Proverbs 31:31

Give ¹  her credit for what she has accomplished, ²  and let her works praise her ³  in the city gates. ⁴ 

Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!

Give her credit for what her hands have made: let her be praised by her works in the public place.

Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.

Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Give ¹  her credit for what she has accomplished, ²  and let her works praise her ³  in the city gates. ⁴ 

¹ tn The first word of the twenty-second line begins with ת (tav), the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

² tn Heb “Give her from the fruit of her hands.” The expression “the fruit of her hands” employs two figures. The word “fruit” is a figure known as hypocatastasis, an implied comparison, meaning “what she produces.” The word “hand” is a metonymy of cause, meaning her efforts to produce things. So the line is saying essentially “give her her due.” This would either mean give her credit for what she has done (the option followed by the present translation; cf. TEV) or reward her for what she has done (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).

³ sn Psalm 111 began with the imperative יָה הָלְלוּ (halÿlu yah, “praise the Lord”), and this poem ends with the jussive וִיהָלְלוּהָּ (vihalÿluha, “and let [her works] praise her”). Psalm 111:2 speaks of God’s works, and this verse of the woman’s (or wisdom’s) works that deserve praise.

⁴ tn “Gates” is a metonymy of subject. It refers to the people and the activity that occurs in the gates – business dealings, legal transactions, and social meetings. The term “city” is supplied in the translation for clarity. One is reminded of the acclaim given to Ruth by Boaz: “for all the gate of my people knows that you are a noble woman [אֵשֶׁת חַיִל, ’eshet khayil]” (Ruth 3:11).