Proverbs 31:3

December 12, 2023

“Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.”

This particular passage of Scripture out of the book of Proverbs was written by a king named Lemuel whom the Bible doesn’t say much about. The words of King Lemuel were given to him by his mother and can be found in the entire 31^st chapter of Proverbs.

The mother of Lemuel was giving him words of wisdom pertaining to a virtuous woman. If you are a single or married woman that wants to know what it means to be a God fearing virtuous wife, this entire chapter is for you. There are so many nuggets that the Holy Spirit is giving us through these Old Testament Scriptures that it is to our benefit to dissect them.

The chapter begins with a description of the love that Lemuel’s great mother had for him. For example in Proverbs 31:2 it states, “What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?” Here we can see a narrative of an amazing son through his mother’s eyes: she describes him as her son, then she elevates the description to the son of her womb meaning the one that she carried for nine months, and her final depiction is the son of her vows pertaining to promises and commitments that she has promised him.

This verse of Scripture out of the Word of God gives us an idea of just how much this mother absolutely adores and cares for her son. This is why we have this chapter out of the book of Proverbs; her love for her son motivated her to give him many words of wisdom when it came to women. She wanted to make sure that the woman that he would marry was a virtuous woman.

More particularly a person that understood the ways of her household, a person with true beauty on the inside and outside, a God fearing woman, and one that would be a helpmeet for the rest of his life. Great men are even greater when they have the person that God chooses for them right by their side that they can find safety and trust within her.

Let’s take a closer look at the passage of Scripture that I am highlighting out of the book of Proverbs. The word “give” being used is the Hebrew word “nāṯan” which means: bestow upon, with accusative of thing. The words “your strength” being used is the Hebrew word “ḥayil” which means: might, strength (usually physical).

By breaking down this first part of the Scripture we get a better sense of what King Lemuel is trying to explain to us. His mother gave him some powerful words of wisdom to live by pertaining to giving his strength (might) to multiple women. Notice the use of the word women instead of just one woman.

She wanted him to be cautious about the women that were around him because of the influence that they could have on him. Proverbs 31:4-5 describes “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.” Here we can see that his mother is also warning him against intoxicating drink.

When you are under the influence of anything, it will impair your judgment and integrity. It was Lemuel’s responsibility as king to make sure that the law was being upheld. She was warning him against allowing himself to become compromised because of the impact that women had on him. The fact is if you remain in an intoxicated state of mind you will make mistakes. That is why Lemuel’s mother explains that wine and strong drink is not good for any king to partake in.

In the New Testament we can see how important it is to remain sober. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Peter being led by the Holy Spirit makes it really plain letting us know that we are to remain vigilant and sober minded. This is why it is so important that we do not engage in drunkenness because it will alter our perception in all things.

Let’s take a deeper look into the last part of the primary passage of Scripture that I am highlighting which states, “…nor your ways to that which destroys kings.” The words “nor you ways” being used here is the Hebrew word “dereḵ” which means: figurative of course of life, or action, undertaking. The words “to that which destroys” is the Hebrew word “māḥâ” which means: blot out, exterminate all existing things.

This last portion of this verse is very revealing because it exposes what can happen to the life of a king or any man if they allow a multiplicity of women in their lives that are not following the ways of the Lord. Lemuel definitively shows us that great men can be taken off course and destroyed in such a way that they will be blotted out of all things to the point of extermination.

Throughout the Bible we can see the examples of destruction of kings that have fallen in the past due to their strength given over to women. King Solomon, one of the wisest kings to ever live allowed foreign wives to sway him away from his love for God. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines and on account of such women he fell to complete destruction and idolatry for the rest of his life until his death.

Another instance is when King David fell for a married woman named Bathsheba. His lust for her altered his Godly judgment. Fortunately he was a man after God’s own heart and knew the importance of repentance. However, he still had to pay a high price for the sin that he committed because of a woman that he gave his strength over to. This transgression resulted in them losing the first son that she conceived out of their disobedience.

The entire Bible is saturated with words of wisdom that lead us and guide us into all truth. Proverbs 31 in particular, gives us Godly instruction on what it looks like to be a God fearing wife through the lens of a mother’s eye. Outward appearances will fade away but true beauty is going to come from within because it is dependent on the condition of your heart.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Who is the Prophet Isaiah

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds