Lemuel לְמוּאֵל
King mentioned in Proverbs; his mother taught him wisdom
Biography
Lemuel is mentioned in the opening verse of Proverbs 31 as a king to whom the sayings in this chapter are attributed (Pro.31.1). The chapter contains the words of King Lemuel, which were taught to him by his mother (Pro.31.1). In her teaching, Lemuel's mother warns him against giving his strength to women and urges him not to drink wine or strong drink, as it is not fitting for kings (Pro.31.3-7). She also instructs him to speak up for the mute, defend the rights of the poor and needy, and judge righteously (Pro.31.8-9). The identity and reign of King Lemuel are not specified in the Bible, and he is not mentioned elsewhere in the scriptures. Some scholars suggest that Lemuel may have been a non-Israelite king or a symbolic name representing a wise and righteous ruler. The chapter concludes with a description of a virtuous wife, often referred to as the "Proverbs 31 woman" (Pro.31.10-31).
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentProverbs 2 verses
- Proverbs 31:1
"The words of king Lemuel; the revelation which his mother taught him."
Study Proverbs → - Proverbs 31:4
"It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’"
Study Proverbs →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | לְמוּאֵל | H3927 |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Lemuel
is from the same source. Instead of translating the word after this name as "oracle" some propose to leave it as a proper name, translating "king of Massa," and referring for his kingdom to Massa (Ge 25:14), one of the sons of Ishmael, supposedly head of a tribe or sheikh of a country. It is to be noted, however, that the words of Agur in the previous chapter are similarly called massa', "oracle" with not so clear a reason for referring it to a country. See for a suggested reason for retaining the meaning "oracle" in both places, PROVERBS, THE BOOK OF, II, 6.
John Franklin Genung
lon: The translation of 7 Hebrew and 2 Greek vbs.:
1Lexical Usages
In the Old Testament: lawah, "to join," "cause to join," "lend" (Ex 22:25; <ref osisRef="Bible