Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 Study Bible What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? New American Standard Bible What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And 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? Christian Standard Bible What should I say, my son? 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. Good News Translation "You are my own dear son, the answer to my prayers. What shall I tell you? Holman Christian Standard Bible What should I say, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows? International Standard Version No, my son! No, my son whom I conceived! No, my son to whom I gave birth! NET Bible O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, New Heart English Bible "Oh, my son. Oh, son of my womb. Oh, son of my vows. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Oh, my son, oh, son of my body, and oh, son of my vows! GOD'S WORD® Translation "What, my son? What, son to whom I gave birth? What, son of my prayers? JPS Tanakh 1917 What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? New American Standard 1977 What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? Jubilee Bible 2000 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? King James 2000 Bible What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? American King James Version What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? American Standard Version What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O 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? Douay-Rheims Bible What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows? Darby Bible Translation What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? and what, O son of my vows? English Revised Version What, my son? and what, O son of my womb, and what, O 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? Study Bible The Words of King Lemuel1The words of King Lemuel—an oracle 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 The words of King Lemuel--an oracle that his mother taught him: Isaiah 49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Though she may 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… Lexicon What [shall I say],מַה־ (mah-) Interrogative Strong's Hebrew 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what O my son? בְּ֭רִי (bə·rî) Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's Hebrew 1248: The heir What, וּמַֽה־ (ū·mah-) Conjunctive waw | Interrogative Strong's Hebrew 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what O son בַּר־ (bar-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's Hebrew 1248: The heir of my womb? בִּטְנִ֑י (biṭ·nî) Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's Hebrew 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything What, וּ֝מֶה (ū·meh) Conjunctive waw | Interrogative Strong's Hebrew 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what O son בַּר־ (bar-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's Hebrew 1248: The heir of my vows? נְדָרָֽי׃ (nə·ḏā·rāy) Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's Hebrew 5088: A promise, a thing promised (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?" 31:1-9 When children are under the mother's eye, she has an opportunity of fashioning their minds aright. Those who are grown up, should often call to mind the good teaching they received when children. The many awful instances of promising characters who have been ruined by vile women, and love of wine, should warn every one to avoid these evils. Wine is to be used for want or medicine. Every creature of God is good, and wine, though abused, has its use. By the same rule, due praise and consolation should be used as cordials to the dejected and tempted, not administered to the confident and self-sufficient. All in authority should be more carefully temperate even than other men; and should be protectors of those who are unable or afraid to plead their own cause. Our blessed Lord did not decline the bitterest dregs of the cup of sorrow put into his hands; but he puts the cup of consolation into the hands of his people, and causes those to rejoice who are in the deepest distress.Jump to Previous Body Lemuel Oaths Oldest Vows WombJump to Next Body Lemuel Oaths Oldest Vows WombLinks Proverbs 31:2 NIVProverbs 31:2 NLT Proverbs 31:2 ESV Proverbs 31:2 NASB Proverbs 31:2 KJV Proverbs 31:2 Bible Apps Proverbs 31:2 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 31:2 Chinese Bible Proverbs 31:2 French Bible Proverbs 31:2 German Bible Alphabetical: And my O of son vows What womb OT Poetry: Proverbs 31:2 Oh my son! (Prov. Pro Pr) Christian Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools |