Proverbs 31:1-9

The Words of King Lemuel

1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

2 What are you doing, my son?^[a] What are you doing, ¹son of my womb? What are you doing, ²son of my vows?

3 Do ³not give your strength to women, your ways to those ⁴who destroy kings.

4 ⁵It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings ⁶to drink wine, or for rulers to take ⁷strong drink,

5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and ⁸pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

6 Give strong drink to the one who ⁹is perishing, and wine to ¹⁰those in bitter distress;^[b]

7 ¹¹let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

8 ¹²Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.^[c]

9 Open your mouth, ¹³judge righteously, ¹⁴defend the rights of ¹⁵the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 31

This chapter contains the last part of the book of Proverbs; which some reckon the fifth, others the sixth. It contains the instructions of the mother of a prince, whose name was Lemuel, which she gave unto him; and which are so valuable, as to be annexed to the proverbs of Solomon. The preface or introduction to them is in Pr 31:1; the address to her son, Pr 31:2. The vices she cautions him against are uncleanness and intemperance; which she dissuades from, because of the pernicious consequences of both to kings and to their subjects, Pr 31:3-5. Advises rather to give wine and strong drink to poor people, such as are in distress; as being more useful to them, at least less prejudicial, Pr 31:6,7; and exhorts her son to the duties of his office; by pleading the cause of the poor and injured, and administering justice to them, Pr 31:8,9. And then at large describes a virtuous woman; perhaps designed as an instruction to her son in the choice of a wife, Pr 31:10-31; though more than that may be intended by it.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 49:15
• 2. [1 Samuel 1:27]
• 3. [Proverbs 5:9]
• 4. [Proverbs 7:26; Deuteronomy 17:17; 1 Kings 11:1; Nehemiah 13:26]
• 5. Ecclesiastes 10:17; [1 Kings 16:9; 1 Kings 20:16]
• 6. [Hosea 4:11]
• 7. Proverbs 20:1
• 8. [Isaiah 5:22, 23]
• 9. Job 29:13
• 10. Job 3:20
• 11. [Psalms 104:15]
• 12. Job 29:12, 15, 16; [Isaiah 1:17]
• 13. Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:16
• 14. Jeremiah 22:16; [Isaiah 1:17]
• 15. ver. 20; Psalms 40:17; Psalms 86:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew What, my son?
• [b]. Hebrew those bitter in soul
• [c]. Hebrew are sons of passing away