Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10

Far above rubies! This would make this woman very valuable indeed – in this regard I just read, “finding a partner of such inner strength and capability is rare and priceless.”

How does a man discover such a woman and/or how does a woman attain to such praise? Does virtue simply mean being chaste or is there even more to it? Why is it so rare? I have known for years that virtue comes from a Latin root (virtus) and refers to strength or excellence. I was so excited when I learned that! Recently I learned a bit more that I would love to share.

I am blessed right now with the opportunity to study ancient Hebrew. I am taking classes to be able to read the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) in the original language and it is going to be a slow process. In the meantime our instructor takes time at the end of class each week to translate a word or two which will give a story or a verse into a new and powerful meaning. Several months ago I learned about the word “Chayil” – it is easier to say this with an “H” at the beginning, but it is the “ch” sound as in Bach. (That doesn’t matter.)

Chayil refers to strength, but this time think of it as military strength – the power to get things done, the power to conquer, the power to prevail. It is used in the Old Testament to refer to armies. This is also the meaning of the word that is found in Proverbs and was translated as virtuous. So who can find a woman who is strong, courageous and of a heroic character? Think more about that and you will begin to understand why she is so rare and priceless!

This Chayil Woman is a fighter, but she would not be contentious. Her inner strength would allow her to be just the opposite. Throughout chapter 31, Proverbs gives more to her description:

• Trustworthy
• Hardworking – not idle
• Her household is run efficiently
• Strength and honor
• Wisdom and Kindness
• Charitable
• Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all
• Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

I like the part about many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. When I read this I think of my many friends who are awesome. I love them. Then I think of those few incredible “gems” that I have gathered over the years and keep in an inner circle in my heart. They are rare and they are priceless friends. Over the years I have watched as their husbands have come to realize their worth and value them more – and they respond by being even better than they were before. I think it is a rare and priceless man who is willing to seek and then appreciate a Chayil woman!

So that wraps up my ancient Hebrew lesson and I now want to discuss a traditional Navajo teaching.

• Names are sacred
• Names given to boys are girls are different.
• There is extensive teachings about the name for women
• The name to the boy is about chastising or counseling
• The woman’s name is very special and may be referred to as a Warrior Name
• Women and men are gifted with different abilities
• Women have gifts that no man can have
• Women have types of glory that they earned before they came into this world.

The Navajo believe (and so do I) that there was a world of spirits (second world or blue world) in which we existed before we came into this “third” world (yellow world) or physical environment. There the Holy People had to work out how the existence for their children would be in this world. BlackYe’ii, who would become the evil one, made some suggestions. When his suggestions were not all accepted he became very angry and caused divisions. He had suggested that we would live life according to his words and then he set fire to the second world. The male and the female children of the Holy People had to decide who they would follow.

The male spirits were willing to join with Black Ye’ii and do things his way. However, there was one group of spirits that were all female who said, “No! It does not fit our role as female beings, or women.” They all went against Black Ye’ii and he became more angry. Now, here in this world, in his revenge, he chose to focus his attack on the women. The women, who all followed the Holy People, are now sent here to earth as warriors. As a warrior, she fights against the evil one. Because of this, women face many pains, hardships and feelings that men don’t really encounter in this life.

Men rely on thinking and logic, reasoning and knowledge. Women of course have the same ability of reasoning and knowledge, but added to that is the power of feeling, emotion and intuition that men do not have. Men are left out of that and have to work to earn it. Here on this earth women have a glory that they share with the Holy People. They have the ability to create a physical being as the Holy People create a spirit being. Children are sacred beings. Motherhood is a glory of existence.

In this life men are less spiritual. It takes them a lot of work to climb the mountain, to make the offerings, they have to work to earn it. Women have the ability already, there is no mountain. They are gifted with sacredness and the ability to understand holiness. They are naturally spiritual while men have to earn spiritual understanding. This is why the evil one will go after her family and those things that are important to her. He will especially try to influence the young women – to become confused and cause division.

That was pretty much a transcript from the video that I will link below. Back to me… anyone who knows me will know that I love men – I love the masculinity and manhood of a righteous male. None of this takes away from them at all – but acknowledges some of our differences. I agree that women are naturally more spiritual and more likely to understand holiness, but men may become so through concentrated effort and how greatly I admire the men who have put in the work to do so! I love the way our Navajo friend Wally used the word Glory. I also believe that many women squelch these natural abilities to concentrate their focus on their physical self or other things that just don’t matter as deeply. When a woman takes her natural spiritual abilities and puts in this same consecrated time and effort, she becomes something rare and priceless. She excellest them all. She continues to battle evil and darkness in this blue world.

It takes time and effort for a woman to become rare and priceless. This effort is worth it to have peace in your life. It takes time and effort for a man to find a woman who is rare and priceless. Women can fake “chayil” for many months. I have male friends who have given up, some are following the path of wanting to fix or rescue broken women, some have found a virtuous woman but been rejected because they have not put in the effort to become someone that she wants. If they are serious about their own happiness I would suggest that they look for a different type of woman. It will take time and effort because she is rare, but worth it.

She is Chayil, a true beauty – a powerful Warrior – rare and priceless, and her value is far above that of rubies. FAR above!

Here is the link to the Navajo video:

https://youtu.be/2pvNrBgULDA?is=j3YBYZfkXPWDMnfh