Proverbs Chapter 31

“The words of King Lemuel, etc.] 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. Grotius thinks that King Hezekiah, whose mother Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah, whom he supposes to be a wise man, from whom she had learned much, instructed her son in the following manner; but gives no other reason for this conjecture but that this chapter follows the collection of proverbs made by the men of Hezekiah; but they are expressly said to be Solomon’s, and the words of Agur more immediately…”

“(Pro. 31:1-31) On the title of this, the sixth part of the book, see Introduction. prophecy--(See on Pro 30:1).”

“That his mother taught him - Compare Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 6:20. If we refer the chapter to Israelite authorship, we may remember the honor paid to the wisdom of Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah; if it was the honor paid to an Edomite or an Arabian, we may think of the Queen of Sheba, whose love of Wisdom led her to sit at the feet of the son of David. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Lemuel - Of Solomon, by the general consent both of Jewish and Christian writers; this name signifies one from God, or belonging to God, and such an one was Solomon eminently, being given by God to David and Bathsheba, as a pledge of his reconciliation to them after their repentance. Possibly his mother gave him this name to mind him of his great obligations to God, and of the justice of his devoting himself to God's service. Proverbs 31:2”

“31:1-9 Lemuel, like Agur, might have been from Massa (see study note on 30:1). Lemuel’s mother’s teaching encourages him to control his lusts (particularly for women and alcohol) so that he might reign justly. • Apart from this passage, Lemuel is unknown.”

“the prophecy: Pro 30:1 his: Pro 1:8, Pro 6:20; Ti2 1:5, Ti2 3:15 Proverbs 31:2”

“Superscription: 1 Words of Lemuel the king, The utterance wherewith his mother warned him. Such would be the superscription if the interpunction of the text as it lies before us were correct. But it is not possibly right. For, notwithstanding the assurance of Ewald, 277b, למואל מלך, nevertheless, as it would be here used, remains an impossibility. Certainly under circumstances an indeterminate apposition can follow a proper name. That on coins we read מתתיה כהן גדול or נרון קיסר is nothing strange; in this case we also use the words "Nero, emperor," and that we altogether omit the article shows that the case is…”