Verse 10 "A Good Wife"

"Who can find a good wife? She is far more precious than jewels."

• Who can find a good wife? 

Other translations use these descriptors:

Virtuous, strong character, capable, excellent, noble character, worthy.

These are the ways a wife is described, a wife who is to be desired. They all have to do with her internal qualities, not her external ones. When are seeking a husband, or trying to please the husband you already have, these are the qualities to cultivate and have as a focus for your growth. Let's explore this concept a little more.

GOOD: (1913 Webster's Dictionary)

1. Possessing desirable qualities; adapted to answer the end
        designed; promoting success, welfare, or happiness;
        serviceable; useful; fit; excellent; admirable;
        commendable; not bad, corrupt, evil, noxious, offensive,
        or troublesome, etc.
      
     2. Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious;
        religious; -- said of persons or actions.
      
     3. Kind; benevolent; humane; merciful; gracious; polite;
        propitious; friendly; well-disposed; -- often followed by
        to or toward, also formerly by unto.
      
     4. Serviceable; suited; adapted; suitable; of use; to be
        relied upon; -- followed especially by for.
      
     5. Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; -- followed
        especially by at.
      
     6. Adequate; sufficient; competent; sound; not fallacious;
        valid; in a commercial sense, to be depended on for the
        discharge of obligations incurred; having pecuniary
        ability; of unimpaired credit.
      
     7. Real; actual; serious; as in the phrases in good earnest;
        in good sooth.
      
     8. Not small, insignificant, or of no account; considerable;
        esp., in the phrases a good deal, a good way, a good
        degree, a good share or part, etc.
      
     9. Not lacking or deficient; full; complete.
      
     10. Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable; unsullied;
         as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good
         repute, etc.

With this right here I could write a whole book! Let's try to take this one step at a time.

"Possessing desirable qualities"
Obviously we, as wives, wish to be desired by our husbands, and not just for our bodies or our housekeeping skills. We should try to cultivate those qualities our husbands desire. If you're not sure what he may desire, ASK! You might be surprised by how happy he is you are showing interest in him and his preferences. If you are not yet married, turn to God and find out from Him what qualities you should work on until your husband comes into your life.

"adapted to answer the end designed"
What is our "end" for which we are "adapted" and "designed" to "answer"? Why, to be helpers for our husbands! Genesis 2:18 says "Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Then God brings all the animals in creation to Adam for him to find a "helper", "but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him" (Gen 2:20). And then God creates Eve out of Adam's rib. Only then does he find a "helper fit for him", a partner to help him and support him in all his works and endevours.
There are many works out there about this particular topic and this is not the purpose of this work. I refer you to my favorite, with a grain of salt, "Created to be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl.

I could go on and on at great length about this, but I am going to stop here for now. I may revisit this section in the future, especially if this ever gets to book-like status.

God Bless!