Proverbs 31:17 — Word Study
WLCחָֽגְרָ֣ה בְע֣וֹז מָתְנֶ֑יהָ וַ֝תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ זְרֹעוֹתֶֽיהָ׃
BSAShe girds herselfchâgar■ [binds, wraps] with strengthʻôz [inner, spiritual, might, power, courage] and shows that her armszᵉrôwaʻ [demonstrates, proves, upper limbs] are strongʼâmats▸ [robust, vigorous, capable]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| חָֽגְרָ֣ה | she girds | Verb, Qal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| בְע֣וֹז | with strength | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| מָתְנֶ֑יהָ | loins her | Noun common masculine dual construct, suffix |
| וַ֝תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ | and she strengthened | Verb, Piel, sequential imperfect third person feminine singular |
| זְרֹעוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ | arms her | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. |
| KJV | She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. |
| ASV | She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms. |
| YLT | She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms. |
| WEB | She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong. |
| BBE | She puts a band of strength round her, and makes her arms strong. |
All translations agree on the meaning of the woman's action of girding herself with strength.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a conjunction and another main clause, indicating two related actions.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָגַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 31:17
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Virtuous Womangenerated
Proverbs 31:17 describes the actions of a virtuous woman, illustrating her strength and capability. This passage is part of a larger section that extols the qualities of a woman who is industrious, wise, and admirable. The verses surrounding it highlight her ability to manage her household and contribute positively to her community, making her a model for women.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Kings 18:46 | And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. |
| 2 | 2 Kings 4:29 | So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.” |
| 3 | Job 38:3 | Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. |
| 4 | Luke 12:35 | Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. |
| 5 | Ephesians 6:10–14 | Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חָֽגְרָ֣ה, cha.ge.Rahgenerated
The verb חָגַר (chagar) means to gird or to put on a belt, indicating preparation for action. It is often used in contexts of readiness, whether for battle or work, emphasizing the woman's proactive nature.
This verb is in the perfect tense, third person feminine singular, suggesting a completed action. The woman has girded herself, symbolizing her strength and determination to undertake her responsibilities.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree that the woman girds herself with strength.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs חָֽגְרָ֣ה and תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ govern the verse. The first describes her action of girding herself, while the second indicates her demonstration of strength.
The structure emphasizes her active role: she prepares herself and then shows her strength, highlighting her capability.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חָגַר as ἀναζωσαμένη (anazōsamenē), which means 'having girded'. This choice maintains the sense of preparation and readiness.
This translation choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may also suggest a more immediate action of girding oneself for a task.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 31:17 shows a woman who prepares herself with strength and demonstrates her capability. This verse is part of a passage that praises the qualities of a virtuous woman, highlighting her industriousness and wisdom.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means she prepares herself for action, showing readiness and determination.
Strength is a key quality of the virtuous woman, demonstrating her ability to manage her responsibilities effectively.
This verse exemplifies the characteristics of a virtuous woman, highlighting her industriousness and capability.
We can learn the importance of being prepared and strong in our own responsibilities and actions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to prepare myself with strength?
- How can I demonstrate my capabilities in my daily responsibilities?
- What qualities of the virtuous woman do I see reflected in my own life?
- How can I encourage others to be strong and capable in their roles?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, interpreting it as a call to strength and virtue in women, illustrating the ideal qualities to aspire to.
