Should the man be the sole financial provider of the home, or can the wife contribute financially as well?
That is, can a wife supplement home income with her own activities or business?
Proverbs 31:1 - 31
ESV - 1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?
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Asked June 02 2017
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Jon Clements
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Tim Maas
I do not read the referenced passage from Proverbs as stating or implying that a wife cannot contribute financially to her household or family. In particular, Proverbs 31:18 and Proverbs 31:24 seem to me to speak of her role in monetary transactions and dealings outside the home, where she seeks to gain profit for her family, and also works by selling items that she herself has made. It would not appear to me to be unfaithful to the spirit or meaning of the text if this were to be interpreted as encompassing any endeavor (inside or outside the home) where she would be employing her talents and abilities (whatever they might be, and even if not related to "domestic" activities) to contribute to the monetary betterment of herself or her family. However, it would also seem to me that this is an area that should be discussed and mutually agreed upon by spouses on a case-by-case basis, with no hard-and-fast advance positions or demands as to each spouse's role or responsibility, or what the nature of each spouse's financial or non-financial contribution should or must be.
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