Bible Commentary | Proverbs 14:1

Proverbs 14:1 (CSB) Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands."

"builds her house"

CEV “A woman’s family is held together by her wisdom”

NCV “A wise woman strengthens her family”

MSG “Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home”

Elizabeth George “To build means, literally, to make and to set up a house (Strong’s Concordance) – and this verse refers not only to the structure and upkeep of the home, but also to the family itself.  You see, a home is not only a place; it’s also a people.”  A Woman After God’s Own Heart, p. 134.

Robert Alden (Proverbs) “Although the Hebrew word for ‘house’ and ‘home’ is the same, ‘home’ is the preferred word here.  A house is not always a home and this verse does not speak off house construction, masonry, or carpentry, but of home building; the knitting together of family and the day-by-day routine of creating a happy and comfortable place for a family to live.”

Elizabeth George says this means the wife “sets the mood and maintains the atmosphere inside the home.”  A Woman After God’s Own Heart, 134