Proverbs 4:3

For I was my father's son,.... Or, "a son to my father" (p); so Solomon was to God, his heavenly Father, 2 Samuel 7:14; which Jarchi observes, and gives as the sense of this place: but his father

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. For I was my father's son, tender and only (beloved) in the sight of my mother. My father taught me as his true son, even as I teach you.

My father’ s son, in a special manner; his best beloved son, and designed to be his successor in the throne. Tender; young and tender in years, and capable of any impressions, and tenderly educated. Only beloved, Heb. only, or the only son; or rather, because Bathsheba seems to have had other sons, , as an only son, as dearly beloved as an only son; in which sense this title is given to Isaac, ,12,16, though he had another son, and to others. And all these circumstances are mentioned to show the necessity and great benefit of wholesome instruction, which his royal parents would not neglect, no, not in his tender years, and thereby to prepare and excite them by his example to receive instruction.

Proverbs 4:3 For I was my father’ s son, tender and only [beloved] in the sight of my mother. Ver. 3. For I was my father’ s son,] q.d., I that am now so famous for wisdom, was once as wise as a wild ass’ s colt. But I had the happiness to be taught and tutored by the best and wisest man in his generation, and therefore you should the rather regard my doctrine. Plato praised God that he was pupil to Socrates, Bucholcerus that he was bred under Melanchthon, Mr Whately under Mr Dod’ s ministry, and I under Mr Ballam’ s, at Evesham. Holy David was far beyond any of these, as being divinely inspired, and rarely qualified. Such a heart so well headed, and such a head better hearted, was not to be found among the sons of men, for he was "a man after God’ s own heart." His counsel to his son therefore must needs be very precious and ponderous. See some of it, for a taste, in 1 Chronicles 28:9-10. Tender and only beloved.] Filius a φιλος. The Greeks commonly called their children φιλτατα, the Latin chari, darlings, as he in Plautus, Domi domitus fui usque cum charis meis. I was hardly handled at home, together with my dear children. In the sight of my mother.] Who had other children; but Solomon she loved best, because he had most grace. And as a special fruit of her love, she gave him excellent counsel in her "Lemuel’ s lesson." His fall was therefore the more blameworthy, because he had been so piously educated. Plaut. Menech., Acts 1:1-26, scene 1.

(3) For I was . . . son . . .—It is not only his own advice that he has to offer; he can tell his disciples of the excellent discipline and teaching he received from his parents in his old home. It may be remarked that the notices of Solomon’s early years which occur in this and the following verses harmonise well with what we know of him from the historical books of the Bible. Tender.—The epithet applied to Solomon by his father (1 Chronicles 29:1). Only beloved.—The word yâchîd originally signified an “only” (son), as in Zechariah 12:10. Then it came to mean “beloved as an only son,” and that appears to be the sense of it in Genesis 22:2, as applied to Isaac (for Ishmael was then living), and to Solomon here (for Bath-sheba had other children by David, 1 Chronicles 3:5). In Greek translations it is rendered “only-begotten” and “well-beloved,” epithets applied in their highest sense to Christ (John 1:14; Matthew 3:17). In the sight of my mother.—Implying her affection, as Genesis 17:18.

3. my father’s son] The order of the words in the original: a son was I to my father, suggests the meaning, I was a true son, a son not only by birth, but by filial reverence and obedience, “filius, i.e. cum vi; veri nominis filius.” Maur. Others explain, with Bertheau, “I also stood in the relation to my actual father, in which you stand to me, your paternal instructor.” tender] Comp. 1 Chronicles 29:1, where David uses this word of Solomon. only beloved] Lit. only. The R.V., while giving in the margin “Heb. an only one,” retains the rendering of A.V. in the text, and prints the word “beloved” (not as A.V., in italics, but) in Roman characters, as being “plainly implied in the Hebrew, and necessary in English” (Revisers’ Preface). The point is interesting as bearing upon the authorship of this part of the Book. Solomon was not an “only” son, though it might reasonably be urged that he was so in the same sense as was Isaac, of whom this same word is used (Genesis 22:2; Genesis 22:16. Comp. μονογενῆ, Hebrews 11:17), and who was not strictly an only son either, but one who stood alone in the choice of God and in the Messianic line, and therefore in the estimation of his father. Comp. “Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen,” 1 Chronicles 29:1, where (see preceding note), the word “tender” is also applied as here to Solomon. But Solomon was from his birth specially beloved (2 Samuel 12:24-25), and the word is used elsewhere in this derived sense, “alone” not only in fact, but in the value set upon it (Psalms 22:20; Psalms 35:17, “my darling”; where see notes in this Series). ἀγαπώμενος, LXX.

Probably the words of Solomon himself, who looks back from his glorious throne and his matured wisdom to the training which was the starting point.

3. Tender — ψκְ, rakh, means delicate, soft, gentle. (Compare 1 Chronicles 29:1.) It is, probably to be referred to the gentle and tender care of the mother.