Amsal 31:19-20

31:19 Her hands ¹  take hold ²  of the distaff,

and her hands grasp the spindle.

31:20 She extends ³  her hand ⁴  to the poor,

and reaches out her hand to the needy.

[31:19]  ¹ tn The first word of the tenth line begins with י (yod) the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:19]  sn The words for “hands” are often paired in poetry; the first (יָד, yad) means the hand and the forearm and usually indicates strength, and the second (כַּף, kaf) means the palm of the hand and usually indicates the more intricate activity.

[31:19]  ² tn The verb שִׁלַּח (shilakh), the Piel perfect of the verb “to send,” means in this stem “to thrust out; to stretch out.” It is a stronger word than is perhaps necessary. It is a word that is also used in military settings to describe the firmness and forthrightness of the activity (Judg 5:26).

[31:20]  ³ sn The parallel expressions here underscore her care for the needy. The first part uses “she spreads her palm” and the second “she thrusts out her hand,” repeating some of the vocabulary introduced in the last verse.

[31:20]  ⁴ tn The first word of the eleventh line begins with כּ (kaf), the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.