Proverbs 31:9

Translations

Modern

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

Traditional

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

Literal

Open your mouth, judge with righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor one and needy one.

Latin

Aperi os tuum, decerne quod justum est, et judica inopem et pauperem.

Interlinear

Hebrew

English

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

Notes

Proverbs 31:8–9

Instead of drinking wine (Proverbs 31:4–7), the king should defend those who cannot protect themselves.

Proverbs 31:1–9

Lemuel, like Agur, might have been from Massa (see study note on Proverbs 30:1). Lemuel’s mother teaches him to control his desires, especially for women and alcohol, so he can rule fairly.
Besides this passage, we know nothing about Lemuel.

Theme notes and profiles

Social Justice

Related verses

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
Amos 5:11–12
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted.
Leviticus 19:15
You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
Job 29:15–16
I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
Deuteronomy 1:16
At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.
Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
Daniel 4:27
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”
Proverbs 16:12
Wicked behavior is detestable for kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.
Jeremiah 5:28
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.
Deuteronomy 16:18–20
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.

Glossary

Lemuel Proverbs, Book of Spinner, Spinning

Topics

Abortion Capitalism Courts of Justice: The Accused: Might Have Advocates Doing the Right Thing Fairness Free Speech Helping the Helpless Human Rights Injury Justice: To be Done: To the Poor Kings: should Maintain the Cause of the Poor and Oppressed Lawyers Manipulative People Merciful Poor: Duty To Protests Racial Equality Rights Rulers: Character and Qualifications of Social Justice Standing Up for Others

Proverbs 31:9

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