I. Identity of King Lemuel

A. The Options for Identifying Lemuel

1. A Pseudonym for Solomon
   • Lemuel (לְמוּאֵל) likely means “belonging to God” or “for God.”
   • Fits the pattern of poetic or symbolic names elsewhere in Proverbs (cf. Agur in Proverbs 30).
   • The voice of the mother echoes Bathsheba’s known role in guiding Solomon (1 Kings 1:11–31).
2. A Non-Israelite God-Fearing King
   • Some commentators (especially later Christian interpreters) posit a Gentile monarch who received wisdom by God’s mercy.
   • We have no record of such a king.
3. A Literary or Allegorical Figure
   • Lemuel may be a stand-in for “any” king—an idealized son receiving prophetic instruction.
   • This view removes historical specificity and treats the figure symbolically.

B. Argument for Lemuel as Solomon

1. Name as Theological Title
   • Like Jedidiah (“beloved of the Lord”), Lemuel could be a theological name assigned to Solomon, emphasizing his divine commission and accountability.
   • There are no records of Lemuel being used as a real name for any historical figure, supporting the idea that it functions symbolically or theologically rather than as a personal name.
2. Rabbinic Tradition and Internal Consistency
   • Those in the Jewish tradition identify Lemuel with Solomon.
   • Proverbs 30 and 31 are both framed as “words” from beyond the standard Solomonic material—yet most commonly interpreted as Solomonic instruction.

II. A Mother's Royal Warning: Proverbs 31:1-9

A. Superscription: A Mother’s Prophetic Burden (v. 1)

• “The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.”
  • Prophecy (מַשָּׂא) here is the same term used for oracles of judgment and burden in the prophets (e.g., Isaiah 13:1).
  • The mother speaks with the voice of Torah, charged with preparing her son for covenantal kingship.
  • “Taught” (יִסְּרַתּוּ) doesn’t mean a cozy fireside lesson—it means chastised, corrected, disciplined. It comes from the same Hebrew root (יסר) used in Proverbs for the chastening of a father or the reproof of the Lord (cf. Proverbs 3:11–12). She didn’t just instruct—she rebuked.
  • This framing tells us we’re not getting the highlights from a graduation speech. We’re hearing a prophetic rebuke from a mother who sees disaster coming if her son fails to rule with wisdom.

B. A Mother’s Lament: The Grief of a Torah-Woman (v. 2)

“What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?”

• The verse opens with three urgent cries, each escalating in maternal intimacy:
  1. “My son” — general relationship.
  2. “Son of my womb” — physical labor and pain.
  3. “Son of my vows” — spiritual investment, perhaps a Nazarite-style dedication (cf. Hannah in 1 Samuel 1).
• This is not yet correction—it’s a mother’s anguished appeal, signaling that her heart is heavy over something her son has done.
• The threefold “what?” (מָה בְּרִי) functions like the prophets’ use of lament formula—grief before confrontation.
• We are not told what event triggered this—but from the emotional tone and what follows, we know that something has gone wrong.
  • Rabbinic tradition (as cited in Rashi) places this after Solomon oversleeps during Temple worship, on the day of the Temple’s dedication.
  • Even without that background, the tone implies disappointment in a son who should know better—especially one with royal and covenantal responsibility.
• This verse functions as a lament before the law—a mother’s heartbreak before she delivers the rebuke.

C. A King’s Rebuke: Torah for the Throne (vv. 3–9)

1. The Danger of Compromise: Women Who Destroy Kings (v. 3)