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Read the Bible

King James Version

Proverbs 31:8

Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Rulers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Woman;   The Topic Concordance - Help;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;   Diseases;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Letters;   Proverb, the Book of;   Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dumb;   Lemuel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Agur;   Lemuel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Justice;   Lemuel;   Loan;   Muteness;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Ethics;   Lemuel;   Marriage;   Massa;   Proverbs, Book of;   Song of Songs;   Trade and Commerce;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lemuel ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Lem'uel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lemuel;   Proverbs, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ethics;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Speak up for those who have no voice,for the justice of all who are dispossessed.
Hebrew Names Version
Open your mouth for the mute, In the cause of all who are left desolate.
English Standard Version
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.
New American Standard Bible
Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak, For the rights of all the unfortunate.
New Century Version
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; defend the rights of all those who have nothing.
Amplified Bible
Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all who are unfortunate and defenseless;
World English Bible
Open your mouth for the mute, In the cause of all who are left desolate.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Open thy mouth for the domme in the cause of all the children of destruction.
Legacy Standard Bible
Open your mouth for the mute,For the justice of all those passing away.
Berean Standard Bible
Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the justice of all the dispossessed.
Contemporary English Version
But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope.
Complete Jewish Bible
Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate.
Darby Translation
Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all those that are left desolate.
Easy-to-Read Version
Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Help people who are in trouble.
George Lamsa Translation
Open your mouth with words of truth, and judge all the sons of the wicked.
Good News Translation
"Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless.
Lexham English Bible
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the needy.
Literal Translation
Open your mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all the sons of those passing away.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Be thou an aduocate & stonde in iudgment thyself, to speake for all soch as be dome & sucourles.
American Standard Version
Open thy mouth for the dumb, In the cause of all such as are left desolate.
Bible in Basic English
Let your mouth be open for those who have no voice, in the cause of those who are ready for death.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
King James Version (1611)
Open thy mouth for the dumbe in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Be thou an aduocate for the dumbe, [to speake] in the cause of all such as be succourlesse in this transitorie worlde.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Lawless men burn down a city: but wise men turn away wrath.
English Revised Version
Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all such as are left desolate.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Opene thi mouth for a doumb man,
Update Bible Version
Open your mouth for the mute, In the cause of all such as are left desolate.
Webster's Bible Translation
Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
New English Translation
Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak, for the legal rights of all the dying.
New King James Version
Open your mouth for the speechless,In the cause of all who are appointed to die. [fn]
New Living Translation
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.
New Life Bible
Open your mouth for those who cannot speak, and for the rights of those who are left without help.
New Revised Standard
Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all the children of the departed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.
Revised Standard Version
Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of all who are left desolate.
Young's Literal Translation
Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
THE MESSAGE
"Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate.

Contextual Overview

1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. 2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? 3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: 5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. 7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. 8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. 9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Open: Proverbs 24:7, Proverbs 24:11, Proverbs 24:12, 1 Samuel 19:4-7, 1 Samuel 20:32, 1 Samuel 22:14, 1 Samuel 22:15, Esther 4:13-16, Job 29:9, Job 29:17, Psalms 82:3, Psalms 82:4, Jeremiah 26:16-19, Jeremiah 26:24, Jeremiah 38:7-10, John 7:51

such: etc. Heb. the sons of destruction, Psalms 79:11, *marg.

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 25:1 - General 2 Samuel 17:7 - not good Proverbs 31:26 - openeth Ecclesiastes 3:7 - and a time to speak Isaiah 11:4 - reprove Jeremiah 21:12 - deliver Jeremiah 38:9 - these Ezekiel 18:8 - hath executed Habakkuk 1:13 - holdest Matthew 5:2 - General Romans 13:4 - he is

Cross-References

Genesis 30:32
I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Open thy mouth for the dumb,.... Not who are naturally so, but who cannot speak in their own behalf, either through want of elocution, or knowledge of the laws; or who are bashful, timorous, and fearful, being overawed by the majesty of a court of judicature, or by their prosecutors; or who, as they have not a tongue, so not a purse, to speak for them, the fatherless and the widow; which latter has her name, in the Hebrew language, from dumbness. Here Lemuel's mother advises him to open his mouth freely, readily, boldly, and intrepidly, and plead for such persons. Even

in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction; whose destruction is resolved on by their accusers and prosecutors; and who are in danger of it, being charged with capital crimes; unless some persons of wisdom, power, and authority, interpose on their behalf. It may be rendered, "in the cause of all the children of change", or "passing away" s; the children of the world, which passeth away with all things in it, as Kimchi; or orphans, whose help passeth away, as Jarchi; or rather strangers, as others, who pass from place to place and whose state and condition is liable to many changes who may be ignorant of the laws of the country where they are, and may stand in need of persons to plead for them.

s בני חלוף "filiormn transitus", Montanus, Gejerus, Michaelis; "transeuntis, sub. seculi", Vatablus, so Ben Melech; "filiorum mutationis loci", Piscator; "filii mutationis, h. e. hujus mundi", Baynus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In contrast with the two besetting sins of Eastern monarchs stands their one great duty, to give help to those who had no other helper.

Such as are appointed to destruction - literally, “children of bereavement,” with the sense, either, as in the text, of those “destined to be bereaved of life or goods,” or of “bereaved or fatherless children.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 31:8. Open thy mouth for the dumb — For such accused persons as have no counsellors, and cannot plead for themselves.

Are appointed to destruction. — בני חלוף beney chaloph, variously translated, children of passage - indigent travellers; children of desolation - those who have no possessions, or orphans. I believe it either signifies those who are strangers, and are travelling from place to place, or those who are ready to perish in consequence of want or oppression.


 
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