Proverbs 31:1-9 · Bible study
Proverbs 31:1-9 Commentary: A Mother's Wisdom for Kings
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the mother's instruction to King Lemuel, a call to avoid indulgence and champion justice for the poor and needy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A mother's oracle to her royal son, calling him to avoid sexual excess and drunkenness, and to champion justice for the poor and voiceless.
- Key words: Lemuel (possibly “for God”), oracle (maśśā’), strength (ḥayil), strong drink (šēkār), dumb (illēm, figurative for voiceless), appointed to destruction (bĕnê ḥălôp, “sons of passing away”).
- Main debate: Whether Lemuel is Solomon, a Massaite king, or an otherwise unknown ruler; the moral weight of the passage is unaffected by the answer.
- Theological theme: Leadership under God demands self-denial and advocacy for the marginalized; wisdom is passed through faithful family instruction.
- Best use: As a model for teaching about Christian leadership, temperance, and social justice; excellent for small-group discussion on power and responsibility.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:
2What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?
3Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,
5lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.
6Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.
7Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.
9Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:
2“Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
3Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
5lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
6Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.
7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
9Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
KJV King James Version 1769
1The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.
2What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?
3Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; Nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink?
5Lest they drink, and forget the law, And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted.
6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, And wine unto the bitter in soul:
7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb, In the cause of all such as are left desolate.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, And minister justice to the poor and needy.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
2`What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
3Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
4Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
5Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
6Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
7He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:
2What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? and what, O son of my vows?
3Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to them that destroy kings.
4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers [to say], Where is the strong drink?
5— lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the children of affliction.
6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter of soul:
7let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all those that are left desolate.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and minister justice to the afflicted and needy.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.
2What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?
3Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.
4Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings: because there is no secret where drunkenness reigneth:
5And lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.
6Give strong drink to them that are sad; and wine to them that are grieved in mind:
7Let them drink, and forget their want, and remember their sorrow no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.
9Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 31:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Proverbs 31:1-9 preserves a mother's urgent counsel to her royal son, warning against the twin temptations of sexual indulgence and drunkenness, and calling him to defend the powerless. The identity of King Lemuel is debated, Matthew Henry and Wesley see him as Solomon himself, while Barnes suggests a foreign king whose mother was an Israelite; Keil and Delitzsch read the superscription as “king of Massa,” a North Arabian tribe. Yet the passage's purpose is clear: it is wisdom literature applied to the unique dangers of royal office. The thrice-repeated “What, my son?” (v.2) echoes the intensity of a mother's love (Cambridge Bible). The command to “give strong drink to him who is ready to perish” (v.6) is widely understood as a compassionate provision for the suffering, drawing on the ancient practice of offering wine to condemned prisoners (Clarke, Barnes). The closing verses (8-9) form a chiasmus: “open your mouth for the mute… judge righteously,” placing the king's advocacy for the poor at the heart of his vocation. Across all traditions, the passage is read as a timeless model of godly leadership: power must be disciplined by self-control and directed toward justice.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Lemuel as Solomon: The name Lemuel ('for God') resembles Jedidiah; Bathsheba would have taught him; the warnings match Solomon's later failures (1 Kings 11).
- Lemuel as a Massaite king: The superscription can be read 'king of Massa'; the Aramaic forms in the text (e.g., <em>bar</em> for 'son,' <em>melakhin</em> for 'kings') suggest a non-Israelite origin.
- Unknown king with Israelite mother: The mother's loyalty to Israel's God is evident; she may have been a daughter of David married to a foreign ruler, passing on wisdom.
What is clear: The passage's ethical content—that rulers must avoid dissipation and defend the poor—does not depend on Lemuel's identity and is universally affirmed as the inspired point of the text.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of King Lemuel | The name means 'for God' or 'consecrated to God,' and the passage is a mother's instruction to her son. | Some identify Lemuel as Solomon, citing the name Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:25). Others, following the Masoretic accents, read 'king of Massa', an Arabian tribe mentioned in Genesis 25:14. A third view holds that Lemuel is simply a non-Israelite king whose mother was an Israelite. |
| Meaning of 'Give not your strength to women' (v.3) | The warning concerns sexual indulgence that drains a ruler's energy and moral authority. | Some take it literally as a prohibition against a harem; others see it as a warning against any relationship that diverts a king from his duties. The Hebrew 'strength' (<em>ḥayil</em>) can also mean 'wealth,' so some interpret it as 'do not squander your resources on women.' |
| Purpose of giving strong drink to the perishing (v.6) | This is a compassionate act, offering relief to those in extreme suffering. | The practice is identified by Clarke and Barnes with the Jewish custom of giving wine to condemned criminals before execution. Others see it as a general principle of using alcohol as a medicinal anesthetic for the dying or the deeply depressed. The passage does not endorse intoxication, but rather a merciful use of God's gifts. |
| Scope of 'the dumb' and 'appointed to destruction' (v.8) | These phrases refer to people who cannot defend themselves in legal settings. | The Hebrew <em>bĕnê ḥălôp</em> is rendered variously: 'sons of passing away' (i.e., the dying), 'children of desolation' (orphans), or 'those appointed to destruction' (those facing ruin). The exact nuance is uncertain, but all interpretations point to the most vulnerable in society. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 31:1-9 appears as the second of two appendices to the main collection of Solomon's proverbs. The first is the words of Agur (chapter 30). The superscription calls Lemuel's mother's speech a maśśā’ (“oracle” or “burden”), the same term used for prophetic utterances. This places her teaching in a category of divinely guided wisdom, even if the setting is a royal court rather than a temple.
