American Standard Version
Proverbs 31:2
2What, my son? and what, O son of my womb?And what, O son of my vows?
Proverbs 31:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
- New International Version (NIV)Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!
- English Standard Version (ESV)What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?
- New King James Version (NKJV)What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
Context of Proverbs 31:2
1The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him. What, 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 that which destroyeth kings. 4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; Nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink?
Read all of Proverbs 31Proverbs 31:2 word by word
מַה־בְּ֭רִי וּמַֽה־בַּר־בִּטְנִ֑י וּ֝מֶה בַּר־נְדָרָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Proverbs 31:2
- Isaiah 49:15Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee.
- 1 Samuel 1:11And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
Commentaries on Proverbs 31:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2What, my son? - The Chaldee בר bar is used twice in this verse, instead of the Hebrew בן ben, son. This verse is very elliptical; and commentators, according to their different tastes, have inserted words, indeed some of them a whole sentence, to make up the sense. Perhaps Coverdale has hit the sense as nearly as any other: "These are the wordes of Kynge Lemuel; and the lesson that his mother taughte him. My sonne, thou son of my body, O my deare beloved…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The repetitions are emphatic; expressive of anxious love. Son of my vows - Like Samuel, and Samson, the child often asked for in prayer, the prayer ratified by a vow of dedication. The name Lemuel (literally “for God,” consecrated to Him) may be the expression of that dedication; and the warning against indulging in wine Proverbs 31:4 shows that it had something of the Nazarite or Rechabite idea in it.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3The advice to avoid wasting energy on desire for women repeats earlier warnings (Proverbs 5; 6:20–35; 7:1–27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. What, my son?--that is, What shall I say? Repetitions denote earnestness. son of my womb--as our phrase, "my own son," a term of special affection. son of my vows--as one dedicated to God; so the word "Lemuel" may mean.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 31:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries