EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Proverbs 31:3
3Do not chase after women and lose your strength. Women like that have destroyed 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 that King Lemuel's mother said to him. It is an important message: 2Be careful, my dear son. God answered my prayers when I gave birth to you. Please listen carefully! Do not chase after women and lose your strength. Women like that have destroyed kings. 4Listen, Lemuel. Kings should not drink lots of wine. They should not want strong drink. 5When kings drink alcohol, they forget to obey the law. They take away justice for helpless people.
Read all of Proverbs 31Proverbs 31:3 word by word
אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַנָּשִׁ֣ים חֵילֶ֑ךָ וּ֝דְרָכֶ֗יךָ לַֽמְח֥וֹת מְלָכִֽין׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 31:3
- Proverbs 5:9If you go with her, you will lose your honour. A cruel person will rob you of the best years of your life.
- Proverbs 7:26She has caused many men to fall. Because of her, too many men have thrown away their lives.
- Hosea 4:11Instead, they worship other gods. My people cannot think properly because they drink too much old wine and new wine.
- Deuteronomy 17:17A king must not marry many wives. They may turn his thoughts away from the Lord. He must not store a lot of silver and gold for himself.
- Nehemiah 13:26Solomon, king of Israel, did a bad thing when he married foreign women. There was no other king as great as him in any other nation. God loved him. God chose him to be king over all Israel. But Solomon's foreign wives caused him to do bad things, even though he was so great.
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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