Proverbs 31:28 commentary: the church's praise

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

To call someone blessed here is synonymous with praising them as you can see by the context and the parallel phrasing. Blessed also carries with it from its very first mention God’s gift of being fruitful and multiplying as Genesis reveals.

Genesis 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

To be sanctified, or set apart for God’s purpose;

Genesis 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

For others to be blessed as well through the person who is blessed;

Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

And, among other things, as here, to praise and honour someone;

Daniel 4:34b …and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

The church’s children are those who have been saved through her ministry.

1Corinthians 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

And Christ is her husband who will also praise her if she be found doing His will as in the first part of this verse;

Matthew 25:21a His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant:

Perhaps the rising up refers to the translation of the church when all of the church, living and dead, are removed to heaven for the marriage supper of the Lamb before Christ returns with her to take over the world.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

There is something to rejoice about.