Proverbs 31:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

NIV: Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

NASB: Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the poor and needy.

CSB: Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.

NLT: Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

KJV: Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

NKJV: Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Lemuel's mother (Proverbs 31:1–2) urges her son not to be passive about those in need. Other lessons in the book of Proverbs indicate that righteous rulers care for the poor and weak (Proverbs 21:13; 29:7, 14). As a king, Lemuel is being taught to not merely tolerate those who are weak, but to lend his voice to the "mute" (Proverbs 31:8) and his defense to those who are defenseless.

Cruel rulers and political leaders often prey on those with less power. An example is what wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel did to Naboth (1 Kings 21). Ahab wanted Naboth's vineyard but Naboth refused to part with his familial land. So, Jezebel arranged for Naboth to be falsely accused; he was stoned to death because of the witnesses' false accusations. When Naboth was killed, Jezebel told Ahab to seize the vineyard, which he did. The whole evil episode angered the Lord, who commanded Elijah to confront Ahab with the message: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood" (1 Kings 21:19).

When Jesus returns to earth and establishes His kingdom, justice will be administered righteously. Isaiah 11:3–4 foretells that King Jesus "shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth."

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.