The willingness of a monarch at the height of his glory to publicly share his mother’s harsh criticism reveals profound spiritual humility. It demonstrates a clear recognition that royal power is meant to serve a higher, divine purpose rather than personal ego.
The primary approach among commentators is that the ruler addressed as Lemuel is actually King Solomon. The name translates to "for God" or "to God," reflecting a leader anointed by God who rules with integrity and dedicates his reign to the Creator, unlike earthly kings who pursue power and pride [רלב״ג, אלשיך, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. This title also captures an era when the entire nation faithfully served one God, entirely free from idol worship [אבן עזרא]. However, a different view suggests that Lemuel was a king from another nation, as this name is absent from the royal registries of Israel and Judah, implying that the instruction was spoken about him rather than authored by him [עמנואל הרומי]. Another perspective proposes that the term describing the instruction was actually the name of a specific kingdom he ruled [מלבי״ם].
Most commentators, however, understand this term not as a location, but as a heavy prophecy or a difficult speech of moral rebuke [רש״י, שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון]. The background to this severe instruction from Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, is rooted in a dramatic historical event. On the very day the Temple was dedicated, Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh. She brought numerous musical instruments to the celebration, keeping the king awake through the entire night. The next morning, Solomon slept deeply into the fourth hour of the day. Because the keys to the Temple were kept safely under his head, the daily morning sacrifice was severely delayed. Confronting this failure, his mother entered his chambers and delivered a sharp reprimand [רש״י, אלשיך, מצודת דוד].
Beyond this specific incident, her moral instruction was designed to impart essential wisdom following the death of his father, King David. She warned him to distance himself from physical desires, women, and wine, which are the root causes of sin and failure [אבן עזרא, אמרי דעת].
Ordinary rulers of flesh and blood would typically hide such a humiliating maternal scolding from the public eye. Yet Solomon, fully aware that his kingdom belonged to God, felt no shame. He viewed his mother’s rebuke with the same reverence as the word of God itself, choosing to publish it permanently for the immense benefit it offers to others [רלב״ג, אלשיך, מצודת דוד]. Just as he opened his collection of wisdom with the moral guidance of his father, he closes it with the sharp instruction of his mother, sealing the work with a timeless warning to master one's earthly desires [אבן עזרא, אמרי דעת].