Genesis 18:6

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ¹  three measures ²  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ³ 

Genesis 18:9

18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, ⁴  in the tent.”

Proverbs 14:1

14:1 Every wise woman ⁵  builds ⁶  her household, ⁷ 

but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

Proverbs 31:27-29

31:27 She watches over ⁸  the ways of her household,

and does not eat the bread of idleness. ⁹ 

31:28 Her children rise up ¹⁰  and call her blessed,

her husband ¹¹  also praises her:

31:29 “Many ¹²  daughters ¹³  have done valiantly, ¹⁴ 

but you surpass them all!”

Titus 2:5

2:5 to be self-controlled, ¹⁵  pure, fulfilling their duties at home, ¹⁶  kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message ¹⁷  of God may not be discredited. ¹⁸ 

[18:6]  ¹ tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.

[18:6]  ² sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.

[18:6]  ³ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:9]  ⁴ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.

[14:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “wise ones of women.” The construct phrase חַכְמוֹת נָשִׁים (khakhmot nashim) features a wholistic genitive: “wise women.” The plural functions in a distributive sense: “every wise woman.” The contrast is between wise and foolish women (e.g., Prov 7:10-23; 31:10-31).

[14:1]  ⁶ tn The perfect tense verb in the first colon functions in a gnomic sense, while the imperfect tense in the second colon is a habitual imperfect.

[14:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “house.” This term functions as a synecdoche of container (= house) for contents (= household, family).

[31:27]  ⁸ tn The first word of the eighteenth line begins with צ (tsade), the eighteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:27]  ⁹ sn The expression bread of idleness refers to food that is gained through idleness, perhaps given or provided for her. In the description of the passage one could conclude that this woman did not have to do everything she did; and this line affirms that even though she is well off, she will eat the bread of her industrious activity.

[31:28]  ¹⁰ tn The first word of the nineteenth line begins with ק (qof), the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:28]  ¹¹ tn The text uses an independent nominative absolute to draw attention to her husband: “her husband, and he praises her.” Prominent as he is, her husband speaks in glowing terms of his noble wife.

[31:29]  ¹² tn The first word of the twentieth line begins with ר (resh), the twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:29]  ¹³ tn Or “women” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[31:29]  ¹⁴ tn The word is the same as in v. 10, “noble, valiant.”

[2:5]  ¹⁵ tn Or “sensible.”

[2:5]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “domestic,” “keeping house.”

[2:5]  ¹⁷ tn Or “word.”

[2:5]  ¹⁸ tn Or “slandered.”