Proverbs 31:19

Her hands ¹  take hold ²  of the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.

She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking.

She puts her hands to the cloth-working rod, and her fingers take the wheel.

She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.

Her hands ¹  take hold ²  of the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.

¹ tn The first word of the tenth line begins with י (yod) the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

sn The words for “hands” are often paired in poetry; the first (יָד, yad) means the hand and the forearm and usually indicates strength, and the second (כַּף, kaf) means the palm of the hand and usually indicates the more intricate activity.

² tn The verb שִׁלַּח (shilakh), the Piel perfect of the verb “to send,” means in this stem “to thrust out; to stretch out.” It is a stronger word than is perhaps necessary. It is a word that is also used in military settings to describe the firmness and forthrightness of the activity (Judg 5:26).