Proverbs 31:1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”