Proverbs 18:22 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

A wife; either,

1. Simply a wife; for a wife, though she be not the best of her kind, is to be esteemed a blessing, being useful both for society of life, Genesis 2:18, and for the mitigation of a man's cares and troubles, and for the prevention of sins. Or,

2. Good wife; one that deserves the name and performs the duty of that relation; a wise and worthy wife, as this word may seem to imply, being deduced from the Hebrew word isch, which sometimes notes a man of eminency. And this limitation and explication of the word may be gathered both from the following commendations, which would hardly be given to a bad wife, and from the usage of Scripture, in which this ellipsis is frequent, as a path or way is put for a good path or way, Psalms 119:1 Proverbs 15:10, an answer for a good answer, Proverbs 15:23, a king for a good king, Proverbs 16:10, Proverbs 29:4\\, a name for a good name, Proverbs 22:1 Ecclesiastes 7:1, &c. A good thing; a singular blessing. Obtaineth favour of the Lord; obtaineth her not by his own wit, or art, or diligence, but by God's good providence towards him, which ordereth that and all other events as it pleaseth him.

Proverbs 18:22

22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.