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Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Proverbs 31:3

Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which ruins kings.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Chastity;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Woman;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Chastity;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Proverb, the Book of;   Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Agur;   Lemuel;   Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Proverbs, Book of;   Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   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 - Chastity;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.
Update Bible Version
Don't give your strength to women, Nor your ways to [those women who] destroy kings.
New Century Version
Don't waste your strength on women or your time on those who ruin kings.
Webster's Bible Translation
Give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
World English Bible
Don't give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
Amplified Bible
Do not give your [generative] strength to women [neither foreign wives in marriages of alliances, nor concubines], Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
English Standard Version
Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yyue thou not thi catel to wymmen, and thi richessis to do awei kyngis.
English Revised Version
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Berean Standard Bible
Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.
Contemporary English Version
Don't waste your life chasing after women! This has ruined many kings.
American Standard Version
Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Bible in Basic English
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which is the destruction of kings.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't give your strength to women or your ways to that which destroys kings.
Darby Translation
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to them that destroy kings.
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't waste your strength on women. Women destroy kings, so don't waste yourself on them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
King James Version (1611)
Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth kings.
New Life Bible
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which destroys kings.
New Revised Standard
Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes, which is to destroy Kings.
George Lamsa Translation
Give not your strength to women, nor your ways to the extravagance of kings.
Good News Translation
Don't spend all your energy on sex and all your money on women; they have destroyed kings.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Do not give, to women, thy strength, nor thy ways, to them who ruin kings.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.
Revised Standard Version
Give not your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Geue not ouer thy strength & wayes vnto women, which are the destruction euen of kynges.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
When a man loves wisdom, his father rejoices: but he that keeps harlots will waste wealth.
Christian Standard Bible®
Don’t spend your energy on womenor your efforts on those who destroy kings.
Hebrew Names Version
Don't give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
King James Version
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Lexham English Bible
Do not give your strength to the women, and your ways to destroy kings.
Literal Translation
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which wipes out kings.
Young's Literal Translation
Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
geue not ouer thy substaunce & mynde vnto women, which are the destruccio eue of kynges.
New American Standard Bible
Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
New King James Version
Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
Legacy Standard Bible
Do not give your excellence to women,Or your ways to that which blots out kings.

Contextual Overview

1 The words of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him: 2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, 3 Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which ruins kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, 5 lest they drink and forget what is decreed, and remove from all the poor their legal rights. 6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitterly distressed; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. 8 Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak, for the legal rights of all the dying. 9 Open your mouth, judge in righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

strength: Proverbs 5:9-11, Proverbs 7:26, Proverbs 7:27, Hosea 4:11

to that: Deuteronomy 17:17, Nehemiah 13:26

Reciprocal: Proverbs 5:10 - wealth Acts 24:25 - temperance

Cross-References

Genesis 13:15
I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants forever.
Genesis 21:22
At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "God is with you in all that you do.
Genesis 26:24
The Lord appeared to him that night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."
Genesis 28:4
May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham so that you may possess the land God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident."
Genesis 28:13
and the Lord stood at its top. He said, "I am the Lord , the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the ground you are lying on.
Genesis 30:25
After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me on my way so that I can go home to my own country.
Genesis 31:2
When Jacob saw the look on Laban's face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed.
Genesis 31:3
The Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you."
Genesis 31:5
There he said to them, "I can tell that your father's attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me.
Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the sacred stone and made a vow to me. Now leave this land immediately and return to your native land.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give not thy strength unto women,.... Strength of body, which is weakened by an excessive use of venery b with a multiplicity of women; see, Proverbs 5:9; and strength of mind, reason, and wisdom, which is impaired by conversation with such persons; whereby time is consumed and lost, which should be spent in the improvement of knowledge: or "thy riches", as the Septuagint and Arabic versions, thy substance, which harlots devour, and who bring a man to a piece of bread, as the prodigal was, Proverbs 6:26; and even drain the coffers of kings and princes;

nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings; do not give thy mind to take such courses, and pursue such ways and methods, as bring ruin on kings and kingdoms, as conversation with harlots does; see Proverbs 7:26. Some think the design of this advice is to warn against any ambitious views of enlarging his dominions by invading neighbouring countries, and making war with neighbouring kings, to the ruin of them; but the former sense seems best. The Targum is,

"nor thy ways to the daughters of kings.''

Solomon was given to women, who proved very pernicious to him,

1 Kings 11:1. Some render it, "which destroyeth counsel" c; for whoredom weakens the mind as well as the body.

b "Venus enervat vireis", Avienus. c Don Joseph apud Schindler. col. 990.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To that which destroyeth - The temptations of the harem were then, as now, the curse of all Eastern kingdoms.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 31:3. Give not thy strength — Do not waste thy substance on women. In such intercourse the strength of body, soul and substance is destroyed. Such connections are those which destroy kings, מלכין melachin, the Chaldee termination instead of the Hebrew.


 
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