Proverbs 31:1

The words of King Lemuel,.... Not what were spoken by him, but what were spoken to him; or declaring what his mother said, as what follows shows; of this king we have no account elsewhere under this name.

The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. The words of king Lemuel - a figurative name for an ideal model king.

CHAPTER 31 Lemuel’ s lesson concerning chastity and temperance, . The proper use of wine, ,7. An exhortation to righteous judgment, ,9. A description of a virtuous wife, , with her husband’ s confidence in her, . Her work and careful provision for her household, . Their furniture and clothing, ,22. The properties and praise of a good wife, . The vanity of beauty; the good are to be praised, ,31. Of king Lemuel, i.e. of Solomon, by the general consent both of Jewish and Christian writers; to whom this name doth very fitly agree, for it signifies one of or from God, or belonging to God; and such a one was Solomon eminently, being given by God to David and Bathsheba, as a pledge of his reconciliation to them after their repentance; of whom it is expressly said that the Lord loved him, , and who was by God himself appointed to succeed David in the kingdom. Possibly his mother gave this name to mind him of his great obligations to God, and of the justice and necessity of his devoting himself unto God’ s service and glory. The prophecy; so called, either, 1. More especially, because she did either by natural sagacity, or by Divine inspiration, foresee Solomon’ s danger, and what sins he was most likely to be either inclined or tempted to commit; and therefore thought fit to give him these precautions, Or, 2. More generally, as all godly discourses or counsels are called prophecies; of which see on , and elsewhere. His mother, Bathsheba, who having truly repented of her adultery, did not only avoid it in herself for the future, but seriously endeavoured to prevent that and such-like sins in others, and especially in Solomon, whom the remembrance of her sin might possibly provoke to an imitation of her example. But when she gave him these instructions is but matter of conjecture. Probably it was either, 1. When she first discerned his inclinations to those sins of which she here warns him, to which she saw he was like to have many and strong provocations. Or, 2. After he was made king, and had more plainly discovered his proneness to these excesses, although he had not yet broken forth into those scandalous enormities into which he afterwards fell.

Proverbs 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.Ver. 1. The words of King Lemuel.] Lemuel’ s lesson, Bathsheba’ s catechism. Lemuel she calls him, because God had owned him. "I will be his father, and be shall be my son"; and was "with him" so long as he was "with God," according to 2 Chronicles 15:2. Indeed, when he grew discinct and dissolute, then God’ s soul sat loose to him, and was disjointed from him, and the rather because he had had the benefit of better education. His father had taught him, and had taken much pains with him. His mother also had counselled and cautioned him early not to give his strength to wine and women; and yet he was most inordinate in his love to these two. This was almost as great an aggravation of his sin, that he had been better taught and brought up, as that other, that he forsook the Lord that had "appeared unto him twice." The "words of King Lemuel" they are called, because, though composed by his mother, yet for his use, in the same sense as Psalms 127:1, is styled "A song of degrees of Solomon," or "for Solomon," though made by his father, who tells him there that which he found true by experience, "Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord," &c., for by all his wives Solomon had none but one son, and him none of the wisest either. Aristippus dictus est μητροδιδακτος, quod eum mater Areta docuisset.

XXXI. (b). (1) The words of king Lemuel. . . .—More probably this should be translated,” The words of Lemuel, king of Massâ.” (See above on Proverbs 30:1.) “Lemuel,” which most likely signifies (dedicated) “to God,” has been, like Agur, supposed to be a designation of Solomon, but with no good reason. The prophecy that his mother taught him.—Mothers were looked upon with great veneration in the East. (Comp. Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 6:20.) The mothers of kings especially were treated with marked respect, receiving the title of “queen-mother.” (Comp. 1 Kings 2:19; 1 Kings 15:13.) This seems to be the reason why the mothers of Jewish kings are so constantly mentioned, e.g., 1 Kings 14:31; 1 Kings 15:2; 2 Kings 12:1. At the present time the mother of the Khedive ranks before his principal wife.

CHAPTER XXXI The words and prophecy of King Lemuel, and what his mother taught him, 1, 2. Debauchery and much wine to be avoided, 3-7. How kings should administer justice, 8, 9. The praise of a virtuous woman and good housewife, in her economy, prudence, watchfulness, and assiduity in labour, 10-29. Frailty of beauty, 30, 31. NOTES ON CHAP. XXXI Verse 1. The words of King Lemuel] דברי למואל מכך dibrey lemuel melech, "The words to Muel the king." So the Syriac; and so I think it should be read, the lamed being the article or preposition. But who is Muel or Lemuel? Solomon, according to general opinion; and the mother here mentioned, Bath-sheba. I cannot receive these sayings; for 1. Whoever this was, he appears to have been the first-born of his mother: called here emphatically בר בטני bar bitni, the son of my womb; which is not likely to be true of Solomon, as his mother had been the wife of Uriah, and possibly had borne that rough and faithful soldier some children. 2. It is intimated here that this son had come by a lawful marriage: hence בר נדרי bar nedarai, the son of my vow, her matrimonial covenant; for so it is most natural to understand the words. But is there any proper sense in which we can say that this was correct in reference to David, Bath-sheba, and Solomon? For although the son born in adultery died, it is by no means likely that Bath-sheba made any particular vows relative to Solomon; for of her piety, so much vaunted of by some writers, we yet want the proofs. But, however this may be, there is no evidence whatever that Muel or Lemuel means Solomon; the chapter seems, to be much later than his time, and the several Chaldaisms which occur in the very opening of it are no mean proof of this. If Agur was not the author of it, it may be considered as another supplement to the book of Proverbs. Most certainly Solomon did not write it. The prophecy that his mother taught him.] משא massa may here signify the oracle; the subject that came by Divine inspiration; see on Proverbs 30:1. From this and some other circumstances it is probable that both these chapters were written by the same author. Houbigant thinks that Massa here is the name of a place; and, therefore, translates, "The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, with which his mother instructed him."

VII. The Words of King Lemuel. Chap. Proverbs 31:1-9 We have here another short Appendix. King Lemuel records, as his oracle, or wise teaching, the counsel given him by his mother (Proverbs 31:1). With terms of ardent affection (Proverbs 31:2) she bids him beware of lust (Proverbs 31:3), and excess of wine (Proverbs 31:4-7), and urges him to befriend the helpless (Proverbs 31:8), and to judge righteously (Proverbs 31:9).

That his mother taught him - Compare Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 6:20.

1. Words of King Lemuel — This must be understood in a loose sense, not as if he was the author of them, but rather the subject, or the person to whom they were addressed; unless, indeed, we suppose,