1. The virtuous woman is being praised first of all by her children.

2. She is praised by her children for all that she DOES for them.

a. It is not surprising that her children praise her, considering all the things we have learned about her in this section.

b. Vs. 13 – She is out in the fields getting flax and wool to make clothing for them.

c. Vs. 14 – She travels all over town and perhaps the region looking for the best products—that her children enjoy.

d. Vs. 15 – She is up early in the morning, before the sun rises, to prepare food for her children for the day.

e. Vs. 16 – She planted and tended to a vineyard, the fruits of which her children enjoyed.

f. Vs. 19 – She makes yarn and cloth—which her children wear.

g. Vs. 21 – She sees to it that her household is dressed in warm and fashionable scarlet clothing.

h. Vs. 22 – She makes and decorates her home with beautiful tapestries, which her children enjoy.

3. She is praised by her children for the kind of PERSON that she is to them.

a. Vs. 11-12 – The children saw how well she treated their father.

b. Vs. 15 – They saw how well she treated the servants.

c. They saw her getting up early in the morning and staying up late at night to help provide for the family’s needs.

d. Vs. 20 – They saw her stretching out her hand to the poor.

e. Vs. 22 – They saw her artistic side too in making the home beautiful with her tapestries for wall hangings and bed covers.

f. Vs. 23 – The children knew that to a large extent, their father’s reputation, accomplishments, and status in the city was due to his noble wife standing behind him.

g. Vs. 26 – The children saw her wisdom and experienced her kindness daily.

h. Vs. 27 – The children observed how their mother looked well to the ways of the household, day in and day out.

i. The children of this noble woman learned about self-discipline, orderliness, diligence, endurance, sacrifice, giving to others, generosity, priorities, wisdom, kindness, honor, keeping the household in order, and many other valuable lessons of life by observing their mother over the years.

4. They arise up and call her BLESSED.

a. It’s no surprise that they arise up and call her blessed.

b. It would be remarkable if they didn’t!

c. They are simply acknowledging the facts: this woman IS blessed – blessed by God.

d. She is blessed with wisdom, kindness, diligence, grace, generosity, selflessness, etc.

e. These wonderful traits are not natural. That is not the way the old nature works.

f. These qualities are blessings from above that she manifests on earth.

g. James 1:17 – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

5. Arising up:

a. This Hebrew word means to “stand” but has lots of different connotations.

b. Here the connotation implied is standing out of respect and honor.

c. Kiel and Delitzch attribute to this term the “idea of reverential honour.”

d. We see this meaning often in the Scriptures.
• Ex. 33:10 – “And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.”
• Lev. 19:32 – “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”
• I Kings 2:19 – “Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her…”
• Rising up was a means of showing respect and honor.

e. The children of this noble woman “rose up” to honor their mother for all she does and for who she is.

6. There is a second possibility for the meaning of the word translated “arise up,” (by Matthew Henry, Harry Irsonside, and others) namely, to arise up one day in the future and take her place—when the children have households of their own.

a. Later in life they will call her blessed.

b. Later in life, when they have their own children, they will realize with much more DEPTH, all that their virtuous mother did for them… all she sacrificed for them… all that she exemplified for them…

c. They may not have appreciated it that much while growing up; but when they “arise up” to adulthood and have their own families, they will realize the debt they owe her.

d. And they will HONOR their mother for years to come.

e. That’s the way it is supposed to work. That’s the norm.

f. This is all certainly true—but I’m not sure this meaning is what the author intended.
• The reason I believe the praise is from her children while they are still children is because of the next phrase in which the husband does the same.
• There is nothing in the context that would lead a reader to believe that her husband waits until the children “arise up” as adults to bless his wife.