Proverbs 31:2
New International Version
Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!

New Living Translation
O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,

English Standard Version
What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?

Berean Standard Bible
What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?

King James Bible
What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

New King James Version
What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?

New American Standard Bible
What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?

NASB 1995
What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

NASB 1977
What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

Legacy Standard Bible
What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

Amplified Bible
What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what [shall I advise you], O son of my vows?

Christian Standard Bible
What should I say, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What should I say, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?

American Standard Version
What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Oh, my son, oh, son of my body, and oh, son of my vows!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
What wilt thou keep, my son, what? the words of God. My firstborn son, I speak to thee: what? son of my womb? what? son of my vows?

Contemporary English Version
My son Lemuel, you were born in answer to my prayers, so listen carefully.

Douay-Rheims Bible
What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?

English Revised Version
What, my son? and what, O son of my womb, and what, O son of my vows?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"What, my son? What, son to whom I gave birth? What, son of my prayers?

Good News Translation
"You are my own dear son, the answer to my prayers. What shall I tell you?

International Standard Version
No, my son! No, my son whom I conceived! No, my son to whom I gave birth!

JPS Tanakh 1917
What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

Literal Standard Version
“What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?

Majority Standard Bible
What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?

New American Bible
What are you doing, my son! what are you doing, son of my womb; what are you doing, son of my vows!

NET Bible
O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,

New Revised Standard Version
No, my son! No, son of my womb! No, son of my vows!

New Heart English Bible
"Oh, my son. Oh, son of my womb. Oh, son of my vows.

Webster's Bible Translation
What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

World English Bible
“Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!

Young's Literal Translation
'What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Words of King Lemuel
1These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him: 2What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? 3Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, pleading, "O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head."

Proverbs 31:1
These are the words of King Lemuel--the burden that his mother taught him:

Isaiah 49:15
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!


Treasury of Scripture

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

the son of my womb

Isaiah 49:15
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

the son of my vows

1 Samuel 1:11,28
And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head…

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Body Lemuel Oaths Oldest Vows Womb
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Body Lemuel Oaths Oldest Vows Womb
Proverbs 31
1. Lemuel's lesson of chastity and temperance
6. The afflicted are to be comforted and defended
10. The praise and properties of a good wife














(2) 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 son of my vows.--Perhaps given, like Samuel, in answer to her prayers and vows.

Verses 2-9. - Here follows the exhortation, which seems to come from the same source as the "burden" of Agur above. In this section the connection and parallelism of the parts are exhibited by repetition of thought and often of words in the several clauses. Verse 2. - What, my son? Mah, "what," is repeated thrice, both to enforce the attention of the son, and to show the mother's anxious care for his good. She feels the vast importance of the occasion, and asks as in perplexity, "What shall I say? What advice shall I give thee?" "Son" is here not ben, but bar, one of the Aramaic forms which are found in these two last chapters. The word occurs also in Psalm 2:12. Son of my vows. This might mean, "son who wast asked in prayer," like Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11), and dedicated to God, as the name Lemuel implies; or it may signify, "thou who art the object of my daily vows and prayers." Septuagint, "What, my son, wilt thou observe (τηρήσεις)? What? the sayings of God. My firstborn son, to thee I speak. What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
What [shall I say],
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

O my son?
בְּ֭רִי (bə·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1248: The heir

What,
וּמַֽה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

O son
בַּר־ (bar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1248: The heir

of my womb?
בִּטְנִ֑י (biṭ·nî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything

What,
וּ֝מֶה (ū·meh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

O son
בַּר־ (bar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1248: The heir

of my vows?
נְדָרָֽי׃ (nə·ḏā·rāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5088: A promise, a thing promised


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 31:2 Oh my son! (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 31:1
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