Proverbs 14:1

Modern

Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Traditional

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Literal

The wisest of women builds her house, and a foolish woman with her own hands tears it down.

Latin

Sapiens mulier ædificat domum suam; insipiens exstructam quoque manibus destruet.

Hebrew

English

Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Building or tearing down a home is a metaphor for making a family stronger or weaker.

Theme notes and profiles

Proverbs 31:10–31
A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
Proverbs 24:3–4
By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
Proverbs 21:9
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
Proverbs 21:19
Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.
Ruth 4:11
“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.
Proverbs 9:13–15
The woman named Folly is loud; she is naive and knows nothing.
Proverbs 19:13
A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
1 Kings 16:31
And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.
2 Kings 11:1
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.
1 Kings 21:24–25
Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”