Eshet Chayil (Prov 31:10-31). The Question of the Rhetorical Composition and Function

The poem Eshet-Chayil «woman of valour» (Prov 31, 10-31) is considered the key to understanding the composition and content of the Book of Proverbs. A popular and traditional interpretation of the poem sees it as a presentation of the virtues of an ideal women. However, some of the literary analyses of this poem from a thematic and structural perspective suggest understanding the picture of Eshet-Chayil as a personification of wisdom. This opinion has also been justified in earlier chapters of the book, where wisdom is represented through a metaphor of a woman. The rhetorical analysis of this text, taking into account its Semitic and biblical character, provides further arguments justifying its metaphorical interpretation - however not as the personification of wisdom but just a complex metaphor.