The ancient Near Eastern monarchy was notoriously susceptible to abuse of power. Harems were standard for kings, and the warning against giving “strength to women” (v.3) targets the physical and moral depletion that came from a life of sensual excess, a danger that later tradition associated with Solomon's own downfall (1 Kings 11). Similarly, wine and strong drink were staples of royal banquets, but the mother insists that a ruler must keep a clear mind to preserve justice. The phrase “forget the law” (v.5) likely refers to the covenant law that Israel's king was required to copy and meditate on daily (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). Drunkenness would lead to perverting the judgment of “the sons of affliction”, the poorest and most vulnerable.
Verse 6-7 introduces a striking contrast: the wine that kings must avoid is to be given “to him who is ready to perish” and “the bitter in soul.” Excavations and texts from the ancient world confirm that wine was used as an analgesic for the dying and as a comfort for mourners. The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 43a) describes a practice of giving a drugged wine to criminals before execution. This is the same drink offered to Jesus at the cross (Mark 15:23), which he refused. The mother's point is that intoxicants have a proper place, alleviating extreme suffering, but they have no place among those whose vocation demands clearheaded judgment.
The passage closes with a double imperative to “open your mouth” for those who cannot speak for themselves. The expression “the dumb” (v.8) refers not to the physically mute but to the voiceless in court, the poor, the orphan, the stranger. The phrase “appointed to destruction” translates bĕnê ḥălôp, literally “sons of passing away,” meaning those whose lives are precarious. To defend them is the king's highest duty, a theme echoed throughout the Psalms and Prophets.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 31:1-9. The primary textual issue is the reading of the superscription in verse 1: some manuscripts and versions (e.g., the LXX) treat Lemuel as a personal name, while the Masoretic accents allow it to be read as “king of Massa” (a place). This affects the historical setting but not the content of the mother's instruction. The verse 3 phrase lāmḥôt mĕlākîn (“to wipe out kings”) is a hapax form that some emend to lammāḥôt (“to the destroying of”), but the meaning is clear from context.
Reception History
The passage has been treasured across Christian history for its vivid portrait of maternal wisdom and its practical counsel for leaders. Early Jewish interpretation, reflected in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 70b), used verses 6-7 to discuss the permissibility of wine for mourners and the condemned. The early church, following the LXX and Vulgate, read the mother as Bathsheba and Lemuel as Solomon, seeing in the warnings against women and wine a prophetic word about Solomon's later downfall. Medieval commentators such as Rashi and the Glossa Ordinaria focused on the allegorical sense: the king as Christ, the mother as the Church, and the wine as the cup of suffering. The Reformation era saw renewed emphasis on the plain meaning, with Luther and Calvin using the passage to instruct civil magistrates. In modern preaching, Proverbs 31:1-9 is regularly cited in sermons on temperance, social justice, and the importance of godly parenting. Its pairing with the “virtuous woman” in verses 10-31 has led some to read the whole chapter as a diptych on wise leadership in both public and domestic spheres.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Authority of Godly Counsel, The words come from a mother who taught her son (v.1). This opening establishes that wisdom can be transmitted through family, and that even a king must listen. The threefold “What, my son?” (v.2) shows the urgency of a parent who knows the temptations of power.
- The Dangers of Royal Indulgence, Verses 3-5 warn against two specific vices: sexual dissipation and drunkenness. Both sap a ruler's strength and cloud his judgment, leading to neglect of the law and oppression of the afflicted. The repetition “not for kings” (v.4) is absolute. Alcohol is not forbidden outright, but it is forbidden to those who hold the lives of others in their hands.
- The Positive Duty of the Ruler, Verses 6-9 present a surprising reversal: the wine kings must not drink should be given to the suffering, and instead of indulging themselves, rulers must “open your mouth” for the voiceless. The king's proper work is righteous judgment and defense of the poor and needy.
