Bible Strands
Proverbs 31:1
These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — King Lemuel opens by identifying his recorded instructions as the oracle his mother taught him. This declaration frames the subsequent address to his son as the direct continuation of that maternal lesson.
The words — The Hebrew term מַשָּׂא (ma.Saʾ) literally means “an oracle” or “burden,” marking the text as a weighty instructional utterance. The verb יִסְּרָתוּ (yiśśerattû) translates directly to “she instructed him,” specifying the mother’s active role in his formation.
The thread — This motif of maternal teaching appears in Proverbs 1:8 and Proverbs 6:20, where children are commanded not to forsake their mother’s instruction. It parallels the intergenerational faith transmission recorded in 2 Timothy 1:5 regarding Lois and Eunice.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to treat received parental instruction as authoritative rather than optional. It demands that moral and royal guidance be grounded in deliberate teaching rather than personal invention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
- Proverbs 1:8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
- 2 Timothy 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.
- 2 Timothy 3:15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- Proverbs 30:1 These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.