Proverbs 30
World English Bible
WEB1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: 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. 3I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One. 4Who 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. 6Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar. 7“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die. 8Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ 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. 11There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother. 12There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness. 13There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up. 14There 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. 15“The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’: 16Sheol, 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. 18“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t 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 maiden. 20“So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ 21“For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up: 22For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food, 23for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress. 24“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: 25The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer. 26The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks. 27The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks. 28You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. 29“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going: 30The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any; 31the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up. 32“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth. 33For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org
Overview
Proverbs Chapter 30 presents a collection of wise sayings attributed to Agur, son of Jakeh. This chapter begins with Agur expressing his humility and recognition of his limitations in understanding the divine mysteries of God. He acknowledges that he is 'more brutish than any man' and lacks the wisdom to comprehend the heavens, highlighting the importance of humility before God (#Agur). Agur's reflections remind us that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, as stated in Proverbs 1:7. He also emphasizes the need for divine revelation, asking God to keep falsehood and lies far from him and to provide only what he needs for sustenance, illustrating a deep reliance on God's provision (#humility, #wisdom).
The chapter continues with a series of numerical observations that convey profound truths about life and creation. Agur lists four things that are 'too wonderful' for him to understand, including the way of an eagle in the sky and the way of a ship on the sea. These observations serve to remind us of the majesty of God's creation and the mysteries that lie beyond human comprehension (#creation, #mystery). He also warns against the dangers of pride and the consequences of rejecting God's authority, stating that there are three things that are never satisfied, including the grave and the barren womb. This chapter concludes with a call to recognize the power of God in our lives and to live in accordance with His wisdom, reinforcing the message that true understanding comes from acknowledging our place in His creation.
Referenced by
- 2 Samuel 22:31v52 Samuel 22:31 declares God's way as perfect and His word as proven, paralleling Proverbs 30:5, which states that every word of God is pure and a shield to those who trust in Him.
- Job 26:8v4Job 26:8 speaks of God binding up the waters in His thick clouds, which is echoed in Proverbs 30:4, questioning who has gathered the wind in His fists and bound the waters in a garment, highlighting God's control over nature.
- Psalms 12:6v5Psalm 12:6 emphasizes the purity and reliability of the Lord's words, which is echoed in Proverbs 30:5, affirming that every word of God is flawless and a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
- Proverbs 6:6v25Proverbs 6:6 advises the sluggard to consider the ways of the ant, which is echoed in Proverbs 30:25, highlighting the ant's wisdom in preparing for the future.
- Revelation 9:11v27Revelation 9:11 mentions Abaddon, the king of the locusts, while Proverbs 30:27 notes that locusts have no king. This contrast emphasizes the supernatural nature of the locusts in Revelation.
Topics in this chapter
- Wisdom
- Humility
- Contentment
- Creation
- Integrity
- Divine Wisdom
- The Word of God
- Truth
- Mystery
- Provision
- Agur
- Balance
- Dependence on God
- Fear of the Lord
- Nature
- Pride
- Sovereignty of God
- Stewardship
- Trust
- Wisdom Literature
- Attitudes
- Behavior
- Chokmah (Wisdom)
- Christ
- Community
- Covenant
- Dabar
- Daily Bread
- Daily Provision
- Diligence
- Divine Presence
- Falsehood
- God
- God's Creation
- God's Guidance
- God's Sovereignty
- Greed
- Heavenly Origin
- Human Desire
- Human Limitation
- Insatiability
- Israel
- Ithiel
- Learning
- Lessons from Nature
- Nature of God
- Peace
- Prayer
- Preparation
- Proverbs
- Purity
- Self-Exaltation
- Self-Reflection
- Self-Righteousness
- Simplicity
- Speech
- Strife
- True Purity
- Trusting God
- Trustworthiness
- Weakness
- Wisdom from Nature
- Wisdom in Nature
- Word of God
Related chapters
- Proverbs 1ProverbsChokmah (Wisdom)Divine Wisdom
- Proverbs 6ProverbsDiligencePreparation
- Psalms 12FalsehoodSpeechWord of God
- Matthew 6Daily BreadDependence on God
- Job 38God's CreationHuman LimitationNature
- 1 Timothy 6GreedSimplicityContentment
- Job 12NatureMysteryDivine Wisdom
- James 1SpeechWord of God
- Job 28MysteryChokmah (Wisdom)Contentment
- Proverbs 27Self-ReflectionProverbsSpeech
- Ecclesiastes 8Human LimitationMysteryChokmah (Wisdom)
- James 4Human LimitationDependence on God
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