find.
If you are lucky, you will find an ‘eshet hayil. A much more difficult quest. I have found one, by God’s grace alone. Her name is Rosanne. Today is her birthday.
Topical Index: ‘eshet hayil, warrior, power, wife, Proverbs 31:10
Happy birthday Rosanne. May blessing and shalom surround you and your very blessed (or should I say lucky from the Beatitudes book) husband, today and all the days of your lives.
Happy birthday Rosanne, may the LORD continue to be your guide and bless you as you seek with all your heart and mind to follow Him. Shalom from Dave and Zoe and all of us from Gathering Stones.
Happy Birthday Rosanne! Eshet Chayil!!!
Aww… Happy Birthday Rosanne! Blessings from Kevin and Tonya
Happy Birthday, and a Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Rosanne.
From Dan & Joanne, an ex-Catholic and Canadian as you may guess.
…..and from your Mediterranean cruise ship-mates on the East Coast as well……more “power” to you both. Penny and George
Rosanne, Sister, Woman after my own Heart!
I am so blessed to read Skip’s description of you and to “hear” his appreciation of you. I, too, am of “that sort.” My husband/his family hated it when we first got married and blended a family. In fact, he did his best to break me. Years later, today, he tells me constantly that he is blessed beyond anything he could have imagined in HIS ezer kinegdo. We all “wish” we could go back and remove the “ugly” that we forced onto others in the past. I’m just so thankful that he’s turned his life over to YHVH and wants what the LORD God Almighty wants… not what “fits” in his “box.”
And don’t we know, too, that the “church” at large detests women like us? Oh, Girlfriend and Sister, we know all too well the energy spent to break us down into the “meek” position of a “godly” woman, huh? I shudder for other women as I think of some pastors, church leaders and congregants who will continue to try to brainwash those beautiful women into “seeing the light” and becoming “stick people.” Run, ladies! The “light” is an oncoming train!!!
I celebrate life with you today, Rosanne. Will you be coming with Skip to Sandpoint? Oh how I would love to meet you!
I agree with your view of womanhood Skip. But isn’t that our role to Christ? I don’t want a subordinate for a wife. I want an equal. I want someone with strength of character rather than someone who submits to a daily checklist of my demands. This is exactly why I believe that God’s end goal is not our obedience but our assuming of His character. After all, God doesn’t wear clothes or eat food. To be holy as He is holy, is to take on His character or nature. Isn’t this exactly the distinction Paul makes between the two covenants in Galatians 4:21-31 with the old covenant pertaining to the bondwoman while the new covenant pertains to the freewoman. Receiving love given freely by a person of character is far better than receiving obedience from an inferior.
good points all.
I hadn’t thought of it from that angle before. Yeshua seemed to be constantly trying to ween his disciples into a relationship with God similar to his own…. which sometimes meant sending them out away from him. It’s strange to think that he might have wanted them less dependent/subservient to himself – but instead – unified with him in purpose, character, and relationship with God.
Oh that is beautiful! Happy Birthday to Rosanne!
Happy birthday to Rosanne
Happy Birthday Rosanne,
Thank you Skip for this wonderful post for your wife. It is beautiful. May your marriage proper and continue to grow and to bring glory to Yah. Lovely Word.
Have a wonderful birthday Rosanne! Your a fortunate man Skip. Women like this are rare indeed. I have been blessed with one for 40 years now.
Roseanne! Many Happy Returns, love and blessings from the UK
Simon
Great post, and happy birthday!
Many blessings on your special day Rosanne! May it exceed all your expectations! (Maybe something nice from the Millennial Mall?) 🙂
Yom Huledet Sameach!
Lori
Happy Birthday Rosanne!
Hear! Hear! Blessings cover you on your birthday Roseanne, to last all year!
Bride of Christ – this is you – let’s shift accordingly!
This is the “person” of the Holy Spirit, the ‘ezer kenegdo of the higher YHWH.
Happy Birthday to your Woman of Valor!
Happy Birthday, Rosanne! Bless you this day and this season.
SO precious! Happy Birthday Roseanne!
A wonderful tribute to Roseanne! Have a blessed day!
Happy Birthday, Roseanne.
Hope you have a wonderful day Roseanne, love from all of us here in the UK.
May this special day be yours to truly enJOY Rosanne. And by the way, you can certainly cook and create a beautiful home as well as I’ve been the recipient of such blessings!
Aw, that is so special and I am sure that Rosanne will be blessed as her husband brings forth tribute.
To GOD be the Glory for the great things that HE HAS DONE and continues to do in the lives of those that have submitted to HIS CLAIM upon their lives.
Happy and Blessed birthday, Rosanne!! Mine was last week, and I’ll bet you are far from the age that I turned on the 18th……….89……with one to go to 90!!
God’s Love and mine to you and your family,
Helen
Happy birthday Roseanne. From where I stand you are both blessed to have each other.
Happy Birth-day blessings, Roseanne! May you and Skip continue to “love each other to life”. (quote from Guardian Angel”.
Skip,
Send my birthday wish to your good and perfect gift from above!
Anyone who has experienced or seen someone crippled by their relationship with their spouse – can appreciate how special it is when two people are pulling in a similar direction. I’m thankful for the work you guys have been able to do.
Happy Birthday Rosanne.