What does Proverbs 31:14 mean?

Merchant ships were a major source of interesting and valuable commodities, some from faraway places. The godly, excellent woman (Proverbs 31:10) similarly brings useful, worthwhile, appealing things into the home. Other statements in this passage refer to good business sense (Proverbs 31:16, 18, 24). This verse may connect to her ability to make her household prosperous. In a more practical sense, she is the one who brings things into the home that cannot be made there. A simple modern parallel for this would be something like shopping for groceries or supplies.

Another possible way to interpret this reference is that the excellent wife makes a wide search for what she buys. In other words, she does not settle for what is convenient—she seeks what is best. She may travel far in search of bargains instead of buying what was readily available but at a higher price. Continuing the parallel to grocery shopping, a diligent person might look for bargains, clip coupons, or seek out sales to be as efficient as possible. She may also exert great effort to find things which are "just right" though they are not easy to come by.