Proverbs 31:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

NIV: lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

NASB: Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the needy.

CSB: Otherwise, he will drink, forget what is decreed, and pervert justice for all the oppressed.

NLT: For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed.

KJV: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

NKJV: Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

Lemuel's mother (Proverbs 31:1–2) explains a risks connected to leaders abusing alcohol. The drink may dull their minds, causing them confusion. Other Scriptures warn about terrible results which come when drink interferes with good judgment (Genesis 9:20–23; 19:30–36; 1 Kings 16:8–10). Proverbs indicates that righteous leaders care for the weak and disadvantaged (Proverbs 21:13; 29:7, 14). Proverbs 18:5 explains, "It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice." A ruler distracted by addiction is likely to bring more harm than good.

Isaiah 5:22–23 condemns those who allow substances, such as alcohol, to pervert their sense of justice. They are described as "heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right." Isaiah 28:7 condemns the priest and prophet who drink to excess: "These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment."

The Bible does not condemn all alcohol, but it strongly warns against becoming drunk (Ephesians 5:18). Lemuel's mother seems to suggest that intoxicating drinks are unsuitable for a king, at all (Proverbs 31:4).

Proverbs 31:1–9 contains several teachings echoed previously in this book. The wisdom is related by King Lemuel, as told to him by his mother. This is not the first time a mother's teaching has been mentioned (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 30:17). The counsel is a good setup for the rest of the chapter, which is an acrostic poem celebrating the virtues of a wise, industrious, godly wife and mother.

This final chapter fits well with the rest of the book of Proverbs. It reiterates subjects found elsewhere in these lessons. Of note is that the entire chapter is connected to godly women. Topics include the importance of godly parenting, morality, righteous treatment of the needy, justice, and diligence. The first section are the words of King Lemuel's mother. The last is the famous depiction of an "excellent wife," exhibiting ideal traits of diligence, godliness, and competence. That description is arranged as acrostic poem: each verse begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Proverbs chapter 31 comes after a long list of Solomon's teachings (Proverbs 25—29) and the words of Agur (Proverbs 30). This final section is connected to two women: the mother of King Lemuel and the ideal of a godly, "excellent" wife. Themes found in this passage are reflected in other lessons from the book of Proverbs. Of note, commendable traits such as business savvy, strength, and wisdom are explicitly associated with women, despite being stereotypically considered masculine. The content after verse 10 is explicitly structured as a poem.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.