Lemuel
“Devoted to God or belonging to God”
Summary
A king to whom his mother addressed the instruction recorded in Proverbs 31, traditionally identified with Solomon.
☩Biblical Reference
Lemuel appears only in Proverbs 31:1, 4, which introduces 'the words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.' The passage records a mother's advice to her royal son: warnings against immorality and excessive wine, and exhortations to defend the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:2-9). The acrostic poem praising the virtuous woman (Proverbs 31:10-31) follows, though whether it is part of Lemuel's mother's instruction is debated.
☩Identity
Most interpreters, especially Jewish tradition, identify Lemuel with Solomon. The name means 'devoted to God' or 'belonging to God,' fitting as an epithet for Solomon. Rabbinic tradition tells that Solomon's mother Bathsheba upbraided him with these words when he overslept on the morning of the Temple dedication due to late-night festivities. Others suggest Lemuel was Hezekiah (through an uncertain etymology) or an otherwise unknown Arabian king, perhaps of Massa (comparing Proverbs 31:1 with Genesis 25:14 and Proverbs 30:1). Some consider him an imaginary or symbolic figure representing the ideal king. The identification with Solomon remains most probable given the placement in Proverbs and the appropriateness of the maternal instruction.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Lemuel," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Lemuel," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Lemuel," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).