31:1Little is known about Lemuel except that he was a king who received wise teachings from his mother. His name means “devoted to God.” Some believe that Lemuel and Agur were both from the kingdom of Massa in northern Arabia.
Life Application Study BibleProverbsChapter 31
Proverbs 31
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1058, 1059
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
31Proverbs 31
The Sayings of King Lemuel
131 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message,* which his mother taught
2O my son, O son of my womb,O son of my vows,3 do not waste your strength on women,on those who ruin kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.Rulers should not crave alcohol.
5For if they drink, they may forget the lawand not give justice to the oppressed.
6Alcohol is for the dying,and wine for those in bitter distress.
7Let them drink to forget their povertyand remember their troubles no more.
8Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;ensure justice for those being crushed.
9Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,and see that they get justice.
A Wife of Noble Character
10*Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?She is more precious than rubies.
11Her husband can trust her,and she will greatly enrich his life.
12She brings him good, not harm,all the days of her life.
13She finds wool and flaxand busily spins it.
14She is like a merchant's ship,bringing her food from afar.
15She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast forand plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
16She goes to inspect a field and buys it;with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17She is energetic and strong,a hard worker.
18She makes sure her dealings are profitable;her lamp burns late into the night.
19Her hands are busy spinning thread,her fingers twisting fiber.
20She extends a helping hand to the poorand opens her arms to the needy.
21She has no fear of winter for her household,for everyone has warm* clothes.
22She makes her own bedspreads.She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23Her husband is well known at the city gates,where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24She makes belted linen garmentsand sashes to sell to the merchants.
25She is clothed with strength and dignity,and she laughs without fear of the future.
26When she speaks, her words are wise,and she gives instructions with kindness.
27She carefully watches everything in her householdand suffers nothing from laziness.
28Her children stand and bless her.Her husband praises her:
29“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,but you surpass them all!”
30Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. 31Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Textual footnotes
- poem, each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
- 31:1 Or of Lemuel, king of Massa; or of King Lemuel, an oracle.
- 31:10 Verses 10-31 comprise a Hebrew acrostic
- 31:21 As in Greek and Latin versions; Hebrew reads scarlet.
Life Application Notes 6 notes
31:4-7Drunkenness might be understandable among dying people in great pain, but it is inexcusable for national leaders. Alcohol clouds the mind and can lead to injustice and poor decisions. People in leadership who anesthetize themselves with alcohol will eventually compromise their principles.
31:10-31Proverbs has a lot to say about women. How fitting that the book ends with a picture of a woman of strong character, great wisdom, many skills, and great compassion. Some people have the mistaken idea that the ideal woman in the Bible is retiring, servile, and entirely domestic. Not so!
90:15ff“Three things... no, four” is a poetic way of saying the list is not complete. The writer of these proverbs is observing the world with delighted interest. Verses 15-31 are an invitation to look at nature from the perspective of a keen observer.
40:22God supplies most people with the personal and financial abilities to respond to the needs of others. If we all realized how God has blessed us, and if we all used our resources to do God’s will, hunger and poverty would be wiped out. Wealth is a blessing only if we use it in the way God intended.
31:31The book of Proverbs begins with the command to fear the LORD (1:7) and ends with the picture of a woman who fulfills this command. Her qualities are mentioned throughout the book: hard work, fear of God, respect for spouse, foresight, encouragement, care for others, concern for the poor, wisdom in handling money. These qualities, when coupled with fear of God, lead to enjoyment, success, honor, and worth. Proverbs is practical for us because it shows how to become wise, make good decisions, and live according to God’s ideal.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 1059
34:13
I Tim 2:9-10
31:15 Rom 12:11
‘her
‘household
🗺 This feature includes a map, chart or picture — view the original page image.