I have a theory about the legendary Proverbs 31, the great chapter that has been setting an unattainable standard for women for many centuries, but before we get to that, let’s review what the chapter says and why women have been complaining about it. standard ever since. since it was first written.
Right off the bat we find ourselves in the middle of a debate in chapter 31. You’ll notice there’s a heading that says these are the “Sayings of King Lemuel.” However, there is no mention of a king by that name anywhere in the Old Testament. Some think that this may be King Lemuel of Massa, a descendant of Ishmael, and that could be true. We know that the proverbs were a well-known and well-respected collection of sayings from people throughout the region, lending credence to this theory. However, there may be a simpler explanation that makes a bit more sense.
According to rabbinic tradition, King Solomon had six names: Solomon, Jedidiah, Qoheleth, Ben Iokoh, Agur… and Lemuel. According to this theory, these proverbs come from Solomon himself, although he makes it clear that it was his mother who gave them to him. That would mean that his mother was Bathsheba, which adds a new dimension to the story.
Remember that Bathsheba was David’s secret love, the one he took surreptitiously, the one he was willing to kill. You will also remember that her first child, the one born in sin, did not live. However, when Solomon was born, David’s sin had been very publicly revealed and confessed. Therefore, God approved of this son, even giving him the special name of Jedidiah, which means “beloved of God.” It is interesting that his mother calls him “son of my vows” which would be in keeping with this story; Solomon would have been a legitimate “vowed son of him.” We also know from Solomon’s story that many of the things she warns him about are the same things he wrestled with later in her life. It’s not definitive proof that this is from Solomon, but the argument certainly has merit.
Another controversy is that there is a gap between verses 9 and 10. The first nine verses belong to King Lemuel, while the others belong to a kind of epilogue. However, many modern scholars feel that the separation is unnecessary. By way of support, there is an old rabbinical story that may shed light on this concept, but first I want to return to my theory.
I have not been able to come to any conclusion as to who is the author of this set of proverbs; there are several compelling options. However, I am convinced that the last part of the chapter, the part about the virtuous woman, came from a woman, probably a very protective mother who had very, very high expectations for her son’s girlfriend. That theory explains why the bar is set so incredibly high; Even today, mothers set similar standards for their sons’ wives.
Before you dismiss my theory as unfounded, let’s go back to that old rabbinic story:
The ancient rabbis identified Lemuel with Solomon, and relate that when, on the day of the dedication of the temple, he married Pharaoh’s daughter, he drank too much at the wedding feast and slept until the fourth hour of the next day, with him the night before. temple keys under his pillow. Then his mother, Bathsheba, came in and rebuked him with this oracle. Bathsheba’s own love for Solomon’s father does not seem to have aroused any rabbinic suspicion that the description of the virtuous wife with which the Book of Proverbs closes is hardly characteristic of women.
According to this story, the rabbis of old had a very similar opinion to mine. They clearly believed that Solomon was King Lemuel, that Bathsheba is the mother mentioned in the first verse and that, yes, in a fit of anger he tells his son exactly what his expectations are for his new bride.
2,500 years later, mothers-in-law haven’t changed much.