Proverbs 30
30
The Words of Agur
1The words of #30:1 The identity of Agur, author of this chapter, is uncertain.Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle:
The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
2Surely #30:2 This may be viewed as either a sarcastic response to an unknown critic, or simply the sincere reflections of a humble man.I am more brutish and stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man [for I do not know what I do not know].
3I have not learned [skillful and godly] wisdom,
Nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One [who is the source of wisdom].
4Who has ascended 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?
Certainly you know! [John 3:13; Rev 19:12]
5¶Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver];
He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him. [Ps 18:30; 84:11; 115:9-11]
6Do not add to His words,
Or He will reprove you, and you will be found a liar.
7¶Two things I have asked of You;
Do not deny them to me before I die:
8Keep deception and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
9So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I will not be poor and steal,
And so profane the name of my God. [Deut 8:12, 14, 17; Neh 9:25, 26; Job 31:24; Hos 13:6]
10¶Do not slander or malign a servant before his master [stay out of another’s personal life],
Or he will curse you [for your interference], and you will be found guilty.
11¶There is a generation (class of people) that curses its father
And does not bless its mother.
12There is a generation (class of people) that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13There is a generation (class of people)—oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are raised in arrogance.
14There is a generation (class of people) whose teeth are like swords
And whose jaw teeth are like knives,
To devour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.
15¶The leech has two daughters,
“Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four that do not say, “It is enough”:
16 # 30:16 Hades, the nether world, the place of the dead. Sheol, and the barren womb,
Earth that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, “It is enough.”
17The eye that mocks a father
And scorns a mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young vultures will devour it. [Lev 20:9; Prov 20:20; 23:22]
18¶There are three things which are too astounding and unexpectedly wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:
19The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
And the way of a man with a maid.
20This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
21¶Under three things the earth is disquieted and quakes,
And under four it cannot bear up:
22Under a servant when he reigns,
Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food,
23Under an unloved woman when she gets married,
And under a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.
24¶There are four things that are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25The ants are not a strong people,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer; [Prov 6:6]
26The #30:26 Small, shy, furry animals, (Hyrax syriacus) found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and in the region around the Dead Sea; KJV coney, orig NASB badgers.shephanim are not a mighty folk,
Yet they make their houses in the rocks; [Ps 104:18]
27The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in groups;
28You may grasp the lizard with your hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29¶There are three things which are stately in step,
Even four which are stately in their stride:
30The lion, which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn back before any;
31The #30:31 Lit girt in the loins. The meaning of the Hebrew is unclear. Other translations propose greyhound.strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And the king when his army is with him.
32¶If you have foolishly exalted yourself,
Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth. [Job 21:5; 40:4]
33Surely the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood;
So the churning of anger produces strife.
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Proverbs 30
30
The Words of Agur
1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.#30:1 Or Jakeh, the man of Massa
The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.#30:1 Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal
2Surely I am too #See Ps. 49:10stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of #ch. 9:10the Holy One.
4Who has #John 3:13 ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has #[Isa. 40:12]; See Job 38:4-11; Ps. 104:3-6 gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has #Job 26:8 wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all #Ps. 22:27 the ends of the earth?
# [Rev. 19:12] What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
5 #
Ps. 12:6; 18:30 Every word of God proves true;
he is #See Ps. 3:3a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 #
Deut. 4:2; 12:32; [Rev. 22:18] Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
7Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me #Gen. 45:28before I die:
8Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is #Job 23:12; Matt. 6:11; Luke 11:3needful for me,
9lest I be #Deut. 8:12; 31:20; 32:15; Neh. 9:25; [ver. 22] full and #Josh. 24:27 deny you
and say, #Ex. 5:2 “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
# [Job 21:14, 15]; See Ex. 20:7 and profane the name of my God.
10 # [Ps. 15:3; 101:5] Do not slander a servant to his master,
#
Eccles. 7:21
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11There are those#30:11 Hebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14 who #ch. 20:20; [ver. 17]; See Ex. 21:17curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.
12There are those who are #ch. 16:2; [Luke 18:11; Rev. 3:17]clean in their own eyes
but are not washed of their filth.
13There are those—how #See Ps. 101:5lofty are their eyes,
how high their eyelids lift!
14There are those whose teeth are #See Ps. 57:4 swords,
whose #Job 29:17 fangs are knives,
to #See Ps. 14:4devour the poor from off the earth,
the needy from among mankind.
15The leech has two daughters:
Give and Give.#30:15 Or “Give, give,” they cry
# ver. 18, 21, 29; [ch. 6:16] Three things are never satisfied;
# ver. 18, 21, 29; [ch. 6:16] four never say, “Enough”:
16 # See ch. 27:20 Sheol, #[Gen. 30:1]the barren womb,
the land never satisfied with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
17The eye that #[ver. 11; Gen. 9:22] mocks a father
and #[ch. 23:22] scorns to obey a mother
will #[Num. 16:14] be picked out by #[Jer. 16:4]the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.
18 # [See ver. 15 above] Three things are #See Job 42:3too wonderful for me;
# [See ver. 15 above] four I do not understand:
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin.
20This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
21Under #[See ver. 15 above] three things #Joel 2:10; Amos 8:8the earth trembles;
under #[See ver. 15 above] four it cannot bear up:
22 # ch. 19:10 a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is #[ver. 9]filled with food;
23 #
Deut. 21:15 an unloved woman when she #[Isa. 54:1; 62:4]gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
24 # [See ver. 15 above] Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 # ch. 6:6-8 the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 #
Lev. 11:5; Ps. 104:18 the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27the locusts have no #[ch. 6:7] king,
yet all of them march in #[Joel 2:7, 8, 25]rank;
28the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 # ver. 15, 18, 21; [ch. 6:16] Three things are stately in their tread;
# ver. 15, 18, 21; [ch. 6:16] four are stately in their stride:
30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and #[Job 39:22]does not turn back before any;
31the #[Job 40:16]strutting rooster,#30:31 Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.#30:31 Or against whom there is no rising up
32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
#
Mic. 7:16; See Job 21:5 put your hand on your mouth.
33For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.
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