Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
This proverb presents marriage as God's gift, not just a social arrangement. The word 'find' implies active searching and discovery, not passive waiting. The verse celebrates marriage as something inherently good, where both spouses experience God's favor. This isn't about finding the perfect person, but about recognizing God's blessing in the covenant relationship itself.
Lord, thank You for the gift of relationships. Whether I'm single or married, help me see the people You've placed in my life as channels of Your favor. Teach me to give and receive the kind of love that makes both of us more like You. Amen.
You've probably seen enough wedding Instagram posts to know that finding a spouse doesn't automatically equal 'happily ever after.' The Hebrew word for 'good' here doesn't mean perfect—it means beneficial, life-giving, the kind of good that actually makes both people better humans. This verse isn't promising problem-free marriage; it's saying that even in the hard work, God's favor is actively present. Whether you're single, married, divorced, or widowed—this proverb invites you to see relationships as spaces where God shows up with favor. For singles, it might mean preparing yourself to be someone who brings goodness. For married folks, it's about recognizing that your spouse isn't just your roommate but God's chosen vessel of favor in your life. How would today look different if you treated your closest relationships as divine gifts rather than disposable options?
What does Solomon mean by 'find' a wife, and how does this apply today?
How have you experienced God's favor through relationships in your life?
What might this proverb say to someone who feels like they 'failed' at marriage?
How does viewing your spouse (or future spouse) as God's gift change how you treat them?
What practical step can you take this week to nurture the relationships God has given you?
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:31
Nevertheless , to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
1 Corinthians 7:2
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:18
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
Proverbs 12:4
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Proverbs 5:15
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Proverbs 31:10
House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
Proverbs 19:14
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:9
He who finds a [ true and faithful] wife finds a good thing And obtains favor and approval from the LORD.
AMP
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
ESV
He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD.
NASB
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
NIV
He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.
NKJV
The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.
NLT
Find a good spouse, you find a good life— and even more: the favor of God!
MSG