Proverbs 31:1 | Bible Study | Mothers Motivation

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Introduction: Proverbs 31:1 Bible Study

Welcome, to the bible study series Know the Bible: Proverbs 31 verse 1. I am glad you are meeting me AT FORESTS EDGE, where women can study the word of God together and encourage one another while we walk out our faith, embrace womanhood, and live fearlessly.

In this study of Proverbs 31, we will look at the first verse in context. I have broken it up into mini-studies so that busy women like myself can take in the information in just a few minutes each day. If you have more time then feel free to continue to the next section whenever you are ready.

This study is perfect for a personal bible study or a women’s small group.

New here? The Proverbs 31 overview sets the stage for the context of the chapter, otherwise, let’s jump right into Proverbs 31 verse 1!

Proverbs 31:1

“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:”

Proverbs 31:1 NKJV

Proverbs 31:1 Strong’s Definition:

Lemuel- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H3927) לְמוּאֵל Lᵉmûwʼêl, lem-oo-ale’; or לְמוֹאֵל Lᵉmôwʼêl; from H3926 and H410; (belonging) to God; Lemuel or Lemoel, a symbolic name of Solomon:—Lemuel.

Utterance- Hebrew: maśśā’ (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H4853)- 

מַשָּׂא massâʼ, mas-saw’; from H5375; a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly a doom, especially singing; mental, desire:—burden, carry away, prophecy, × they set, song, tribute.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Definitions from Proverbs 31:1:

Burden– 5. In common language, that which is often repeated; a subject on which one dwells.

(Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

Summary of Proverbs 31:1

The author of the chapter is King Lemuel. Lemuel means belonging to God. It is thought that Lemuel was a nickname given to King Solomon by his mother Bathsheba. Solomon was the second child conceived by Bathsheba with King David. The first child perished, making Solomon the first living child of Bathsheba and King David. See 2Samuel 11-12 for context. 

What follows are the spoken lessons his mother taught him. As we have seen in the Proverbs 31 overview the second half of the chapter was written in an acrostic poem which could have been a song. It was common for Hebrew women to sing lessons to their children.

The term burden implies that it may have been repeated over and over again throughout his life. Lessons were often repeated so they would be committed to memory.

My Notes from Proverbs 31:1

This particular proverb may have a different structure than Solomon’s other proverbs because it is a retelling of a specific lesson that King Solomon was taught by his mother Bathsheba.

5 Reasons King Lemuel is a Nickname for King Solomon. 

1. There are ancient Jewish traditions that believe Solomon is Lemuel
2. Early historians have come to the conclusion Lemuel is Solomon.
3. Nicknames are fairly common throughout the bible and in Hebrew culture. 
4. There is no historical reference to an actual King named Lemuel.
5. Lemuel means belonging to God which could have been a nickname Bathsheba used for Solomon. It makes sense that she would have dedicated Solomon to God after losing her first child.

From verse one, we can gather the importance of a mother’s role in a child’s life. The lessons we teach and model for our children will be remembered if we are consistent. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

Dedication of Children to God

As a mother of 6 children, 5 here with me and 1 with the Lord I understand dedicating children to God. After all, He is the One who has given us these children. They are all special, each in their way. They all have a purpose to fulfill. We have only a short time to teach them and raise them to be thriving adults.

Repetition is Important

 Lessons need to be repeated. We are forgetful creatures and repetition is a powerful teaching tool. Songs are also a fantastic teaching tool. Our brain remembers songs differently than the spoken word alone. 

In my experience, I can repeat myself over and over again, but if I make a song about it, my children will commit that to memory fairly easily. I taught each one of them to spell their names by making up a song for each of them. I made up a song for my little brother when we were children and I guess it must have stuck with me. 

My husband loves to make parodies of our children’s favorite songs from movies. They might roll their eyes and groan when they hear a song coming on, but I can tell you he gets his point across pretty quickly and memorably. I find his renditions quite amusing. You gotta find a way to make life fun. 

Time is a Gift

My point is, that raising the children we were given is a task we take very seriously. The time and attention we give our children will affect them for the rest of their lives. I take my role as a mother to heart, especially since I know that life is not guaranteed. I am so thankful we made the sacrifices necessary so that we can homeschool our children. Time is short and every moment we have with them is a blessing. Even if it means more messes in our home for this season of life.

Questions to Ponder from Proverbs 31:1:

1. What techniques do you use to teach your family or others around you?
2. What technique did your mother or a significant woman in your life use to teach you?
3. Do you have a nickname?
4. Do your children have nicknames?

Thank you, for meeting me here, AT FORESTS EDGE. I hope this in-depth women’s bible study of Proverbs 31 is a blessing to you. 

Remember, my takeaways are from my perspective. You may have a different path in life than I do. I don’t share them because I think my way is the only way. You ultimately have to have your very own unique relationship with God. He may have different plans for you. If you are a parent, you know your children better than anyone and because of that, you are the best person to teach them.

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior you can find out more about salvation.

Ready to move on to the next study in this series, Proverbs 31:2? Interested in which bible study resources and tools I use?

I would love for you to be my companion in this journey and join my newsletter where I share encouragement throughout the year for women to walk in faith, embrace womanhood, and live fearlessly. 

Until we meet again,

Raeanna