Proverbs 31:21
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,.... That her family should suffer through the rigour of a cold season, when it is frost and snow;
for all her household are clothed with scarlet: the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "with double" {u}, that is, with double garments; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, joining the words to a following verse; and this, by some, is thought to be the better rendering of the words; since the scarlet colour is no fence against cold, no more than any other, whereas double garments are; and which may be applied to the garment of justification, or the robe of Christ's righteousness, as one; and to the garment of sanctification, internal and external, as the other; the one, even the righteousness of Christ, or Christ the Lord our righteousness, is an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; a sufficient shelter from the cold of snow, and all inclemencies of the weather; by which the vindictive wrath and justice of God may be signified: and the other is a screen from the malicious insinuations and reproaches of men. But had the word been designed to signify "double", it would have been in the "dual" number; as it is not, and is always used in this form for "scarlet"; and so the Targum, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra interpret it; which colour is an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which the church is justified, Romans 5:9; and all the household of faith, the whole family of Christ and household of God, are all justified by the same righteousness of Christ, consisting of his active and passive obedience, for the whole of which his crimson blood is put; it is a garment down to the feet, which covers all his people; they are all made righteous by the one obedience of Christ; they are all clothed in scarlet alike, all kings and priests unto God, all alike justified, and shall be glorified alike. The literal sense is, that if her household are clothed in scarlet in common; much more may it be thought that coarse and suitable garments would be provided for them, to protect them from the cold in winter {w}.
{u} Mynv "indigitat vestem duplo crassiorem, Stockius, p. 1122. "duplicibus, V. L. Paguinus, Tigurine version, Gataker, Gejerus; "penulis duplicibus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "duplicatis", Cocceius: such as Homer describes, made by ths wife of Hector, Iliad 22. v. 440, 441. see Odyss. 19. v. 225, 226, 241. "change of raiment", David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 218. 1.
{w} Vid. Braunium de Vest. Sacredot. Heb. l. 1. c. 15. p. 309.