Proverbs31:21

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Translation

She is not afraid for her household when snow comes

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because all of her household

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are clothed in scarlet.

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Paraphrase

She does not fear the hard times, even those that are unexpected and somewhat rare, for her family is provided for in a way that goes far beyond the bare minimum required; they are not just surviving, they are living in elegance and class because of her efforts. 

Footnotes

1

Snow was known to the people of Israel, but it was not a common characteristic of their winters because the Mediterranean sea kept the temperatures high enough to prevent snow most of the time. According to one source, in ancient times they got a little bit of snow 2 out of every 3 years. Internet sources describing modern snow patterns in Israel indicate that Jerusalem may get a dusting of snow every other year, or maybe twice per year. Then every three or four years they get a heavy snow instead of a light snow.

The problem is that one may be tempted to be ill equipped for something that presents a serious problem only once every three or four years. But she has her family well prepared for any eventuality, and her preparations go far beyond the bare minimum required.

2

“All her household” would include her servants. The use of the word “all” in ancient times did not always mean 100% but rather “the bulk of, or most of.” The point here is that she made sure that those under her care were ready, and this verse paints a picture of an entire household, including servants, who were more than ready for any eventuality.

3

Scarlet is usually the color that represents blood and things associated with blood, but here the context requires a different meaning. When it came to colors of clothing, scarlet was not as rare as purple, but neither was one of the colors that the common people (poor people) wore. This statement is indicating that her family and servants were more than well prepared, they were elegant and stately.

This does not mean that all of them actually wore bright red clothes every day, it is a picture of stateliness and elegance, regardless of the actual color which was worn.