“Valiantly girding her loins, she has braced her arms.” Valiant she is indeed. Now we see if she is not also a maidservant.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 31 →
"She girded her loins with strength," etc. Therefore the Church girded her loins with strength when, intent on the desires of the heavenly, she scorned to succumb to carnal allurements;Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 31 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 31:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleShe girdeth her loins with strength,.... Showing her readiness to every good work; and with what cheerfulness, spirit, and resolution, she set about it, and with what dispatch and expedition she
Read John Gill on Proverbs 31 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWho can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The praises of a virtuous woman; forming a Hebrew acrostic. The 22 years begin with the several 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet consecutively; M.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 31 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleShe girdeth her loins with strength; she useth great diligence and expedition in her employment; for which end men in those times used to gird up their long and loose garments about their loins. Strengtheneth her arms; putteth forth her utmost strength in her business.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 31 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 31:17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.Ver. 17. She girdeth her loins with strength.] She flies about her work, and sets on it with a courage. We have read of women in whom, besides their sex, there was nothing woman-like or weak; such were Semiramis, Zenobia, Blandina, that brave Hungarian woman, who, in an assault at the siege of Buda, thrusting in among the soldiers upon the top of the fort, with a great scythe in her hand, at one blow struck off two of the Turks’ heads as they were climbing up the rampier. The like is reported of Marulla, a maid of Lemnos, who, seeing her father slain in the gates of the city by the Turks, which hoped to have…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 31 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 17. She girdeth her loins with strength] 7. She takes care of her own health and strength, not only by means of useful labour, but by healthy exercise. She avoids what might enervate her body, or soften her mind-she is ever active, and girt ready for every necessary exercise. Her loins are firm, and her arms strong.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 31 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and CollegesVIII. The Virtuous Woman. Chap. Proverbs 31:10-31 This short Appendix differs from the other Sections of the Book of Proverbs in having one subject throughout, and in being in form acrostic or alphabetical. Each verse begins with a letter, taken in order, of the Hebrew alphabet. There is nothing in the contents of the Section to throw light upon either its age or authorship. The alphabetical arrangement cannot safely be regarded as a proof of a late date of composition. A similar arrangement occurs in several Psalms and in the opening chapters of the Book of Lamentations; and some at least of these must be assigned to a comparatively early date. It is more probable that the arrangement in…
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 31 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible17. She girdeth her loins with strength — The Orientals wear loose flowing robes, which need to be girded close to the body, or tucked up, when they engage in any active employment. The figure denotes her activity and energy.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 31 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong.
She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong.
She begins her work vigorously, and she strengthens her arms.
Tyndale line
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes.
Strictly literal
She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.
She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
She has girded her loins with might, || And strengthens her arms.
She girdeth with strength her loins, and giveth vigor to her arms.
She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
From the Latin
She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.
Simplified
She's keen to get ready, and works hard with her strong arms.
She puts a band of strength round her, and makes her arms strong.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse. All five words in the Hebrew match the Greek translation, indicating a consistent understanding of the text across these traditions.
חָֽגְרָ֣ה בְע֣וֹז מָתְנֶ֑יהָ וַ֝תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ זְרֹעוֹתֶֽיהָ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 31:17
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חָגַר (chagar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gird or to put on a belt. It is a primitive root that conveys the action of binding or restraining oneself, often in preparation for action. The entries consistently emphasize its use in the context of girding on clothing or armor.
[חָגַר] vb. gird, gird on, gird oneself
base
H2296 [חָגַר] gird, gird on, gird oneself
2296 chagar khaw-gar'
a primitive root; to gird on (as a belt, armor, etc.):--be
able to put on, be afraid, appointed, gird, restrain, X on
every side.
חָגַר (cha.gar) — to gird.
1) to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to gird
1a2) to gird on, bind on
1a3) to gird oneself
V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singularHVqp3fs
עֹז (oz) refers to strength or might, encompassing material, physical, personal, social, and political dimensions. It can denote boldness or impudence and is associated with the might of God. The word is built from the root related to strength and power, with various applications noted in the entries.
עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז n.m. strength, might
material and physical
personal, social, and political
might of י׳
= boldness, impudence
= stronghold
base
H5797 עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז strength, might . material and physical
. personal, social, and political
. might of י׳
. = boldness, impudence
. = stronghold
5797 `oz oze
or (fully) rowz {oze}; from 5810; strength in various
applications (force, security, majesty, praise):--boldness,
loud, might, power, strength, strong.
see HEBREW for 05810
עֹז (oz) — strength.
