Husbands and wives trust each other. It’s hard to love someone we don’t trust. But what does the Bible say?
Her husband’s heart trusts her, and he never lacks wealth.
Proverbs 31:11 Evangelical Heritage Version
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:11 NIV
I put in two versions of the same verse because I think they are slightly different in modern culture.
Heart Trusts Her
The first version talks about how much her husband trusts her. He trusts her with his heart and has no doubt in her. There’s no room for jealousy and envy in a heart full of trust and love.
Proverbs 5 is a warning against sleeping with an adulteress, but it works as a warning for a man picking his wife as well. The life that a man builds for his family will be destroyed if his wife cheats on him. Trust, once broken, is hard to build again. Once a spouse cheats, it takes a lot of emotional work for a relationship to continue. Most couples separate when one cheats. If they rebuild the relationship after cheating, it’s never quite the same. Having a heart that trusts your spouse is a precious thing.
Has Full Confidence In Her
The second translation says that he has full confidence in her. Again, there is no bit of doubt or jealousy when he thinks of her. He’s also completely confident in her abilities. As the rest of Proverbs 31 says, she’s got a lot of abilities. Her husband has no problem leaving things in her care so he can focus on his responsibilities. They probably make major decisions together, but he trusts that if she says she’ll do something, it’ll get done. I assume she consulted with him about buying the field in verse 16. It would have extended the family estate and resources, so he probably had some say. He trusted his wife and her abilities enough, though, to agree. He trusted that she had done the analysis and knows she can handle the extra responsibilities the vineyard would bring.
Lacks No Wealth
The second part of this verse deals with the fact that her husband has wealth. It seems odd that her husband’s heart and money are mentioned in the same verse, but maybe not. A man’s heart and money are two things he protects with everything he has. Losing either would be a horrible event in his life. Yet, he knows his wife is capable of taking care of both of them.
He knows his wife is capable of making her own money. Verse 16 says she makes enough to buy a field and verse 18 shows her investing profitably. Even if his Proverbs 31 woman is a stay at home mom who has no income, he’s confident in her ability to wisely use his income. A Proverbs 31 woman knows not to overspend on worthless things, leading her family into huge debt or poverty. Moderation and wisdom are the key.
