In this verse, the mother uses three phrases to address her son. This repetition emphasizes what she will say. The three phrases have different emphases, but together, they express or imply the mother’s strong love for her son and her desire that he will listen to her good advice.

31:2

What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?: There are two main ways to interpret these three phrases/questions:

(1) They are worded in a positive way. They express or imply the mother’s desire that her son will listen to the advice that she will give him. For example:

What shall I say to you, my son?… (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Listen, my son!… (New International Version (2011))

(2) They are worded in a negative way. They express or imply the mother’s dismay that her son has not been acting wisely. She rebukes him for not living according to the advice that she will give him. For example:

No, my son!… (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and scholars.

Some other ways to translate the first phrase are:

My son (New Century Version)
-or-
You are my own dear son (Good News Translation)

O son of my womb: This phrase expresses the mother’s close relationship to her son from the time when she got pregnant to the time when she gave birth to him. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

I gave birth to you (New Century Version)
-or-
the son that was in my womb

O son of my vows: There are two ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) It means that the mother vowed or promised to dedicate her son to the LORD. She probably made this vow before she got pregnant. For example:

You are the son whom I vowed to dedicate to the LORD.

(2) It means that the mother asked the LORD to give her a son, and the LORD answered her prayers. For example:

You are the son I prayed for. (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and commentaries. The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as vows refers to solemn promises to sacrifice or dedicate something to the LORD or to do something for him. A person may make a vow to do something if his prayers are answered, but a vow is not the same thing as an answer to prayer.

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