Who was King Lemuel in Proverbs 31?
Answered from the commentary of Arno Clemens Gaebelein, Leslie M. Grant, Walter Scott and 4 others
King Lemuel of Proverbs 31:1 is not known from anywhere else, since no king of Israel or Judah bears that name. The authors divide over what to make of this. About half say plainly that nothing is known of him: his name alone has been handed down, and he stands with Agur as an author whose identity is hidden. Some even take him as a distinct sage whose words Solomon collected. The other half identify him with Solomon. One says it without hesitating, and another calls it "most likely". Their ground is that Lemuel was a name Solomon's mother gave her boy, so that the chapter records Bathsheba's own instruction. This fits the Talmud, which counts Lemuel among Solomon's six names. On this reading Lemuel is the writer but not the author, because he only quotes his mother. Her words then bear witness to Bathsheba's godliness after her shame with David. Solomon's later failure to heed them, through his many wives, his wine and his oppressive taxes, only shows the greatness of God's grace.
On the name itself the authors agree. Lemuel means "unto God," one devoted to the Lord. It has also been given as "godward" or "(created) by God," and some therefore suppose it is a symbolical name. It matches his mother's vows, which devoted her son to God much as Hannah gave Samuel. Several also look past the man to Christ. The king of verses 1–9, whose throne is set in righteousness, points to the true King, and the worthy wife who follows pictures His bride.
Verses: Proverbs 31:1, Proverbs 31:2, Proverbs 31:3, Proverbs 31:4, Proverbs 31:5, Proverbs 31:6, Proverbs 31:7, Proverbs 31:8, Proverbs 31:9
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
"The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him"; this is the superscription of this chapter. Who is King Lemuel? No king by that name is known. We do not hesitate in saying that it is Solomon. It means "unto God" one who is devoted to the Lord. In all probability Solomon's mother called her boy by this name, and here is the record therefore of the instruction given by Solomon's mother. The warning is once more, and that very earnestly (shown by the thrice asked "what?" What shall I say unto you?) against licentiousness, against wine and strong drink. The brief words of the mother's exhortation end with a request to act righteously as king, to stand up for those who are appointed to destruction, to plead the cause of the poor and needy.
The final portion of the book of Proverbs is a description of the virtuous woman. This section is quite different from the rest of the book, like many Psalms and the Lamentations it is alphabetically arranged. The virtuous woman, who is far more valuable than rubies, is described in her home as a faithful wife, a painstaking mother and the competent mistress of her household. There is no need to allegorize this description and apply it to the Church, as some have done. But this virtuous woman stands out in prominent and bright relief--a relief against the descriptions of "the strange woman," the adulteress so repeatedly mentioned in Proverbs (2:16-20; 5:1-23; 22:14; 23:27, etc.). One of the proverbs is expanded in this beautiful picture drawn by the Spirit of God: "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor from the LORD." But how few of the modern women reach this ideal! How few among Christian women measure up to it!
In THE FINAL CHAPTER of the book has also a peculiar character, King Lemuel is the writer, but not the author, for he simply quotes the words of his mother. Actually, no king of Israel or Judah is known by this name, and it would seem most likely that Lemuel is a name given Solomon by his mother. If this is so, then it bears lovely witness to the godly character of Bathsheba, whose experience of shame with David no doubt wrought to produce a serious self-judgment and resulting sober concern for her child. This too would be consistent with the character of these last seven chapters of Proverbs, which we have been considering, for God's provision for man in times of failure and ruin is the predominant subject. How beautifully therefore the grace of God shines out, especially in this concluding seventh chapter, with its picture of quiet rest and satisfaction. Indeed, Solomon's own failure to properly heed the instruction of his mother here given, serves to accentuate the greatness of that grace.
But also, it bears witness to the fact that this prophecy looks much beyond Solomon, to a King in whom these characteristics of faithfulness and truth are seen in perfection of beauty. The first part of the chapter - to verse 9 - shows His throne established in righteousness (blessed anticipation indeed), while the second - from verse 10 to the end - adds the lovely picture of His Bride, "An help meet for Him," in whom He finds deep and precious delight. How unspeakably sweet to the true heart in times when a ruined church testimony grieves the soul, to look beyond the ruin to contemplate the absolute certainty of God's counsels concerning Christ and the church, His Bride!
