Proverbs 21:31

21:31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle,

but the victory is from the Lord. ¹ 

Proverbs 31:25

31:25 She is clothed ²  with strength ³  and honor, ⁴ 

and she can laugh ⁵  at the time ⁶  to come.

¹ tn Heb “of the Lord.” The victory being “of the Lord” means that it is accomplished by him. Ultimate success comes from the Lord and not from human efforts. The faithful have acknowledged this down through the ages, even though they have been responsible and have prepared for the wars. Without this belief there would have been no prayer on the eve of battle (e.g., Ps 20:7 and 33:17).

² sn The idea of clothing and being clothed is a favorite figure in Hebrew. It makes a comparison between wearing clothes and having strength and honor. Just as clothes immediately indicate something of the nature and circumstances of the person, so do these virtues.

³ tn The first word of the sixteenth line begins with ע (ayin), the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

⁴ sn This word appears in Ps 111:3 which says that the Lord’s work is honorable, and here the woman is clothed with strength and honor.

⁵ sn Here “laugh” is either a metonymy of adjunct or effect. The point is that she is confident for the future because of all her industry and planning.

⁶ tn Heb “day.” This word is a metonymy of subject meaning any events that take place on the day or in the time to come.