Translation commentary on Proverbs 31:2

This verse is the opening of the advice given by Lemuel’s mother. She addresses him in the second person.

“What, my son?”: “What” is the literal translation of the Hebrew word that comes at the beginning of each address in the verse. But what does it mean? And how should it be translated? Some take it to refer to the content of the advice that follows; so Revised English Bible begins the verse with “What shall I say to you, my son?” while Good News Translation concludes the verse with “What shall I tell you?” Others take it to be a form of address or a call for attention; so New International Version says “O my son, O son of my womb, . . .” and Scott suggests in his footnote “Now then, my son!” Contemporary English Version expresses this same sense by concluding the verse with “. . . so listen carefully.” New Revised Standard Version takes another approach, regarding “What” as an emphatic negative leading to the negative commands of the next few verses: “No, my son!”

“What, son of my womb?”: “Son of my womb” means “my son, the child I gave birth to.” There is little difference in meaning between this and the previous address. But the emphasis of the repetition is important; and so is the reference it makes to the mother’s place in her son’s life. Good News Translation expresses something of these things by joining the first two addresses to say “You are my own dear son.”

“What, son of my vows?”: We may take this address to mean that the mother prayed to God and that Lemuel was the “answer to my prayers” (Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). Some take it to mean that Lemuel’s mother also made a promise to God that she would fulfil when her child was born; for example, New Living Translation says “son of my promises.” Contemporary English Version joins the last two addresses and says for the whole verse: “My son, Lemuel, you were born in answer to my prayers, so listen carefully.”

In some languages the repetition and the forms of address in the Hebrew and in Revised Standard Version will be good style. For other languages Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version are good models to follow. One example of how the verse may be rendered is “My child, I gave birth to you and I love you. I asked God and he gave you to me.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 31:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 31:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘You, my beloved son whom I received through my prayers. My son, what should I tell you?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O my son, my first son,
    the son that I have because of the vows that I made!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “My child, you (sing.) were-born as an answer to my prayers. I am saying to you (sing.) that you (sing.) do not” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “What will I say to you (sing.) who are my child, you (sing.) who are the answer to my prayer(s)?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “You are my son; I gave birth to you ;
    you are the son that God gave me in answer to my prayers.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 31:2

In this verse, the mother uses three phrases to address her son. This repetition emphasizes what she will say. The three phrases have different emphases, but together, they express or imply the mother’s strong love for her son and her desire that he will listen to her good advice.

31:2

What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?: There are two main ways to interpret these three phrases/questions:

(1) They are worded in a positive way. They express or imply the mother’s desire that her son will listen to the advice that she will give him. For example:

What shall I say to you, my son?… (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Listen, my son!… (New International Version (2011))

(2) They are worded in a negative way. They express or imply the mother’s dismay that her son has not been acting wisely. She rebukes him for not living according to the advice that she will give him. For example:

No, my son!… (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and scholars.

Some other ways to translate the first phrase are:

My son (New Century Version)
-or-
You are my own dear son (Good News Translation)

O son of my womb: This phrase expresses the mother’s close relationship to her son from the time when she got pregnant to the time when she gave birth to him. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

I gave birth to you (New Century Version)
-or-
the son that was in my womb

O son of my vows: There are two ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) It means that the mother vowed or promised to dedicate her son to the LORD. She probably made this vow before she got pregnant. For example:

You are the son whom I vowed to dedicate to the LORD.

(2) It means that the mother asked the LORD to give her a son, and the LORD answered her prayers. For example:

You are the son I prayed for. (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and commentaries. The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as vows refers to solemn promises to sacrifice or dedicate something to the LORD or to do something for him. A person may make a vow to do something if his prayers are answered, but a vow is not the same thing as an answer to prayer.

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