Lamuel

From the Catholic Encyclopedia

Name of a king mentioned in Prov., xxxi, 1 and 4, but otherwise unknown. In the opening verse we read: "The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him." The name occurs again in verse 4: "Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings . . ." The discourse which is an exhortation to chastity and temperance, is supposed to end with verse 9. Some modern scholars (see Revised Version, Prov., xxxi 1, margin) render the first passage thus: "The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, which his mother taught him." Massa is mentioned in Gen., xxv, 14 (cf. I Par., i, 30), among the sons of Ismael, and his kingdom is consequently supposed to have been in Arabia. In etymological form the name Lamuel is kindred with Jamuel (Gen., xlvi, 10) and Namuel (I Par., iv, 24). In signification it is cognate with Lael (Numb., iii, 24) meaning (a man consecrated) "to God".

See LESETRE in VIGOUROUX, Dict. de la Bible, s.v.; DAVISON in HASTINGS, Dict. of the Bible, s.v. Lemuel.

JAMES F. DRISCOLL