Five-Point Outline
- Introduction: The mother's oracle (vv.1-2)
- Warning against sexual excess (v.3)
- Warning against alcohol abuse (vv.4-5)
- The proper use of strong drink as a mercy to the suffering (vv.6-7)
- The king's call to advocate for the powerless (vv.8-9)
Illustration Hooks
- A leader's private discipline. We assume powerful people can do whatever they want. This passage says the opposite: those with authority must exercise the most self-restraint, because their failures harm the vulnerable.
- The comfort of wine for the grieving. Many churches host funeral receptions where people share a meal and a glass of wine. The passage validates using moderate alcohol to soothe sorrow, while insisting that those who govern cannot afford such comfort when they are on duty.
- Speaking up at a meeting. When someone's voice is ignored in a boardroom or a church council, who will “open their mouth” for them? The mother's command applies to anyone in a position to defend the voiceless.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol? The passage does not prohibit wine for everyone; it restricts it for those whose responsibilities require clear judgment. This opens a discussion of context, freedom, and love for the weaker brother.
- How do I know when I am being too indulgent? The test is whether your habits impair your ability to serve others. If a pleasure makes you forget the needs of the afflicted, it has become a danger.
- Who are the “dumb” in my community? The homeless, the undocumented, the elderly in care homes, children in foster care. The question challenges us to identify those who have no one to speak for them.
Leading a Discussion
This passage is a mother's guide to leadership. It hits on three themes that every Christian needs to consider: self-control, compassion, and justice. Use the questions below to help your group move from observing the text to applying it to their own spheres of influence, whether in the family, workplace, or church.
Discussion Questions
- The mother calls her son “son of my womb” and “son of my vows” (v.2). What do these phrases reveal about her relationship with him and her hopes for his reign?
- Verse 3 warns against giving “strength to women” and “ways to that which destroys kings.” How would you paraphrase this warning in modern language? What forms of sensual indulgence are most destructive to people in positions of power today?
- Notice that wine is prohibited for kings but offered to the perishing (vv.4-7). What does this contrast teach us about the proper use of pleasures and comforts? Are there things that are permissible for some but not for others, depending on their calling?
- Verse 5 says a drunken king will “forget the law” and “pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.” How does our own use of alcohol, media, or other distractions affect our ability to care for the vulnerable?
- The phrase “open your mouth for the mute” (v.8) is a call to advocacy. Who are the “mute” in your community? What would it look like for you to speak up for them, even if you feel you lack influence?
- Both the beginning and ending of this passage emphasize the role of family in teaching wisdom (v.1; see also Proverbs 1:8, 6:20). How can parents and grandparents equip the next generation to lead with justice and mercy?
- What is one step you can take this week to “judge righteously” (v.9) in your own circle of responsibility, your home, your job, your church?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 1:8 | My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching; |
| Proverbs 6:20 | My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching. |
| Proverbs 30:1 | The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: |
| II Timothy 1:5 | having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, in you also. |
| II Timothy 3:15 | From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. |
| I Samuel 1:11 | She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.” |
| I Samuel 1:28 | Therefore I have also given him to Yahweh. As long as he lives he is given to Yahweh.” He worshiped Yahweh there. |
| Isaiah 49:15 | “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you! |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues the chapter was not written by Solomon but by a later author like Agur. He also explains that the term for son in verse two refers to a child born after marriage vows rather than one conceived in adultery.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the woman described is consecrated to God just as Samuel and Samson were through vows. He also says some see the warning against wine as reflecting ideas from Nazarite or Rechabite groups.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary notes that the book was included in the Jerusalem library because it was written by a king from Arabia who spoke a language similar to that of Palestine. It also explains that the word used for son here is an Aramaic term rather than the usual Hebrew word.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes sees this speech as a mother teaching her son Lemuel. She warns him not to trust women or give them power over his decisions.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies King Lemuel as Solomon himself, and his mother Bathsheba as the teacher who gave this instruction. He notes her warning is called a prophecy because she foresaw the temptations of women and wine that would threaten her son's reign, urging him instead to rule with sobriety and defend the helpless.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that the woman described is dedicated to God and calls her son as a term of special affection. She gives serious warnings about harmful pleasures that can lead kings to ruin and about drinks that weaken judgment instead of helping it.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that "Lemuel" is a symbolic name and that the superscription should be read "king of Massa," referring to a region in Arabia. They see this as connecting the passage to the non-Israelite wisdom tradition, highlighting the mother's urgent warning to a ruler.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Lemuel as a literal king of the land of Massa, not as a symbolic name for Solomon. The mother is a wise princess of Massa; the sayings are her original instructions, which Lemuel wrote down and passed to posterity. This rejects the common allegorical reading.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that some see Lemuel as Solomon because the name means devoted to God and matches Solomon’s given name in Scripture. He also suggests Lemuel could be a foreign prince whose mother was from Israel.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the woman’s name Lemuel means one from God and that her vows were made for him. She feels a strong love for her son and believes her duty is to give him instruction.