Introduction: My Son

My son...My son...

     The wisest man in the world King Solomon compiled literally thousands of proverbs and wise sayings in an attempt to give to his sons the wisdom that God gave him. The book of Proverbs reveals the intense teaching of Solomon to the next generation. On twenty-two specific occasions Solomon employs these two words 'My son' when providing precise, specific direction concerning the vital subject of father-son relationships. 

     Although Solomon's record reveals some of his failures in life he was adamant about giving to his children the information necessary to keep them from falling into the same sins that effected him. In addition to Solomon’s (22) admonitions to his sons, his mother Bathsheeba also utilizes ‘My son’ in Proverb 31:2 when she instructed her son ‘King Lemuel’ [Solomon] with (5) distinct admonitions involving his actions as the king of Israel. The (22) 'My son' quotations of Solomon are found in the following verses:

  1. My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother:  (Proverb 1:8ff)

  2. My son, if sinners entice thee consent thou not (Proverb 1:10ff)

  3. My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path (Proverb 1:15ff)

  4. My son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee (Proverb 2:1ff)

  5. My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments. (Proverb 3:1ff)

  6. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction (Proverb 3:11ff)

  7. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion. (Proverb 3:21ff)

  8. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many (Proverb 4:10ff)

  9. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. (Proverb 4:20ff)

10. My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: (Proverb 5:1ff)

11. Wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 
      (Proverb 5:20ff)

12. My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou has stricken thy hand with a stranger… (Proverb 6:1ff)

13. Do this now my son, and deliver thyself when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; (Proverb 6:3ff)

14. My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: (Proverb 6:20ff)

15. My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. (Proverb 7:1ff)

16. Cease my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge (Proverb 19:27ff)

17. My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. (Proverb 23:15ff)

18. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. (Proverb 23:19ff)

19. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. (Proverb 23:26ff)

20. My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: 
      (Proverb 24:13ff)

21. My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change 
      (Proverb 24:21ff)

22. My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproaches me (Proverb 27:11)

23. What, my son? And what, the son of my womb? And what the son of my vows? (Proverb 31:2) 
       [from Bathsheeba]

Solomon’s (22) pleas to his sons may be divided up into (3) categories: 1. The Word (6)

                                                                                                            2. The Women (4) 

                                                                                                            3. The Warnings and Wisdom (12)

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