Chapter 30

1 Agur’s confession of his faith. 7 The two points of his prayer. 10 The meanest are not to be wronged. 11 Four wicked generations. 15 Four things insatiable. 17 Parents are not to be despised. 18 Four things hard to be known. 21 Four things intolerable. 24 Four things exceeding wise. 29 Four things stately. 32 Wrath is to be prevented.

1. The words of Agur. The interpretation of this verse has occasioned much discussion. Nowhere else in the Bible do we read of Agur or Jakeh or Ucal. The name Ithiel is found in Neh. 11:7 as belonging to a descendant of Benjamin. Some Jewish interpreters believe that “Agur” was an allegorical name for Solomon. They render the opening phrase, “The words of the gatherer the son of the Pious [or Obedient],” referring the designation “Pious” to David. The Vulgate follows a similar idea, rendering the phrase, “The words of the Collector, son of the Utterer.”

Those who do not consider Solomon the author of this section reason that it has a somewhat lower tone than the preceding portions of the book. They also point to vs. 2 and 3 as an unlikely utterance of Solomon.

One Greek version and a number of expositors find in the word for “prophecy” the designation of a place called Massa, probably the one referred to in Gen. 25:14; 1 Chron. 1:30. But even with this designation no light is thrown on the identity of Agur. The reference in 4T 455, 456 is similarly inconclusive. However, it is not necessary that we know through whom these inspired words were given.

2. Understanding. This statement appears to be the frank confession of a man who realizes that he has not attained to the intellectual advancement within his grasp.

4. Who hath ascended? Only by so doing could a man gain any considerable knowledge of the Holy One. Jesus claimed that He alone could reveal the Father, because He alone had been in heaven (John 1:18; 3:13; SC 16).

Bound the waters. With this verse compare Job 38 and 39.

5. Word. Heb. Хimrah, not occurring elsewhere in Proverbs. ХImrah is found in the psalm from which the thought may have been taken (Ps. 119:140). The Lord has especially guarded His Word. To those who learn to rely upon it, the Word becomes a perfect shield and protection.

Pure. Literally, “refined” (see Ps. 12:6).

6. Add thou not. Since the Word of God is purified by divine care, we should not tamper with it. Our finite minds can never fully understand the thoughts of God (Prov. 30:3, 4; Isa. 55:7–9).

Moses gave a similar warning concerning the utterances of God (Deut. 4:2). John closed the last book of the Bible with an even more emphatic prohibition (Rev. 22:18, 19). There is no intention here to forbid the exposition of the Word of God as long as that Word is left unadulterated to act as a check upon the conclusions reached. It is the alteration or abandonment of the objective standard of truth that brings confusion and earns the reproof of God.

7. Two things. Verses 7–9 present two requests to God the writer desired to see fulfilled during his lifetime.

8. Vanity. Heb. shawХ, “emptiness,” “worthlessness.”

Poverty nor riches. A prayer to be kept in moderate circumstances, for reasons given in v. 9.

9. Lest I be full. The great danger in wealth is that it tends to make a man feel independent of God’s goodness and thus to separate him from the only Source of true riches (see Job 21:13–15; Ps. 73:12). Poverty, on the other hand, tempts a man to feel that God has ceased to care for him, and may lead him to use sinful means to provide for his own needs (see Isa. 8:21). All men, rich and poor alike, must maintain the feeling of dependence upon the heavenly Father.

10. Accuse not. The life of a slave may be made very much worse by the secret slandering of him by a free man. Sympathy is to be shown toward those in lowly positions.

11. A generation. This verse begins a series of statements describing the generation then existing. The age is marked by disloyalty to parents, a sin deserving of death in Israel (Ex. 21:17; cf. Prov. 20:20).

12. Own eyes. Compare Christ’s indictment of the Pharisees (Matt. 23:25–28; Luke 18:9, 11).

13. Lofty. Compare chs. 6:17; 21:4.

14. As swords. The greed of this class knows no limits. These people cannot rest till the poor man is completely despoiled of his property (see Amos 8:4).

15. Horseleach. Heb. Фaluqah. From its similarity with the Syriac, New Hebrew, and Arabic, also on the testimony of LXX, most expositors agree that Фaluqah describes a large leech, common in Palestine, which has an insatiable desire for blood.

Crying, Give. The first clause reads literally, “the leech has two daughters, Give, Give.” “Give” may be considered either the name or the cry of these daughters.

16. It is enough. The grave can never be so filled that there is no more room for death; the childless Israelite woman could never cease from her urgent desire to have children so that she might hold up her head among other women (see Gen. 30:1; cf. Gen. 16:4); a parched, “thirsty” soil can never get enough water to render it permanently fertile; and a fire will devour all it is given and never be satisfied.

17. Mocketh at his father. Long life is promised to those who honor their parents (Ex. 20:12). Violent death with no burial is here threatened for one who breaks the commandment.

19. The way of an eagle. The four items mentioned are examples of inscrutable things, drawn from natural history. Some have observed that the point common to each of these four diverse things is that there is nothing to mark the path that they have pursued. Allegorizations such as liken the eagle to Christ (Deut. 32:11, 12), the serpent to the devil attacking Christ the Rock (Rev. 12:9), the ship to the church pursuing its unmarked course through the sea of sinful humanity, and the maid to the Virgin Mary, do violence to sound principles of Scriptural interpretation.

20. Done no wickedness. The adulteress, together with all sinners who have escaped the observation of men and feel that there is no trace left of their transgressions, will find all her misdeeds laid bare in the judgment (see Matt. 12:36; 2 Cor. 5:10).

22. A servant. The earth trembles under such incongruities as a slave made king, without any training to fit the bondman for the post (see ch. 19:10); a fool who is wealthy and able to gratify his uncontrolled desires to indulge himself and trouble others (see ch. 29:2); an unattractive woman who lives a soured and lonely life before finally marrying and then venting her spite upon those who formerly looked down upon her; and, lastly, a servant girl who fills her mistress’s shoes and is as little fitted to rule a household well as the slave to govern a kingdom.

25. The ants. See on ch. 6:6.

26. Conies. Heb. shephannim, probably “rock badgers.” They take shelter in the rocks, and are said to appoint sentries to warn them of danger.

27. Locusts. These show no sign of having leaders, yet they move with the synchronism of a well-trained army.

28. Spider. Heb. sЊemamith. The word occurs only here and the identification is uncertain. Probably a kind of lizard is meant. A slight change in vowel points permits the translation, “the lizard is taken with hands.” This rendering makes the statement concerning the lizard parallel those concerning the other creatures. Great achievements in spite of feebleness are stressed. The lizard is so weak that it can easily be seized by the hand, yet it invades kings’ palaces.

29. Four are comely in going. Four examples of efficient and confident movement are given.

30. A lion. The word here used for “lion” occurs elsewhere only in Job 4:11; Isa. 30:6.

31. Greyhound. Heb. zarzir mothnayim, literally, “one girt in the loins.” In the modern Hebrew zarzir represents the starling. Precisely what creature the wise man had in mind cannot be determined, since the word occurs only here. The ancient versions rendered zarzir “cock.” Another conjectural definition is “horse.”

33. Churning. Heb. mis, “squeezing,” “pressing,” “wringing.” “Butter” represents milk curds or sour milk. Angry pressure upon the nose produces blood, and pressure upon one who is angry will certainly produce strife.

Ellen G. White comments

5    CG 539; Ed 244; FE 190

5, 6 COL 41; MH 429; 8T 316

25   CG 59; 4T 456