Proverbs 11:16A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches.Proverbs Daily is a reader and listener supported program. Every post is free, but if you’d like to help spread the message and make the sacred positively contagious consider being a free or paid subscriber. Just look for the word upgrade or subscribe and click on that. Thanks in advance!This is another one of those multiple leveled epigrams spit out by the wise sage himself where at first glance, the proverb looks almost stereotypical: yea, of course, women get praise, men get that money.But remember, the ancients read sacred text in layers—literal, allegorical, homiletical, mystical. Besides that, Proverbs is poetry, and poetry always carries layers.So, on the first layer, it shows the contrast between two social realities in the ancient world. Women were prized for their dignity and character, while men were measured by what they could acquire—sometimes by any means. True enough, but remember, that’s only level one.If we choose to look deeper, this verse whispers of a larger pattern—something you see echoed across cultures, across philosophies, across disciplines. An eternal dance between:* The receptive and the active.* The nurturing and the executive.* The feminine and the masculine.In Eastern thought, they call it yin and yang. In the language of creation, it’s male and female. In the physical body, it’s inhale and exhale. In electricity, the charge is positive and negative. The whole universe is built on this dance of opposites that need each other.Look at it this way:* The Latin word for father is Pater (in Spanish/Italian it’s Padre) which gives us the English word “pattern.” You see that?* The Latin word for mother is Mater (in Spanish/Italian it’s Madre) which gives us the English word “material.” You see that?What happens when you bring them together? The beautiful, mystical, magical circle of life is initiated when pattern and material come together! In fact, you can argue that nothing happens if material and pattern don’t get on the same page. A blueprint without substance is empty. Substance without form is chaos. But when pattern meets material, creation dances all over again!So when Proverbs says, “a gracious woman gets honor,” we’re reminded of that nurturing—feminine energy that dignifies, receives, and cultivates. And when it says, “violent men get riches,” (that just sounds raw, don’t it…) it’s showing the other side—that masculine energy that’s active, and driving…that acts, builds, and executes.(Just note: we’re talking in broad brush strokes here. Not all men are this, not all women are that. Remember, it’s poetry, not personality typing. Truth is, in relationships, masculine and feminine energies often ebb and flow and overlap between partners.)Also notice: this verse doesn’t celebrate brutality—it’s warning us. When masculine force goes off balance, riches may come, but at a cost. Wealth without honor collapses in on itself. Again, that’s why both energies need each other.Wisdom is teaching us that honor and wealth are not competing prizes but complementary energies just like feminine and masculine. Feminine energy brings honor—it dignifies, receives, and nurtures. Masculine energy, it builds —it drives, shapes, and provides. Pattern and material. Form and substance. Masculine and feminine. Not in competition, but in sacred collaboration..💡 So Get This Without balance blessing breaks, the dance stops. But when honor and wealth unite, life flourishes.🙏🏽 PrayerLord, balance my drive with nurture, my form with substance.💡 Today’s Challenge:Notice where you’ve leaned too far in one direction—maybe all drive with no nurture, or all nurture with no drive. Take one small step today to balance your energy with its complement.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now!Be Wise and Be Well...peace.Thanks for reading Proverbs Daily! This post is public so feel free to share it.
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