The Book of Proverbs. The whole of these proverbs were spoken by Solomon, save those contained in the two last chapters. We may regard these wise principles and maxims as part of the three thousand uttered by the illustrious monarch of Israel (1 Kings 4:32), and as the fruit of that wisdom he asked from the Lord at the commencement of his reign (1 Kings 3:12); his name is introduced at the beginning of each of the three divisions of the book (see chapters 1, 10, 25), and which are here selected and arranged by inspiration of God. The compiler was probably one of the prophets living in the days of Hezekiah, if, indeed, that monarch himself did not do so; we know at least that his servants copied out a number of these proverbs (Prov. 25:1). We know nothing of Agur (Prov. 30:1), nor of King Lemuel (Prov. 31:1); their names alone have been handed down to posterity.
Prov. 32. Here are "the words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him." Who king Lemuel was is not known: this has caused some to suppose that Solomon is again alluded to. The first nine verses speak of the character of a king according to wisdom. The principal things are that his strength should not be given unto women, nor to strong drink, and that his mouth should be opened for those ready to perish, the poor, and the needy. The rest of the chapter is devoted to the description of a virtuous woman. She fills her house with good things, and brings prosperity to the household and honour to her husband. The king and the virtuous woman may in some respects be typical of Christ and the church.
The name of a king, to whom was given, by his mother, the instruction recorded in Prov. 31:1-9. The name does not occur elsewhere, and is supposed by some to be a symbolical one, signifying 'godward,' or '(created) by God,' Gesenius.
In chapter 22:17 and 24:23 the proverbs (contained in the sections following these verses) are called "words of the wise". Finally chapters 30:1 and 31:1 mention Agur and Lemuel as poets of the proverbs. We do not know anything, however, about their identity.
"What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?"
The language here is quite in contrast to that of arbitrary commandments: legality is given no place. But it is an earnest appeal to the heart and conscience of her son, a practical pressing upon him to answer decidedly for himself. She appeals to him on the ground of her giving birth to him, and also on the ground of her vows, which no doubt were those of devoting her son to God, as his name Lemuel ("unto God") implies. a reminder of Hannah's vowing that Samuel would be given to God all the days of his life. Certainly only in Christ we see the perfection of such devotion, the perfect carrying out of the godly instructions we find here; but they are intended for both the exercise of Solomon and of all the children of God today, who are "made unto our God kings and priests," and whose character therefore is to be patterned after that of Him who is "Lord of lords and King of kings."
"Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings."
PROVERBS 31:10-31, is truly of exceptional excellence. Its order is perfect. Each succeeding letter of the alphabet, literatim, regularly commences each following verse. It is to be particularly noticed that this acrostic, describing the woman of worth, the virtuous and industrious wife, immediately follows “the words” of the king consecrated or devoted to God.
In verse 1 we read, “The words of King Lemuel” (“devoted to God”); and the two parts of the chapter give, first the King; then the worthy wife. As the assembly does from Christ (Eph. 5); as Israel does from their Messiah (Isa. 53:11 and 43:17, end); so here, the wife takes character from the man. God is the A and the Ω, in Revelation 1; Christ is, in Revelation 22, as we have seen; and if the alphabet is here applied to the woman, it is surely to denote the truth which is stated tersely elsewhere in scripture: “The woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man” (1 Cor. 11:7-8).
Lem’u el - Unto God
Some hold that Agur is another name for Solomon. This opinion is also upheld by the Talmud, which speaks of six names which belonged to the King: Solomon, Jedidiah, Koheleth, Son of Jakeh, Agur and Lemuel. But this opinion cannot be verified, nor do we know who Agur the son of Jakeh was. The Septuagint and the Vulgate have translated the Hebrew words and formed a sentence out of them. "Agur" means "assembler" and Jakeh has the meaning of "pious," so that some think that Agur means an unknown godly man who gathered these sayings and they were embodied in this book. We leave the name as it is, and believe that Agur, the son of Jakeh, is the name of the author of this chapter. "Whoever Agur was, he had a certain marked individuality; he combines meditation on lofty questions of theology with a sound theory of practical life. He was able to give valuable admonitions about conduct. But his characteristic delight was "to group together in quatrains visible illustrations of selected qualities or ideas" (R.F. Horton). The opening verse also tells us that he spoke to Ithiel (God with me) and Ucal (I shall be able). The Revised Version has a marginal reading instead of the two names Ithiel and Ucal: "I have wearied myself, O God. I have wearied myself O God, and am consumed." We do not adopt this.
Verses
- Proverbs 31:1–91The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him 2What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? and what, O son of my vows? 3Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to them that destroy kings. 4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers [to say], Where is the strong drink? 5lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the children of affliction. 6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter of soul 7let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. 8Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all those that are left desolate. 9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and minister justice to the afflicted and needy.