Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 30 is attributed to AGUR SON OF JAKEH — an otherwise-unknown sage, possibly non-Israelite (the designation 'Massaite' may refer to a North-Arabian tribe). The chapter contains theological-meditations (vv. 1–9), ethical-admonitions (vv. 10–14), and the distinctive 'four-things' numerical-sayings (vv. 15–33). Verse 4 — 'who has ascended to heaven and come down? who has gathered the wind in his fists? what is his name, and what is his son's name?' — is a cryptic divine-question with Johannine-resonance (John 3:13). THE LXX NOTABLY REORDERS THIS CHAPTER: after Prov 24:22 LXX places 30:1–14, then returns to 24:23–34, and places 30:15–33 after 31:1–9.
Notable Variants
30:4 'who has ascended to heaven' → John 3:13 ('no one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man'); 30:5–6 'every word of God proves true … do not add to his words' → Rev 22:18–19; LXX significant re-ordering of chapters 24–31.
Structural Notes
MT Prov 30 = LXX order-scattered across LXX Prov 24:22 and following. 33 verses in MT. THE LXX re-orders: 30:1–14 follows LXX Prov 24:22, then 30:15–33 follows LXX Prov 31:1–9.
The words of Agur son of Jakeh — the oracle. The man declares: I have wearied myself, O God; I have wearied myself, O God, and I am spent.
'The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out' tracks MT. AGUR SON OF JAKEH — otherwise-unknown. The superscription's obscurity and the LXX's different-reading (interpretively rendering 'fear my words') suggest early translational-uncertainty about this-foreign-sage's identity.
Surely I am more ignorant than anyone, and I lack ordinary human understanding.
'Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man' tracks MT. AGUR'S SELF-HUMBLING — wisdom-by-confession-of-ignorance. Socratic-in-form.
I have not learned wisdom, nor do I possess the knowledge of the Holy One.
'I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One' tracks MT.
Who has gone up to heaven and come back down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name — if you know?
'Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!' tracks MT. JOHN 3:13 ECHO. Jesus' words to Nicodemus — 'No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man' (John 3:13) — directly engage Agur's-question. The question posed by Agur finds its answer in Christ: He-has-ascended-and-descended; He-is-the-Son-of-God. The 'what-is-his-son's-name' also becomes Christologically significant: the Son is Jesus.
Every word of God is refined; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
'Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him' tracks MT. EVERY-WORD-PROVES-TRUE. Ps 12:6's 'words of the LORD are pure, silver refined seven times' parallel. 2 Peter 1:21 ('men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit') extends.
Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and you will be exposed as a liar.
'Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar' tracks MT. DO-NOT-ADD-TO-HIS-WORDS — canonical-closure principle. Revelation 22:18–19 ('if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues … if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life') extends to the biblical-canon closure.
Two things I ask of you — do not refuse me before I die:
'Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die' tracks MT. AGUR'S TWO-PETITIONS — contentment-prayer begins.
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor wealth — feed me my allotted portion of bread.
'Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me' tracks MT. 'GIVE ME MY DAILY BREAD' prototype. The prayer-for-moderation. Jesus' 'give us this day our daily bread' (Matt 6:11) may directly-echo this Agur-petition.
lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' or lest I become poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
'Lest I be full and deny you and say: Who is the LORD? Or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God' tracks MT. WEALTH-DENIES / POVERTY-PROFANES — the two-extreme dangers. Deut 8:11–14 (forgetting-God-in-prosperity) and Prov 6:30–31 (theft-in-poverty) both engaged.
Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you and you will be held guilty.
'Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty' tracks MT.
There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.
'There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers' tracks MT. FOUR-GENERATION diagnostic (vv. 11–14) — four-types-of-unworthy-people.
There is a generation pure in its own eyes but not washed from its filth.
'There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth' tracks MT. SELF-CLEAN-BUT-NOT-ACTUALLY — Luke 18:11 (Pharisee's 'I thank you that I am not like other men').
There is a generation — how haughty their eyes! How their eyelids are raised in arrogance!
'There are those — how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!' tracks MT.
There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose jaws are set with knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
'There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind' tracks MT.
The leech has two daughters: Give! Give! Three things are never satisfied; four never say, 'Enough!'
'The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, Enough' tracks MT. NUMERICAL-SAYINGS begin. The 'three-and-four' pattern (vv. 15–31) — an Ancient-Near-Eastern wisdom-form.
Sheol and the barren womb, land that is never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, 'Enough!'
'Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, Enough' tracks MT.
The eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother — the ravens of the valley will gouge it out, and the young vultures will eat it.
'The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures' tracks MT.
Three things are too wonderful for me; four I cannot understand:
'Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand' tracks MT.
the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a young woman.
'The 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' tracks MT. FOUR-WAYS — uniqueness-of-each-moment-in-creation observation.
This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I have done nothing wrong.'
'This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says: I have done no wrong' tracks MT. ADULTERESS-DENIAL diagnostic — sin-without-acknowledgment.
Under three things the earth trembles, and under four it cannot bear up:
'Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up' tracks MT.
a servant who becomes king, a fool who is stuffed with food,
'A slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food' tracks MT.
an unloved woman who gets married, and a servant girl who displaces her mistress.
'An unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress' tracks MT.
Four things are among the smallest on earth, but they are extraordinarily wise:
'Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise' tracks MT. SMALL-BUT-WISE four-catalog begins.
Ants — a people without strength, yet they prepare their food in summer.
'The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer' tracks MT. ANTS // Prov 6:6.
Rock badgers — a people without power, yet they make their home in the cliffs.
'The rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs' tracks MT.
Locusts have no king, yet they advance together in formation.
'The locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank' tracks MT. LOCUSTS-WITHOUT-KING-YET-ORDERED — emergent-cooperation.
A lizard you can catch with your hands, yet it lives in the palaces of kings.
'The lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces' tracks MT.
Three things are stately in their stride; four are majestic in their walk:
'Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride' tracks MT.
The lion, mightiest among animals, who does not retreat before anything;
'The lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any' tracks MT. LION-OF-JUDAH echo (Rev 5:5).
the strutting rooster, the male goat, and a king with his army around him.
'The strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him' tracks MT.
If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, or if you have plotted evil — hand over mouth!
'If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth' tracks MT. HAND-ON-MOUTH silence-gesture — Job 40:4 parallel.
For pressing milk produces butter, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces conflict.
'For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife' tracks MT. Closing-wordplay — pressing produces predictable-effects.