Proverbs 31:2

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, a pronouncement that his mother taught him: What should I say, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows? 3Don’t spend your energy on women or your efforts on those who destroy kings. 4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire beer.

Proverbs 31:2 word by word

מַה־בְּ֭רִי וּמַֽה־בַּר־בִּטְנִ֑י וּ֝מֶה בַּר־נְדָרָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• What, my sonבַּרbar · sonH1248
• of my wombבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: wombH990
• of my vowsנֶ֫דֶרneder nêder · vowH5088

Cross-references for Proverbs 31:2

• Isaiah 49:15“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you.
• 1 Samuel 1:11Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

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

• Young Men

In the dictionaries

• Above
• Deceitful
• Distaff
• Excel
• Lay
• Lemuel
• Price
• Prophecy
• Scarlet
• Bar (1)

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