Proverbs 31:25 Meaning of She is Clothed with Strength and Dignity

Proverbs 31:25
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Explanation and Commentary of Proverbs 31:25

The godly woman is a treasure to her family. Today, the cultural agenda is to erase the distinctions between men and women. Godliness is not a concern for the culture. The culture is concerned about achievement, higher pay, and external beauty according to the world’s fashions. The eternal youth that comes from plastic surgery and thick makeup is the way of the world.

But the godly woman loves God with all her heart, soul, and strength (Mt 22:37). She is filled with the Holy Spirit and lives in the freedom of Christ. She has laid down her life and taken up her own cross. From there comes strength and dignity. From there comes peace and joy, and also fearlessness about the future. Because of her integrity and her principles as laid out by the rest of Proverbs 31, she is ready to face anything with God, “laughing at the days to come.”

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Proverbs 31:25

#1 “She is clothed…”
It is clear from advertisements and from seeing the disparity between the square footage devoted to women’s garments versus men’s that the women of the world concern themselves with their clothes. 1 Peter 3:3 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornments, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.” Rather, the godly woman will be clothed with her Christlike character.

#2 “..with strength and dignity;”
The particular qualities that this verse describes as the adornment of the godly woman are strength and dignity. These traits fit nicely together as you won’t find strength of character without the dignity that accompanies it, and you won’t find dignity in a person who is weak. Unfortunately, the culture has redefined what a “strong woman” is. It seems to mean sassy, insolent, disrespectful, and UNdignified. The world sees anger and calls it strength. The world celebrates emotionalism as strong, even in men. This is a deception. True strength of character comes from a strength of spirit (Lk 1:80) that only comes by union with God through Christ.

#3 “she can laugh at the days to come.”
She can laugh because she has lived so wisely and is prepared for what may come in the future. She can laugh at the aging that is inevitable because she does not think like the women of the world who worship beauty and youth. She looks forward to growing spiritually and in wisdom. The godly woman trusts God and leans not on her own understanding (Pr 3:5), great though her understanding may be as a wise woman of God.

We will now dive deeper into this verse with a bible study commentary and a small-group discussion, which is followed by a top-notch sermon.

Bible Study with Commentary on Proverbs 31:25

Small-Group Discussion on Proverbs 31:25

Sermon on Proverbs 31

Expert 8 Minute Overview of Proverbs

Biblical Translations of Proverbs 31:25

NIV
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

NLT
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

ESV
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come

KJV
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

NKJV
Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.