Who was king Lemuel?

Lemuel

Meaning of the name: dedicated to God

a king whom his mother instructed (Prov. 31:1-9):
1 The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle [a] his mother taught him:
2 "O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,

3 do not spend your strength on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.

4 "It is not for kings, O Lemuel—
not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,

5 lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

6 Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;

7 let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.

8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.

9 Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character



Nothing is certainly known concerning him. The rabbis identified him with Solomon.

 

Lamuel is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible.

The LXX doesn’t use the proper name.
It translates the Hebrew למו אל as “words from God” [λόγοι εἴρηνται ὑπὸ θεοῦ].

The LXX also separates verses 10-31 with different chapter numbering.
In Hebrew those verse are a distinct portion of the text (being an acrostic poem).

Rob