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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Proverbs 31:2

What? a short speech, arguing her great passion for him; what dost thou do? or, what words shall I take? what counsels shall I give thee? My heart is full, I must give it vent; but where shall I begin? The son of my womb; my son, not by adoption, but whom I bare in my womb, and brought forth with great pain, and brought up with tender care; and therefore it is my duty to give thee admonitions, and thine to receive them; and what I speak is from sincere and fervent affection to thee, which I trust thou wilt not despise. The son of my vows; on whose behalf I have made many prayers, and sacrifices, and solemn vows to God; whom I have, as far as in me lay, devoted to the work, and service, and glory of God.

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See also Proverbs 31:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 31:2. _WHAT, MY SON?_] The Chaldee בר _bar_ is used twice in this verse, instead of the Hebrew בן _ben_, son. This verse is very elliptical; and commentators, according to their differ...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The repetitions are emphatic; expressive of anxious love. SON OF MY VOWS - Like Samuel, and Samson, the child often asked for in prayer, the prayer ratified by a vow of dedication. The name Lemuel (li...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    VII. THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL TAUGHT HIM BY HIS MOTHER CHAPTER 31 The Virtuous Woman “The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him”; this is the superscription of this chapter. W...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    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 31:3...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MY SON? Compare the Structure, (p. 864),...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    VII. The Words of King Lemuel. Chap. Proverbs 31:1-9 We have here another short Appendix. King Lemuel records, as his oracle, or wise teaching, the counsel given him by his mother (Proverbs 31:1). Wi...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _What_ This word thrice repeated finds its sufficient explanation in the yearning earnestness of a mother's heart. The LXX. expand it, "What, my son, shalt thou keep? What? the sayings of God." Simila...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    WHAT, MY SON, &C.— Solomon tells us, chap. Proverbs 4:3 that he _was tender and only-beloved in the sight of his mother._ The reader cannot have a finer comment upon that passage, than the beginning o...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER 31 TEXT Proverbs 31:1-9 1. The words of king Lemuel: The oracle which his mother taught him. 2. Why, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? 3. Give not thy str...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? WHAT, MY SON: AND WHAT, THE SON OF MY WOMB (for whom I have borne such throes, and whom therefore, I so intensely love)?...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    The repeated WHAT? appears to point to an inclination towards these excesses. SON OF MY VOWS] see 1 Samuel 1:11....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE MOTHER OF LEMUEL. THE EXCELLENT WOMAN 1-9. An exhortation addressed to king Lemuel by his mother, urging him to avoid women and wine. The latter leads to slackness and unfairness in the administr...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Lemuel was not a king of Israel. But his name means ‘he belongs to God’ in the Hebrew language. (Hebrew was the language of the people in Israel.) Lemuel’s birth was the answer to his mother’s prayer...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 31 V1 These are the words of King Lemuel. This section is a difficult puzzle that his mother taught to him....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WHAT, MY SON? — _i.e._, what shall I say? The question, thrice repeated, shows her extreme anxiety to give good advice to this son, who was “tender, and only beloved in the sight of his mother.” THE...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מַה ־בְּ֭רִי וּ מַֽה ־בַּר ־בִּטְנִ֑י וּ֝

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 32 A GOOD WOMAN "O woman-hearts, that keep the days of old In living memory, can you stand back When Christ calls? Shall the heavenly Master lack The serving love, which is your life's fi...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE WORTHY WOMAN Proverbs 31:1-9 In these words of King Lemuel, we notice a mother's influence in the education of her son. A woman is never more nobly occupied than in warning her son against the se...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This is the second section of the appendix. There have been many conjectures as to who King Lemuel was, but nothing certainly can be said. It is divided into two parts, the first of which consists of...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    What, my son? and what, the son of (c) my womb? and what, the son of my vows? (c) By this often repetition of one thing, she declares her motherly affection....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Vows. She seems unable to express her concern for him when he first mounted the throne, and shewed her the greatest reverence, 3 Kings ii. 19._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for ki...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    WHAT, MY SON?.... What shall I call thee? though thou art a king, can I address thee in more suitable language, or use a more endearing appellative than this, and what follows? permit me, thy mother,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Ver. 2. _What, my son? and what, the son of my womb?_] An abrupt speech, importing abundance of affection; even more than mig...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _What, my son_ A short speech, arguing her great passion for him; what words shall I take? What counsels shall I give thee? My heart is full; I must give it vent; but where shall I begin? _What, the s...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    OF PROPER KINGLY DEPORTMENT...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    What, my son! an impassioned exclamation addressed to her son to keep him from choosing ways of evil. AND WHAT, THE SON OF MY WOMB! the expression being intended to show the depth of the true mother's...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    In THE FINAL CHAPTER of the book has also a peculiar character, King Lemuel is the writer, but not the author, for he simply quotes the words of his mother. Actually, no king of Israel or Judah is kno...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 31:2 son H1248 son H1248 womb H990 son H1248 vows H5088 the son of my womb - Isaiah 49:15 the son of my vows

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Words of King Lemuel on the dangers of intemperance and the worth of a godly woman. CHARACTERS: God, Lemuel, his mother. CONCLUSION: A virtuous woman who has command of her own spirit, who...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 31:1. _The words of king Lemuel._ Ancient kings had many names and surnames which embarrass history. The first name of Solomon was Jedidiah, or Jedid-jah, beloved of God. 2 Samuel 12:25. Lemu...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 31:1 The Sayings of King Lemuel. The word translated “oracle” (v. Proverbs 31:1) is the same as in...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— LEMUEL. This Hebrew word signifies “_For God_,” or “_belonging to God_,” and is regarded by most commentators as a proper name. THE PROPHECY. Delitzsch, Stuart, and many other Hebrew...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 31:1 PART VIII. SECOND APPENDIX TO THE SECOND COLLECTION, containing "the words of Lemuel" on the subjects of impurity and intemperance....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now the thirty-first proverb are, The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him (Proverbs 31:1). So these are really the words of King Lemuel's mother unto him. The advice of a go...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 1:11; 1 Samuel 1:28; Isaiah 49:15...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    What — A short speech, arguing her great passion for him; what words shall I take? What counsels shall I give thee? My heart is full, but where shall I begin? Of my womb — My son, not by adoption, but...

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