The Woman of Substance and Human Flourishing: Proverbs 31:10–31 and Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach

In this article, Claassens employs Martha Nussbaum’s understanding of human flourishing as a hermeneutical framework for interpreting the portrayal of the “Woman of Substance” in Proverbs 31, the ʾēšet ḥayil that alternatively has been translated as the “good wife,” “virtuous woman,” “capable wife,” “noble woman,” or most literally, “woman of strength.” The author proposes that Nussbaum’s understanding of human flourishing as evident in her capabilities approach may reveal some interesting perspectives regarding the way women are portrayed in the biblical text in the creative space opened up when text and contemporary context are brought together. Moreover, by reading the text in terms of Nussbaum’s thoughts of human flourishing, we will also be reading life, contemplating the significance of the intersection of gender and human flourishing for women in communities everywhere who are struggling to survive.