Proverbs30

Agur, confessing his lack of human wisdom, extols God's pure word and prays for moderation, avoiding both poverty and riches. The chapter then presents various numerical proverbs, highlighting wicked generations, insatiable desires, and the consequences of filial disrespect. It contrasts incomprehensible wonders with the deceptive ways of the adulteress, and lists things that disquiet the earth, wise small creatures, and things comely in their going, concluding with a warning against pride and provoking strife.

The Words of Agur: Superscription

1
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: ​
2
“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding. ​
3
I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4
Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know? ​
5
“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. ​
6
Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar. ​

Agur's Prayer for Balance

7
“Two things I have asked of you; don’t deny me before I die:
8
Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; ​
9
lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. ​
10
“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

The Four Wicked Generations

11
There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother. ​
12
There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness. ​
13
There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.
14
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men. ​

Numerical Sayings: Insatiable Things

15
“The leach has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough:’ ​
16
Sheol, the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough.’
17
“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother: the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it. ​

Numerical Sayings: Mysteries of Movement

18
“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand: ​
19
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent on a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maiden. ​
20
“So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ ​

Numerical Sayings: Unbearable Upheaval

21
“For three things the earth tremble, and under four, it can’t bear up: ​
22
For a servant when he is king; a fool when he is filled with food; ​
23
for an unloved woman when she is married; and a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.

Numerical Sayings: Small but Wise Creatures

24
“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: ​
25
the ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
26
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks. ​
27
The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.
28
You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. ​

Numerical Sayings: Majestic Bearing

29
“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going: ​
30
The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;
31
the greyhound, the male goat also; and the king against whom there is no rising up. ​

Final Warnings Against Strife

32
“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth. ​
33
For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood; so the forcing of wrath produces strife.” ​

Study Notes for Proverbs 30

Verse 1

Critical scholars debate the identity of Agur, Jakeh, Ithiel, and Ucal. This introductory section (Prov. 30–31) forms an appendix to the main Solomonic collection, suggesting wisdom literature was gathered from various sources.

Verse 2

Agur expresses profound rhetorical humility, acknowledging his limited understanding. In the wisdom tradition, recognizing one's ignorance is the first step toward seeking true divine knowledge.

Verse 4

This verse is a powerful rhetorical challenge asserting God's unique sovereignty over creation (heaven, wind, water, earth). If humanity cannot name the Creator or His Son, it highlights the limits of human wisdom compared to divine revelation.

Verse 5

Agur transitions from questioning human ability to affirming the absolute reliability and perfection ('pure') of God's revealed Word, which provides protection ('a shield') for the faithful.

Verse 6

This warning against manipulating or altering God's instruction is foundational to biblical fidelity, emphasizing the danger of human presumption in theological matters, echoing warnings found throughout the Torah.

Verse 8

This famous prayer rejects both extremes of wealth and poverty, seeking a balanced life dependent on God for daily necessities ('convenient food').

Verse 9

Agur explains the spiritual danger of each extreme: Riches lead to arrogant self-sufficiency and forgetting God, while poverty might lead to desperation, theft, and profaning God's name.

Verse 11

The term 'generation' (dôr) refers here to a class or type of people characterized by specific immoral behaviors, illustrating pervasive social evils.

Verse 12

This describes spiritual hypocrisy: those who are self-righteous ('pure in their own eyes') but have not been cleansed internally from moral corruption ('filthiness').

Verse 14

This harsh imagery uses teeth and knives as metaphors for those who exploit and consume the vulnerable poor through systemic injustice and violence.

Verse 15

The 'horseleach' (or vampire/blood-sucker) represents insatiable greed. The 'three things... yea, four' formula is a common poetic device used to emphasize completeness and climax.

Verse 17

This vivid and disturbing consequence illustrates the natural judgment for severe disrespect and disobedience toward parents, a fundamental violation of the social and divine order.

Verse 18

These four things share the common element of leaving no trace or discernible path, symbolizing things that are marvelous, swift, and inscrutable to human understanding.

Verse 19

The mystery is the 'way' (derek)—the mastery of movement without leaving a visible track. This sets up the comparison in verse 20 regarding the hidden nature of sin.

Verse 20

The adulterous woman is compared to the mysteries because she commits sin, immediately cleanses herself ('wipeth her mouth'), and denies wrongdoing, leaving no moral evidence of her transgression.

Verse 21

These four examples describe societal inversions where the natural hierarchy or expected order is disturbed, leading to communal instability and chaos.

Verse 22

A servant reigning suggests a sudden, undeserved rise to power without the character or wisdom required to govern justly; this inversion is 'unbearable' to the established social order.

Verse 24

This section praises practical wisdom found in nature (natural theology), demonstrating that physical size or strength is irrelevant to intelligence or foresight.

Verse 26

Conies (likely rock badgers or hyraxes) are defenseless, yet they wisely utilize the impenetrable rocks for protection—a lesson in compensating for weakness through strategy and preparation.

Verse 28

The spider (or possibly a lizard/gecko) symbolizes the ability to gain access to the highest places (kings' palaces) through persistence, skill, and careful placement, regardless of its small stature.

Verse 29

This final numerical series focuses on dignity, confidence, and authoritative movement, illustrating those who possess inherent majesty or authority.

Verse 31

The 'greyhound' is a debated translation, perhaps referring to a warrior or a strutting rooster. The king's majesty lies not only in his physical presence but in his unquestionable authority ('against whom there is no rising up').

Verse 32

This verse advises immediate self-control and silence ('lay thine hand upon thy mouth') when one realizes they have succumbed to foolish pride or malicious thought, preventing the thought from escalating into destructive action.

Verse 33

This concluding analogy warns that deliberate provocation and anger ('forcing of wrath') inevitably result in destructive conflict ('strife'), just as predictable physical pressure yields predictable physical results.

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