"Who can find a virtuous woman?" (King James Version)
"An excellent wife who can find?" (English Standard Version)
"A wife of noble character who can find?" (New International Version)
"A capable wife who can find?" (New Revised Standard Version)
The commentator notes:
When applied to a man, this same term is translated “strength,” as in Prov. 31:3. In a great majority of its 246 appearances in the Old Testament, it applies to fighting men (e.g., David’s “mighty warriors,” 1 Chronicles 7:2). Translators tend to downplay the element of strength when the word is applied to a woman, as with Ruth, whom English translations describe as “noble” (NIV, TNIV), “virtuous” (NRSV, KJV) or “excellent” (NASB). But the word is the same, whether applied to men or women.The Orthodox Jewish Bible translates the verse in this way:
"Who can find an aishes chayil (a woman of valor, an excellent wife Prov 12:4)?"
This single line is an excellent example of how important it can be to look into several translations of scripture and to always keep it in the forefront of our minds that the original language of the Bible is not English.
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