Like a Merchant's Ship

William Anderson - Merchant Ships Under Sail and at Anchor of a Town

Scripture:
Proverbs 31:14
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. - NIV
She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar. - NLT
She has been like a merchant's ship that brings its merchandise from far away. - Aramaic Bible in Plain English
She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread. - Young's Literal Translation

Proverbs 9:1-2
Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.  - NIV

Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns.She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table  - NLT

Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars. She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has set her table. - GWT

Oberservation:
Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

She has the art of such ships as sail away and bring wares from a distance, are equipped, sent out, and managed by an enterprising spirit; so the prudent, calculating look of the brave wife, directed towards the care and the advancement of her house, goes out beyond the nearest circle; she descries also distant opportunities of advantageous purchase and profitable exchange, and brings in from a distance what is necessary for the supply of her house, or, mediately, what yields this supply, for she finds that source of gain she has espied.

Application:
Gill's Commentary on the Whole Bible

She is like the merchant ships,.... Not like a single one, but like a navy of them, that cross the seas, go to foreign parts, and come back laden with rich goods: so the church of Christ, and her true members, like ships of burden, trade to heaven, by prayer and other religious exercises, and return with the riches of grace and mercy, to help them in time of need; and though they have often difficult and dangerous passages, are tossed with tempests, and covered with billows; yet, Christ being their pilot, faith their sail, and hope their anchor, they weather the seas, ride out all storms, and come safe home with their merchandise; she bringeth her food from afar: from a far country, from Egypt particularly, from whence corn for bread, as the word here used signifies, was fetched and carried in ships to divers parts of the world; to which the allusion may be: in a spiritual sense, it may mean that the church brings her food or bread from heaven, the good land afar off; where God her father, Christ her husband, and her friends the angels are; with whom she carries on a correspondence, and from hence she has her food for her family; not from below, on earth; not dust, the serpent's food; nor ashes, on which a deceitful heart feeds; nor husks, which swine eat; but the corn of heaven, angels' food, the hidden and heavenly manna; the bread of life, which comes down from heaven; the Gospel of the grace of God, the good news from a far country.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I want to be like the Proverbs 31 woman who was willing to go far to get what her family would need. Help me to find the best deals and goods for my household. Help me to be wise in the purchases I make. In Jesus name, amen.