The words of Lemuel the king: The words of King Solomon, that he said for the Holy One, blessed be He, because he sinned against the Holy One, blessed be He.
Lemuel for God, like (Job 40: 4): “to (למו) my mouth.” The words that the king said for the sake of the Holy One, blessed be He.
a prophecy: that his mother chastised him When he married the daughter of Pharaoh on the day of the dedication of the Temple, she brought in for him many kinds of musical instruments, and he was awake all night and slept on the next day until four hours [after dawn], as is related in Pesikta (unknown, but found in Mid. Mishle and in Num. Rabbah 10:8), and the keys of the Temple were under his head. Regarding that time, we learned (Eduyoth 6:1): “Concerning the daily morning burnt-offering, that it was offered up at [the conclusion of] four hours. Then his mother entered and chastised him with all this prophecy.”
a prophecy that his mother chastised him An allegorical prophecy with which his mother chastised him.
- What, my son, and what, the son of my womb, and what, the son of my vows?
What, my son: What is this that you have done and told that you are my son, and [you did] not [tell] that you are the son of your father. Everybody knows that your father was completely righteous, and if you are wicked, they will say, “His mother made him that way.”
the son of my womb All your father’s wives, as soon as they conceived, would not return for marital relations, but I pushed and entered in order to have a son well-formed and of strong vitality, because marital relations are beneficial during the last six months.
and what, the son of my vows?: All your father’s wives would vow that they would have a son fit for the throne, but I vowed that I would have a son bright in Torah.
3.** Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to the pleasures of kings.**
Do not give: Do not weaken.
your strength to women Heb. חילך, your strength.
- It is not for kings, Lemoel, it is not for kings to drink wine, neither is strong drink for rulers.
It is not for kings, Lemoel: This matter is not fit for kings who are for the Holy One, blessed be He. Lemoel is like (Job 40:4): “to (למו) my mouth.”
it is not for kings to drink wine It is not proper for them to become intoxicated.
neither is strong drink Heb. אי שכר, like אין שכר, there is no strong drink.
- Lest he drink and forget what was made law, and change the judgment of all the impoverished.
**what was made law: ** What is written in the Torah-and surely the tradition that is committed to memory.
- Give strong drink to the one who is perishing and wine to those of bitter soul.
to the one who is perishing: To him who will ultimately perish-to the wicked.
to those of bitter soul: Who suffer pain because of their poverty and their mourning. To give them pleasure in this world, so that they receive the reward for the precepts they kept, in this world, [leaving them with nothing in the hereafter.].
- Let him drink and forget his poverty, and let him remember his misery no more.
- Open your mouth for the dumb, to the cause of all whose help has passed.
**all whose help has passed: ** Heb. בני חלוף. These are the orphans, whose help has passed and gone away.
- Open your mouth, judge justly and plead the cause of the poor and the needy.
- A woman of valor who can find, for her price is beyond pearls.
- Her husband relies on her, and he will lack no gain.
and he will lack no gain: lit. no plunder, i.e., he will lack no good.
- She requites him with good and not with evil all the days of her life.
