Proverbs 31:31
29 “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you have surpassed them all!” 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting. A woman who fears the Lord—she makes herself praiseworthy. 31 Give her credit for what she has accomplished, and let her works praise her in the city gates.
Ruth 3:11
9 He said, “Who are you?” She replied, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your cloak over your servant,32 for you are a guardian of the family interests.” 10 He said, “May you be rewarded by the Lord, my dear! This act of devotion is greater than what you did before. For you have not sought to marry one of the young men, whether rich or poor. 11 Now, my dear, don’t worry! I intend to do for you everything you propose, for everyone at the town gate42 knows that you are a woman of noble character.43 12 Now yes, it is true that I am a guardian, but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am. 13 Remain here tonight. Then in the morning, if he agrees to marry you, fine, let him do so. But if he does not want to do so, I promise, as surely as the Lord lives, to marry you. Sleep here until morning.”
Notes and References
"... The passage began with a description of a noble woman (Proverbs 31:10). This level of character was aspirational, and described a mature woman, having lived a life full of wise choices. She was later described in Proverbs 31:29 as a woman who “in the eyes of her husband” surpassed other women who did noble things. MacArthur asserted Proverbs 31:25-27 emphasized her character. A competent and intelligent woman, Crook noted she is called “Woman of Worth” in Hebrew. Proverbs 12:4 said, “the wife of noble character is her husband’s crown.” Wives of this caliber are held in high esteem. In Ruth 2:1, Boaz was described as “a man of standing,” which implied a similar nobility. One uncovers mentions of this type of character in Ruth 3:11, which stated “All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.” Ruth was a strong woman and efficient in her feats. Both Ruth and the woman of noble character showed strong similarities ..."
Graves, Elizabeth Beyond Riches and Rubies: A Study of Proverbs 31:10-31 and Servant Leadership (pp. 201-212) Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership 9, No. 1, 2019