Proverbs 31:1

NET ©

The words of King Lemuel, 1  an oracle 2  that his mother taught him:

NIV ©

The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle his mother taught him:

NASB ©

The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:

NLT ©

These are the sayings of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him.

MSG ©

The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him:

BBE ©

The words of Lemuel, king of Massa: the teaching which he had from his mother.

NRSV ©

The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

NKJV ©

The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

KJV
The words
<01697>
of king
<04428>
Lemuel
<03927>_,
the prophecy
<04853>
that his mother
<0517>
taught
<03256> (8765)
him.
HEBREW
wma
<0517>
wtroy
<03256>
rsa
<0834>
avm
<04853>
Klm
<04428>
lawml
<03927>
yrbd (31:1)
<01697>
LXXM
oi
<3588>  
T-NPM
emoi
<1473>  
P-DS
logoi
<3056>  
N-NPM
eirhntai
 
V-RMI-3P
upo
<5259>  
PREP
yeou
<2316>  
N-GSM
basilewv
<935>  
N-GSM
crhmatismov
<5538>  
N-NSM
on
<3739>  
R-ASM
epaideusen
<3811>  
V-AAI-3S
h
<3588>  
T-NSF
mhthr
<3384>  
N-NSF
autou
<846>  
D-GSM
NET © [draft] ITL
The words
<01697>
of King
<04428>
Lemuel
<03927>
, an oracle
<04853>
that
<0834>
his mother
<0517>
taught
<03256>
him:
NET © Notes

1 sn Nothing else is known about King Lemuel aside from this mention in the book of Proverbs. Jewish legend identifies him as Solomon, making this advice from his mother Bathsheba; but there is no evidence for that. The passage is the only direct address to a king in the book of Proverbs – something that was the norm in wisdom literature of the ancient world (Leah L. Brunner, “King and Commoner in Proverbs and Near Eastern Sources,” Dor le Dor 10 [1982]: 210-19; Brunner argues that the advice is religious and not secular).

2 tn Some English versions take the Hebrew noun translated “oracle” here as a place name specifying the kingdom of King Lemuel; cf. NAB “king of Massa”; CEV “King Lemuel of Massa.”