The Proverbs 31 woman of valor

She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. The capstone of the book of wisdom is a hymn to a woman who trades, plans, employs, speaks wisdom, and is praised at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10–31 is an acrostic poem — twenty-two verses, one per letter of the Hebrew alphabet — that closes the book of Proverbs. The eshet chayil ("woman of strength") buys real estate, runs a textile business, supervises employees, extends credit to the poor, speaks torat chesed ("the teaching of lovingkindness"), and is publicly praised by husband and children. The Hebrew word chayil — "strength, valor" — is used elsewhere in scripture for the "mighty men" of David's army. The book of wisdom ends not with a patriarch but with a portrait of female industry and agency.