Description

"Feminine virtue includes a toughness that we may not normally associate with it. Boaz told Ruth, 'All the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman' (Ruth 3:11). This word 'virtuous' is the feminine equivalent of a Hebrew phrase translated 'man of great wealth' (Geneva Study Bible). In other words, a woman with this kind of reputation has influence and moral authority; she has standing in her community. She is a woman of stature. We might think of some of the 'leading women' of the community referred to in Acts 17:4, who 'joined Paul and Silas.' And Proverbs 12:4 says that 'An excellent wife is the crown of her husband.' An 'excellent wife' is translated literally as 'a wife of valor.' So I think we can safely say that all virtue must include a manly kind of courage. Women would do well to think of themselves in this way, rather than assuming that a virtuous woman is a retiring, Victorian stereotype who shrinks away from getting her hands dirty." -From the book