# Proverbs 30 📖: The Words of Agur [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Proverbs Overview]] | [[Proverbs 29]] | [[Proverbs 31]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#🛤 Life Application]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ## The Sayings of Agur **Principle**: [[#Verse 01.]] The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh; an oracle: This man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ukal: [[#Verse 02.]] Surely I am more brutish than any other human being, and I do not have human understanding; [[#Verse 03.]] I have not learned wisdom, nor can I have knowledge of the Holy One. [[#Verse 04.]] Who has ascended into heaven, and then descended? Who has gathered up the winds in his fists? Who has bound up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you can know! [[#Verse 05.]] Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him. [[#Verse 06.]] Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you and prove you to be a liar. [[#Verse 07.]] Two things I have asked from you; do not refuse me before I die: [[#Verse 08.]] Remove falsehood and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or riches; feed me with my allotted portion of bread, [[#Verse 09.]] lest I become satisfied and act deceptively and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I become poor and steal and demean the name of my God. [[#Verse 10.]] Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you are found guilty. [[#Verse 11.]] There is a generation who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. [[#Verse 12.]] There is a generation who are pure in their own opinion and yet are not washed from their filthiness. [[#Verse 13.]] There is a generation whose eyes are so lofty and whose eyelids are lifted up disdainfully. [[#Verse 14.]] There is a generation whose teeth are like swords and whose molars are like knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among the human race. [[#Verse 15.]] The leech has two daughters: “Give! Give!” There are three things that will never be satisfied, four that have never said, “Enough”— [[#Verse 16.]] the grave, the barren womb; earth has not been satisfied with water; and fire has never said, “Enough!” [[#Verse 17.]] The eye that mocks at a father and despises obeying a mother— the ravens of the valley will peck it out, and the young vultures will eat it. [[#Verse 18.]] There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not understand: [[#Verse 19.]] the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the sea, and the way of a man with a woman. [[#Verse 20.]] This is the way of an adulterous woman: She has eaten and wiped her mouth and has said, “I have not done wrong.” [[#Verse 21.]] Under three things the earth has trembled, and under four things it cannot bear up: [[#Verse 22.]] under a servant who becomes king, under a fool who becomes stuffed with food, [[#Verse 23.]] under an unloved woman who becomes married, and under a female servant who dispossesses her mistress. [[#Verse 24.]] There are four things on earth that are small, but they are exceedingly wise: [[#Verse 25.]] Ants are creatures with little strength, but they prepare their food in the summer; [[#Verse 26.]] rock badgers are creatures with little power, but they make their homes in the crags; [[#Verse 27.]] locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks; [[#Verse 28.]] a lizard you can catch with the hand, but it gets into the palaces of the king. [[#Verse 29.]] There are three things that are magnificent in their step, four things that move about magnificently: [[#Verse 30.]] a lion, mightiest of the beasts, who does not retreat from anything; [[#Verse 31.]] a strutting rooster, a male goat, and a king with his army around him. [[#Verse 32.]] If you have done foolishly by exalting yourself or if you have planned evil, put your hand over your mouth! [[#Verse 33.]] For as the churning of milk produces butter and as punching the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ###### Verse 31. ###### Verse 32. ###### Verse 33. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts - Proverbs 30 is attributed to Agur, a lesser-known sage, making it unique in the book. - Many scholars think it is a form of “pen name” for Solomon. - The numerical sayings (e.g., “three things… four that”) reflect a literary structure common in ancient wisdom literature. - Agur expresses humility and reverence, stating he lacks knowledge and understanding compared to God (vv. 2–4). - Verse 5 affirms the perfection of God’s Word, making it a favorite among apologists. - The chapter critiques pride, greed, and overindulgence through vivid analogies from nature and human behavior. 1. Agur son of Jakeh (30:1) appears nowhere else in Scripture. 2. The word often translated "oracle" in 30:1 (*massa*) may also be a place name. Massa was a son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:14), and some link Agur with an Arabian tribe. 3. Agur's questions in verse 4 resemble God's questions to Job (Job 38-41). 4. The image of God's word being "refined" or tested (30:5) comes from purifying metal, and it closely matches Psalm 18:30. 5. The warning not to add to God's words (30:6) echoes Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18. 6. Agur's request in verses 7-9 is the only prayer recorded in the book of Proverbs. 7. The chapter uses numerical sayings like "three things, even four" (30:15, 18, 21, 29), a pattern also found in Amos 1-2. 8. The leech has two daughters who cry, "Give, give" (30:15), a picture of greed that is never satisfied. 9. Verses 24-28 praise four small but wise creatures: ants, rock badgers (hyraxes), locusts, and lizards. 10. Verse 33 uses the same Hebrew word for churning milk, wringing the nose, and stirring up anger. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary **Main Teaching**: Proverbs 30, written by Agur, humbly acknowledges human limitations and elevates the perfection of God’s Word. It uses poetic observations from nature and life to reveal truths about pride, greed, and the mystery of God’s ways. **How It Fits in Proverbs**: This chapter shifts from practical sayings to reflective wisdom, grounding the pursuit of knowledge in awe of God. It reinforces the theme that wisdom begins with humility and reverence. **Apologetic Insight**: Proverbs 30 defends the sufficiency and purity of God’s Word, stating it needs no addition—a direct challenge to modern skepticism and relativism. It models intellectual humility, showing that true wisdom begins by recognizing God’s authority and human frailty. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the answer to Agur's question: "What is His name, and what is His Son's name?" (30:4). No one has ascended to heaven except the One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man (John 3:13). He is the flawless Word and our shield (30:5). ## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application - 📌 God’s Word is flawless and sufficient—do not add to it. - 📌 Humility begins with recognizing the limits of human understanding. - 📌 Nature offers many small yet profound lessons of wisdom. #### Today, I can apply this chapter by: - ✅ Acknowledge your dependence on God and ask for His wisdom daily. - ✅ Avoid pride by remembering your limitations and God’s greatness. - ✅ Be content with what you have—don’t crave excess or luxury. - ✅ Watch your speech; don’t slander or belittle others. - ✅ Learn from creation and nature—God’s wisdom is everywhere. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Agur begins by confessing how little he understands (30:2-4). Why is humility the starting point of true wisdom? 2. Every word of God is tested and proven true (30:5-6). How should that shape the way we read and handle Scripture? 3. Agur asks for neither poverty nor riches (30:8-9). What would it look like for you to pray that prayer honestly? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 4: Who has gone up to heaven and come down? What is His name, and what is His Son's name? - 📖 verse 5: Every word of God is tested and proven; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. God's Word is perfect and protective. - 📖 verses 8-9: Give me neither poverty nor riches, but only the food I need. ## 🔗 Related Passages - 🔗 [[Psalm 19#Verse 07.|Psalm 19:7]] - The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. - 🔗 [[Philippians 04#Verse 11.|Philippians 4:11-12]] - Paul learned to be content in every situation. - 🔗 [[Romans 11#Verse 33.|Romans 11:33]] - The depth of God's wisdom and knowledge. - 🔗 [[John 03#Verse 13.|John 3:13]] - The Son of Man came down from heaven. - 🔗 [[Matthew 06#Verse 11.|Matthew 6:11]] - Give us today our daily bread. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 🛤 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 📂 Internal Notes