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
Thanks for sharing ‘warrior woman’ today. Birthday greetings to Rosanne from ronald,rowena & ethan.
Benoni,South Africa
Please say happy b day to her for us . And thank her again for keeping you”whole”
Roseanne, May this be your best birthday celebration ever.
Tnx Skip for the Excellent Woman word study. It will bring much encouragement to many. Have a blessed birthday Rosanne from Perth, W Australia 🙂
Happy Birthday, Rosanne!
“Excellent” Presentation!
Happy Birthday, Rosanne.
Regarding the ezer kenegdo . . . me and mine had a thought as we contemplated Adam, Havah, and the Trinity thoughts.
If Havah came out of Adam and was originally “part” of him, when God fashioned or built her from part of Adam, did Havah bring with her any consciousness or sense of Adam? Did she bring with her an innate sense of God’s Torah as it was originally communicated to Adam? Was Havah in any sense experiencing a ‘oneness’ with Adam within as they were to become ‘one’ as they went forward in their life together?
Is there any possible connection of this rather undeveloped idea similar to Yeshua being begotten by and from his father? As with Adam and Havah essentially being ‘one’ with each other having the one come from the other have any similarities or reflection in Yeshua, the Son, coming from the Father?
It all sounds a bit mystical, but as we were thinking about it, there seemed to be some connection somehow.
Adam and Havah were two but essentially one. Havah being another “adam” with the sameness such that Adam recognized her as totally and sufficiently different than all the animals that were paraded by him in search of the perfect one. The perfect one was another that was actually himself. As one could have looked
on the earth stage at that time, one would easily recognize all the different animals in pairs and, as well, the two, the pair, Adam and Havah as two but essentially in all significant ways, one and the same.
So, if any of the above has any sense, then does Adam and Havah give a glimpse of the Father/Son union or relationship?
Ok, I’ve melted my brain just a bit.
Interesting. I will have to think about this. But this much I am quite sure about. When Adam saw naked Havvah for the first time, I am quite sure he did not think of her as exactly like him.
LOL!!! Good point! Didn’t quite look at it this way! Skip, you seem to look at things so differently, but we like it, as that provokes us too.
Slicha, Rosanne for this belated birthday greetings- YHWH’s blessings with you always, your confidence comes from Him, and what a blessing to be a Warrior Woman! Shalom!
True, however, it’s difficult to speculate as to Adam’s original thoughts of Havvah, keeping in mind the sexual aspects of the visual encounter. Adam DID, in some way, think of Havvah as like himself as he did enunciate that she was “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” in a rather robust exclamation. I’m sure, in the flavor of your comment, Adam saw in Havvah a much better rendition of himself, presumably, in character and in all the visual delights from his male position. So, compared to the vast collection of animals to compare with, to a large part Adam did see significant sameness in Havvah.
To your point that certainly Adam did not think of Havvah as exactly like him, shouldn’t we or couldn’t we carry some idea of that to the Trinity explanation regarding Yeshua and the Father. If you look at Adam and Havvah as compared to the animals, they are the same. Yet there is still a definitive distinction between the two regardless of sameness they share and that the one came out of the other.
Looking at Yeshua and the Father, they are the same in the verbs and action of holiness, that is, conformed completely to the image expressed in Torah. He is image of the invisible God, who, in fact, is and always must be spirit.
If, as Yeshua states, that if you’ve seen him, you’ve seen the Father, is it in the same avenue of possibility in our regard that to and within the extent that we explicitly live out the instructions and substance of Torah, during those instances, as Yeshua certainly did, if you see that obedient soul, us, you’ve seen the Father? At least right up until the next sin, contrary to Torah.
Moving back to Adam seeing a beautiful, complementary and probably better rendition of himself, at least to his senses and fulfilling aspects of now having a partner, Havvah proved to be such, right up until the mismanagement and incorrect application of Torah during the tree episode in the middle of the garden.
This is all off the top of my head, of course, which really has very little real estate. A review of all the pertinent text for any scrap of verification is obviously and sorely needed. But, hey, just asking questions here. And, continuing to remove some of the many cob webs hanging around my brain matter.
Hi Michael C.
“Adam saw in Havvah a much better rendition of himself….” or… a different aspect of himself, more appealing/interesting/challenging that could be the draw, as opposites attract, naturally. : -)
“if you see that obedient soul, us, you’ve seen the Father”…yes, that is the transformation, restoration, that is inspiring, encouraging us on in this difficult journey so. Appreciate your comments.
An addition to TW is, as Warrior Woman, we are only fully functional when the men/husbands are truly walking in Torah and permitting us to fulfill that role.
Shalom!
Happy birthday Rosanne!
Happy Birthday, Warrior Woman, Woman of Valour. Have a wonderful day. And Skip, a fabulous Today’s Word to honour the woman YHVH has given you – great job. Very encouraging for me today especially. Be blessed you guys and thanks to you both for all your work towards this wonderful daily ‘food’.
Thank you! A group of women are looking for a name for a prayer group. No compromise prayer group. I’ve submitted “eshet hayil” as a name.
All the best in Him!