Proverbs 31:1

The Words of Lemuel

31:1 The words of King Lemuel, ¹ 

an oracle ²  that his mother taught him:

Proverbs 31:1

The Words of Lemuel

31:1 The words of King Lemuel, ³ 

an oracle ⁴  that his mother taught him:

Proverbs 2:19

2:19 None who go in to her will return, ⁵ 

nor will they reach the paths of life. ⁶ 

Psalms 116:16

116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;

I am your lowest slave. ⁷ 

You saved me from death. ⁸ 

Psalms 116:2

116:2 and listened to me. ⁹ 

As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 1:5

1:5 For this reason ¹¹  the wicked cannot withstand ¹²  judgment, ¹³ 

nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. ¹⁴ 

Psalms 3:1

Psalm 3 ¹⁵ 

A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. ¹⁶ 

3:1 Lord, how ¹⁷  numerous are my enemies!

Many attack me. ¹⁸ 

[31:1]  ¹ sn Nothing else is known about King Lemuel aside from this mention in the book of Proverbs. Jewish legend identifies him as Solomon, making this advice from his mother Bathsheba; but there is no evidence for that. The passage is the only direct address to a king in the book of Proverbs – something that was the norm in wisdom literature of the ancient world (Leah L. Brunner, “King and Commoner in Proverbs and Near Eastern Sources,” Dor le Dor 10 [1982]: 210-19; Brunner argues that the advice is religious and not secular).

[31:1]  ² tn Some English versions take the Hebrew noun translated “oracle” here as a place name specifying the kingdom of King Lemuel; cf. NAB “king of Massa”; CEV “King Lemuel of Massa.”

[31:1]  ³ sn Nothing else is known about King Lemuel aside from this mention in the book of Proverbs. Jewish legend identifies him as Solomon, making this advice from his mother Bathsheba; but there is no evidence for that. The passage is the only direct address to a king in the book of Proverbs – something that was the norm in wisdom literature of the ancient world (Leah L. Brunner, “King and Commoner in Proverbs and Near Eastern Sources,” Dor le Dor 10 [1982]: 210-19; Brunner argues that the advice is religious and not secular).

[31:1]  ⁴ tn Some English versions take the Hebrew noun translated “oracle” here as a place name specifying the kingdom of King Lemuel; cf. NAB “king of Massa”; CEV “King Lemuel of Massa.”

[2:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “all who go in to her will not return.”

[2:19]  ⁶ sn The phrase “reach the paths of life” is a figurative expression for experiencing joy and fullness of blessing (BDB 673 s.v. נָשַׂג 2.a).

[116:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “I am your servant, the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 86:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the Lord has such a secondary wife or concubine! It is used metaphorically and idiomatically to emphasize the psalmist’s humility before the Lord and his status as the Lord’s servant.

[116:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).

[116:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “because he turned his ear to me.”

[116:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and in my days I will cry out.”

[1:5]  ¹¹ tn Or “Therefore.”

[1:5]  ¹² tn Heb “arise in,” but the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “stand”; “endure,” as in 1 Sam 13:14 and Job 8:15. The negated Hebrew imperfect verbal form is here taken as indicating incapability or lack of potential, though one could understand the verb form as indicating what is typical (“do not withstand”) or what will happen (“will not withstand”).

[1:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “the judgment.” The article indicates a judgment that is definite in the mind of the speaker. In the immediate context this probably does not refer to the “final judgment” described in later biblical revelation, but to a temporal/historical judgment which the author anticipates. Periodically during the OT period, God would come in judgment, removing the wicked from the scene, while preserving a godly remnant (see Gen 6-9; Ps 37; Hab 3).

[1:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and sinners in the assembly (or “circle”) of [the] godly.” The negative particle and verb from the preceding line are assumed by ellipsis here (“will not arise/stand”).

[3:1]  ¹⁵ sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).

[3:1]  ¹⁶ sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).

[3:1]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).

[3:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “many rise up against me.”