Proverbs 31:19
New International Version
In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

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

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

Berean Standard Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

King James Bible
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

New King James Version
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.

New American Standard Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

NASB 1995
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

NASB 1977
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

Legacy Standard Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold fast the spindle.

Amplified Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle [as she spins wool into thread for clothing].

Christian Standard Bible
She extends her hands to the spinning staff, and her hands hold the spindle.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
She extends her hands to the spinning staff, and her hands hold the spindle.

American Standard Version
She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.

Contemporary English Version
She spins her own cloth,

English Revised Version
She layeth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"She puts her hands on the distaff, and her fingers hold a spindle.

Good News Translation
She spins her own thread and weaves her own cloth.

International Standard Version
She works with her own hands on her clothes — her hands work the sewing spindle.

Majority Standard Bible
She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

NET Bible
Her hands take hold of the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.

New Heart English Bible
She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

Webster's Bible Translation
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

World English Bible
She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
She has sent forth her hands on a spindle, "" And her hands have held a distaff.

Young's Literal Translation
Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.

Smith's Literal Translation
She sent forth her hands upon the spindle, and her hands take hold of the whirl.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.

Catholic Public Domain Version
She has put her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.

New American Bible
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.

New Revised Standard Version
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
She stretches out her arms diligently, and puts her hands to the spindle.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
She stretched out her arms with diligence and her hands to the spindle.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
She reaches forth her arms to needful works, and applies her hands to the spindle.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Virtues of a Noble Woman
18She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night. 19She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.…

Cross References
Exodus 35:25-26
Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen. / And all the skilled women whose hearts were stirred spun the goat hair.

Exodus 28:3
You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.

2 Kings 23:7
He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah.

Isaiah 19:9
The workers in flax will be dismayed, and the weavers of fine linen will turn pale.

Isaiah 38:12
My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.

Ezekiel 27:16
Aram was your customer because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your wares.

Judges 5:24-26
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. / He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds. / She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.

Ruth 2:17
So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. And when she beat out what she had gleaned, it was about an ephah of barley.

1 Samuel 2:19
Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

2 Samuel 1:24
O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and luxury, who decked your garments with ornaments of gold.

Acts 9:39
So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Acts 16:14
Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

1 Timothy 2:9-10
Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, / but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.

1 Peter 3:3-4
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, / but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

1 Thessalonians 4:11
and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.


Treasury of Scripture

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

Exodus 35:25,26
And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen…

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Proverbs 31
1. Lemuel's lesson of chastity and temperance
6. The afflicted are to be comforted and defended
10. The praise and properties of a good wife














She stretches out her hands
This phrase highlights the industrious nature of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31. The Hebrew word for "stretches out" is "שָׁלַח" (shalach), which conveys a sense of intentionality and purpose. In the ancient Near Eastern context, this action signifies diligence and a proactive approach to work. The hands symbolize strength and capability, emphasizing that the woman is not idle but actively engaged in productive tasks. This imagery serves as an inspiration for believers to approach their own responsibilities with dedication and vigor.

to the distaff
The "distaff" is a tool used in spinning, holding the unspun fibers, such as wool or flax, before they are twisted into thread. The Hebrew word "כִּישׁוֹר" (kishor) refers to this implement, which was a common household item in ancient times. The mention of the distaff underscores the domestic skills and resourcefulness of the woman. In a broader sense, it reflects the value of preparing and providing for one's household, a principle that resonates with the biblical call to stewardship and care for one's family.

and grasps the spindle
The "spindle" is another tool used in the spinning process, essential for twisting fibers into thread. The Hebrew term "פֶּלֶךְ" (pelek) is used here, indicating the woman's expertise and proficiency in her craft. Grasping the spindle suggests a firm hold and control, symbolizing competence and mastery. This action can be seen as a metaphor for taking hold of one's duties and responsibilities with confidence and skill, a reminder for believers to pursue excellence in all endeavors.

with her fingers
The use of "fingers" highlights the precision and dexterity required in the spinning process. The Hebrew word "אֶצְבַּע" (etsba) emphasizes the meticulous and careful nature of the work. This detail illustrates the woman's attention to detail and her commitment to quality. In a spiritual sense, it encourages believers to approach their tasks with care and precision, recognizing that even the smallest actions can have significant impact. The fingers, as instruments of action, remind us of the importance of using our God-given talents to serve others and glorify God.

Verse 19. - YODH. She layeth her hands to the spindle. כִּישׁור. (kishor, a word not occurring elsewhere) is probably not the spindle, but the distaff, i.e. the staff to which is tied the bunch of flax from which the spinning wheel draws the thread. To this she applies her hand; she deftly performs the work of spinning her flax into thread. Her hands hold the distsaff. פֶלֶך (pelek) is the spindle, the cylindrical wood (afterwards the wheel) on which the thread winds itself as it is spun. The hands could not be spared to hold the distaff as well as the spindle, so the first clause should run, "She stretches her hand towards the distaff." In the former clause kishor occasioned some difficulty to the early translators, who did not view the word as connected with the process of spinning. The Septuagint translates, "She stretches out her arms to useful works (ἐπὶ τὰ συμφέροντα);" Vulgate, Manum suam misit ad fortia. So Aquila and Symmachus, ἀνδρεῖα. This rather impedes the parallelism of the two clauses. There was nothing derogatory in women of high rank spinning among their maidens, just as in the Middle Ages noble ladies worked at tapestry with their attendants. We remember how Lucretia, the wife of Collatinus, was found sitting in the midst of her handmaids, carding wool and spinning (Livy, 1:57). Catullus, in his 'Epithal. Pel. et Thet.,' 312, describes the process of spinning ?

"Laeva colum molli lana retinebat amictum;
Dextera tum leviter deducens fila supinis
Formabat digitis; tum prono in pollice torquens
Libratum tereti versabat turbine fusum."

(Carm.,' 64.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
She stretches
שִׁלְּחָ֣ה (šil·lə·ḥāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

out her hands
יָ֭דֶיהָ (yā·ḏe·hā)
Noun - fdc | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

to the distaff
בַכִּישׁ֑וֹר (ḇak·kî·šō·wr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3601: A director, the spindle, shank of a, distaff, by which it is twirled

and grasps
תָּ֣מְכוּ (tā·mə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8551: To sustain, to obtain, keep fast, to help, follow close

the spindle
פָֽלֶךְ׃ (p̄ā·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6418: A circuit, a spindle, a crutch

with her fingers.
וְ֝כַפֶּ֗יהָ (wə·ḵap·pe·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - fdc | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 31:19 She lays her hands to the distaff (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 31:18
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