Proverbs 31:1-9 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

Second Division. Sayings of Lemuel. A manual of directions for kings. Proverbs 31:1. The title is uncertain. RV is not grammatically correct. Read mg. Massa (mg.), rendered oracle in Proverbs 31:30, and here by RV, is the regular word for the oracles of the earlier prophets, but is strange in this connexion. There is a Mas-' a mentioned in the inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser IV along with Teima in N. Arabia. This was one of the traditional seats of wisdom, like Edom, and possibly the name was adopted in view of this. But of Massa, both here and in Proverbs 30:1, is conjectural (cf. Genesis 10:30; Genesis 25:14, and 1 Chronicles 1:30, also article in HDB).

Proverbs 31:3. RV is incorrect; read mg.

Proverbs 31:8. such as are left desolate: too free a paraphrase. Heb. is all the sons of change (cf. mg.), change being unwarrantably interpreted as those who suffer a change of fortune. A slight emendation gives the sense those who suffer

Related Commentaries of Proverbs 31:1

Proverbs 31:1-9

1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.