“Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
Parallel translations
- KJV What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
- BSB What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?
- ESV What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?
- NKJV What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
- NASB ¶What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
- NLT O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The mother addresses her son tenderly and urgently, as the child of her womb and her solemn vows.
Overview
The repeated, affectionate cries reveal a mother's deep love and earnest concern for her son's life. "Son of my vows" suggests he was dedicated to God, perhaps consecrated before birth. Her heartfelt appeal models how godly love seeks the spiritual good of those entrusted to us, longing to see them walk in wisdom and the fear of the LORD.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Isa 49:15“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you!
- 1 Sam 1:11She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”
- 1 Sam 1:28Therefore I have also given him to Yahweh. As long as he lives he is given to Yahweh.” He worshiped Yahweh there.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 31:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.