A Married Odious Woman - Proverbs 30:23

In the book of Proverbs Agur said, “For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which I cannot bear. For a servant when the reigns; and a fool when he is filled with meat”, and in chapter thirty and verse twenty-three of Proverbs Agur said, “for an odious woman when she is married” where we read,

For an odious woman when she is married;

and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

The verse begins, “For an odious woman when she is married;” Agur began with the words, “for an odious woman” or “because of a female human being who is hateful and as an enemy or foe” “when she is married” which means “at the time the odious woman exists as wedded”. Agur said he could not “bear” a hateful female human being at the time she is wedded. 

The verse goes on to say, “and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.” Agur continued with the words, “and an handmaid” or “and a slave-girl, woman-servant or female slave of a household” “that is heir” which means “who seizes, possesses and occupies an inheritance” “to her mistress” or “toward her, the handmaid's, queen or ruling authority”. Agur included a slave-girl who possesses an inheritance as another thing he could not “bear”.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Agur about a wedded “odious woman” and a “handmaid” who receives the inheritance from her female ruling authority. Although Agur had difficulty with these type of people, they are the ones for which Jesus came to save. Everyone has sin, and comes short of the glory of God, (See Romans 3:23) and the “wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. (See Romans 6:23) God wants to have a personal relationship with us and for this reason He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. When we yield our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a passion to see every other person saved even if they are “odious” married women and “handmaids” who are “heirs”.

Next time Agur shares about, “four things which are little upon the earth”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".