Berean Standard Bible
Proverbs 31:3
3Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.
Proverbs 31:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
Context of Proverbs 31:3
1These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him: 2What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings. 4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, 5lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.
Read all of Proverbs 31Proverbs 31:3 word by word
אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַנָּשִׁ֣ים חֵילֶ֑ךָ וּ֝דְרָכֶ֗יךָ לַֽמְח֥וֹת מְלָכִֽין׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Proverbs 31:3
- Proverbs 5:9lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;
- Proverbs 7:26For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
- Hosea 4:11to promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which take away understanding.
- Deuteronomy 17:17He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
- Nehemiah 13:26Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.
Commentaries on Proverbs 31:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Give not thy strength - Do not waste thy substance on women. In such intercourse the strength of body, soul and substance is destroyed. Such connections are those which destroy kings, מלכין melachin, the Chaldee termination instead of the Hebrew.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3To that which destroyeth - The temptations of the harem were then, as now, the curse of all Eastern kingdoms.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. 3-93-9. Succinct but solemn warnings against vices to which kings are peculiarly tempted, as carnal pleasures and oppressive and unrighteous government are used to sustain sensual indulgence. strength--mental and bodily resources for health and comfort. thy ways--or course of life. to that ... kings--literally, "to the destroying of kings," avoid destructive pleasures (compare Pr 5:9; 7:22, 27; Ho 4:11).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 31:3
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
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