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.

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The Words of Agur: Superscription

¶ The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Agur's Prayer for Balance

¶ Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

¶ Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

The Four Wicked Generations

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Numerical Sayings: Insatiable Things

¶ The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Numerical Sayings: Mysteries of Movement

¶ There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

Numerical Sayings: Unbearable Upheaval

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

Numerical Sayings: Small but Wise Creatures

¶ There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

Numerical Sayings: Majestic Bearing

¶ There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

Final Warnings Against Strife

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth 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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