What is the meaning of Proverbs 31:1?

These are the words

- Scripture begins by calling attention to “words,” reminding us that what follows is not random thoughts but divinely preserved statements (2 Timothy 3:16; Proverbs 30:1).

- By opening this way, the verse signals authority and reliability—what we’re about to read is meant to shape belief and behavior (Psalm 19:7-8).

- The phrase also ties Proverbs 31 to the broader collection of “words” found throughout Proverbs, inviting us to listen with the same attentiveness we give the rest of God’s Word (Proverbs 1:1-2).

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of King Lemuel—

- “King” underscores civil authority; even rulers need wisdom from above (Proverbs 8:15-16; Romans 13:1).

- Lemuel is otherwise unknown, which prevents us from idolizing the man and keeps the spotlight on the message. God often speaks through unexpected figures (1 Corinthians 1:27).

- Other royal collections in Scripture (2 Samuel 23:1; Ecclesiastes 1:1) show that a king’s testimony can serve the entire covenant community.

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the burden

- A “burden” is a weighty utterance—something carried because it must be delivered (Malachi 1:1; Nahum 1:1).

- It carries moral gravity: this is not casual advice but an imperative from God, meant to shape the conscience (Jeremiah 23:33-36).

- For a king, embracing this burden means ruling under God’s higher authority, submitting crown to Creator (Psalm 2:10-12).

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that his mother taught him:

- The passage highlights a mother’s lifelong influence, fulfilling God’s design for parents to instruct children (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; Exodus 20:12).

- Her teaching proves that wisdom is often first learned in the home before it is exercised in public office (2 Timothy 1:5).

- The verse also elevates godly womanhood, anticipating the famous portrait of the virtuous wife later in the chapter (Proverbs 31:10-31).

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summary

Proverbs 31:1 introduces a king who humbly records the weighty lesson his mother gave him. The verse affirms the authority of Scripture (“words”), reminds rulers and readers alike that all leadership is accountable to God, underscores the solemnity of divine truth (“burden”), and celebrates the formative power of a godly parent’s instruction.