The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
2 What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb?
What are you doing, son of my vows?
3 Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to take strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
7 let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31 ESV
Proverbs 31
The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him - Some Jewish writers believe King Lemuel to be another name for Solomon. The name in Hebrew means "belonging to or for God", but it does not occur in any of the lists of kings in either Israel or Judah. Others believe him to be a king of Massa (name of a descendant of Ishmael), and the name of a northern Arabian nation. Given the captivities and differences in writing styles, it is also possible that he was a prince of a king in Babylon, whose mother only or father also had come to know the Hebrew God. I don't think who he is exactly is important to the content, but that he is a king and his mother would be the wife of a king prior, this makes much of what follows quite fascinating. We picture most queens or women of prominence as those devoted to a life of luxury and leisure, but the woman that Lemuel's mother describes and wants him to seek is quite extraordinary.
…29 These are their genealogies: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.… 1 Chronicles 1: 29-31
What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? - Son standing before me, that I am teaching and talking to, that came out of me (womb), and was sought by me, requested with a vow to the Lord (before he was conceived). A very tender opening from a mother to son. Such instruction and requests have been made by both fathers and mothers.
…8 So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever. 9 As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10 Consider now that the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”… 1 Chronicles 28: 8-10
…26“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him, 28 I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.… 1 Samuel 1: 26-28
Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings - You can see why some would suppose this to be about Solomon, for this was a huge distraction in his life. He ignored the law written to kings that expressly tells them not to take many wives, as did his father. Bathsheba would know all too well the pain that follows from this. Fornicators are like other other addicts; they live for the hunt, to conquer, but give up obedience to God for an idol. They take more of what ends up being less. You cannot be one if you are divided, and you have not that fruit of the Spirit, of self control, which is a good fruit for any, but especially those that lead.
“Obsession with such women corrupts the king’s sovereign power…. David’s lust for Bathsheba made him callous toward justice and cost Uriah his life, and Solomon’s many sexual partners made him callous toward pure and undefiled religion and incapable of real love. In other words, obsession with women has the effect as obsession with liquor.” (Waltke)
4-7 It is not for kings, O Lemuel - Her wisdom to her son is only as good as his ability to walk in it. As a kid, I remember my uncle always having a beer in his hand, and a case beside his chair; his intent was to never be sober. Lemuel's mother is saying, this is not for kings, not for those who rule, who need to make sound decisions, whose decisions are also law. Imagine what you have access to now, and then picture a king. He could have the finest wines and liquors, and as much as men offer to a friend, imagine what they would bring a king. Everyone wants to be friends with the king, and everyone wants the king to participate in their cheer. Alcohol relaxes the guard, and men can use this in their approach as well. The kissing up, compliments, some are so easily intoxicated by these alone that they need no help from drink. Oh Lemuel, too much is riding on this; don't become the fool, don't let the drink mock you.
“The Carthagenians made a law that no magistrate of theirs should drink wine. The Persians permitted their kings to be drunk one day in a year only. Solon made a law at Athens that drunkenness in a prince should be punished with death. See Ecclesiastes 10:16-17.” (Trapp)
Lest they drink and forget what has been decreed - For Israel's kings there was a law specifically unto kings. There was also the general law which applied to them as well, all the books of Moses, that they should be daily reading, reasoning and understanding. They would need a clear head for reason and integrity, to take the law and apply it justly in every situation, regardless of the person's station. There are enough perversions of justice made by the sober, drunkenness only adds more fuel to the flame.
Give strong drink to the one who is perishing - Like medicine, this is a compassionate example; they are dying and or in much pain.
“We have already seen, that inebriating drinks were mercifully given to condemned criminals, to render them less sensible of the torture they endured in dying. This is what was offered to our Lord; but he refused it.” (Clarke)
And wine to those in bitter distress - This will not resolve their poverty; it is not a cure for that and has caused many to fall much deeper in debt. Their is still a need for moderation even here or the condition will worsen. Paul directed Timothy to take some wine for his stomach (anxiety), a little though, for inebriation would not be fitting in a shepherd.
…22 Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. 23 Stop drinking only water and use a little wine instead, because of your stomach and your frequent ailments. 24 The sins of some men are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment; but the sins of others do not surface until later.… 1 Timothy 5: 22-24
8-9 Open your mouth for the mute - A righteous king is not the voice of the rich and powerful only, not just for the loud, but also for those who cannot speak for themselves. In our day, Pro-life leaders are hard to come by, and those that make money off the death of infants have a loud voice. They have the voice that dollars make, that pays off government, and buys campaign adds for their favorite party.
Defend the rights of the poor and needy - Everyone is made in the image of God, and this should be protected and served fairly regardless of money. The poor cannot afford so much defense as the rich, whether in court or on the streets, hold up the rule of law and fair play for them.
“It is noteworthy that this is her sole political concern; she does not say anything about building up the treasury, creating monuments to his reign, or establishing a dominant military power. For her the king’s throne is truly founded on righteousness.” (Garrett)
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