1) might, strength
1a) material or physical
1b) personal or social or political
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
→ A title given to Jehovah 1Sa 15:29
מַתְנַ֫יִם (matanim) refers to the loins or hips, derived from a root meaning to be slender. It appears in the plural form and is associated with the term for a greyhound in Proverbs 30:31. The word captures the anatomical region of the waist or small of the back.
מַתְנַ֫יִם n.m.du. loins
base
H4975 מַתְנַ֫יִם loins
4975 mothen mo'-then
from an unused root meaning to be slender; properly, the
waist or small of the back; only in plural the loins:--+
greyhound, loins, side.
מׇתְנַ֫יִם (mo.ten) — loin.
1) loins, hips
1a) used with zar.zir (זַרְזִיר "greyhound" H2223) in Pr 30:31; perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning unknown
HNcmdc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine dual construct · suffixHNcmdc/Sp3fs
אָמֵץ (amats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be strong, bold, or alert. It encompasses a range of actions such as strengthening oneself, being determined, and exhibiting courage. The word can also imply making firm or obstinate. Various forms of the verb express different nuances, including the Qal (to be strong), Piel (to strengthen), and Hithpael (to make oneself alert).
[אָמֵץ] vb. be stout, strong, bold, alert
Qal
be strong
Imv. be bold
Pi.
make firm, strengthen
assure, secure for oneself
harden, make obstinate
Hithp.
strengthen oneself
confirm oneself in a purpose, be determined
make oneself alert, make haste
Hiph. exhibit strength, be strong
base
H553 אָמֵץ be stout, strong, bold, alert .. be strong
. Imv. be bold
. . make firm, strengthen
. assure, secure for oneself
. harden, make obstinate
. . strengthen oneself
. confirm oneself in a purpose, be determined
. make oneself alert, make haste
. exhibit strength, be strong
553 'amats aw-mats'
a primitive root; to be alert, physically (on foot) or
mentally (in courage):--confirm, be courageous (of good
courage, stedfastly minded, strong, stronger), establish,
fortify, harden, increase, prevail, strengthen (self), make
strong (obstinate, speed).
אָמֵץ (a.mats) — to strengthen.
1) to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard
1a) (Qal) to be strong, brave, bold
1b) (Piel) to strengthen, secure (for oneself), harden (heart), make firm, make obstinate, assure
1c) (Hithpael) to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, confirm oneself, persist in, prove superior to
1d) (Hiphil) to exhibit strength, be strong, feel strong
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person feminine singularHc/Vpw3fs
זְרוֹעַ (z'roa) refers to an arm or shoulder, often symbolizing strength. It can denote the physical arm, the shoulder of a sacrificed animal, or military and political forces. The word is derived from a root meaning to stretch out, indicating both physical and metaphorical strength.
זְרוֹעַ, זְרֹעַ n.f. and (rare) m. arm, shoulder, strength
arm
arm, as symbol of strength
Pl. forces, political and military
Shoulder of animal sacrificed, belonging to priest
base
H2220 זְרוֹעַ, זְרֹעַ arm, shoulder, strength . arm
. arm, as symbol of strength
. Pl. forces, political and military
. Shoulder of animal sacrificed, belonging to priest
2220 zrowa` zer-o'-ah
or (shortened) zroao {zer-o'-ah}; and (feminine) zrowpah
{zer-o-aw'}; or zrowah {zer-o-aw'}; from 2232; the arm (as
stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively,
force:--arm, + help, mighty, power, shoulder, strength.
see HEBREW for 02232
זְרוֹעַ (ze.ro.a) — arm.
1) arm, forearm, shoulder, strength
1a) arm
1b) arm (as symbol of strength)
1c) forces (political and military)
1d) shoulder (of animal sacrificed)
N-cp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp3fs