Proverbs 31 Introduction

With the conclusion of Proverbs 10 in my last post we are now transitioning to the end of of the book of Proverbs for a different style of writing along with a rather specific message. Proverbs 31, is written by King Lemuel in reflection on the wisdom and words of his mother. As always with Biblical analysis the first step is to understand the author and what the inspiration behind their particular passage is. For King Lemuel, this is the only time in the Bible that he is mentioned by name or referenced to. As a result, this has lead to several theories about the truth of his identity; whether he was in reality Solomon operating under a pen name, or perhaps he was Hezekiah: the king of Massa, or that he was simply an Arabian prince that was selected by God to deliver a message. The name means "to God" and has the implication of "belonging to God." El (the basic name for God in Hebrew) on the end of Lemuel shows the name to be a compound of God. Personally, I think the name and context points to a poetic reference to Solomon. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon never uses his own name but presents himself seven times as the "Preacher" (Ecclesiastes 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10). The shift in emphasis in Proverbs would call for a different construction. Through most of Proverbs, Solomon is giving words of wisdom to his son. In Proverbs 31, King Lemuel is repeating the words of wisdom given to him by his mother. Regardless of whether we assume the author to be Solomon, the message of this chapter is wisdom that would benefit King Solomon during his later years. These words contain the describe the dangers of alchole followed by the need for a virtuous woman.