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Proverbs 30

KJV · Chapter 30/31

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

4Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?

5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

9Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

17The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

19The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

20Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

29There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

30A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

33Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The words of Agur, son of Jakeh, begin with a confession of intellectual humility before the greatness of God. The chapter uses numerical lists ("three things... and four") to observe patterns in nature and human behavior.

Explanation

Agur is a sage not identified elsewhere in the Bible, and his humble introduction ("I am more brutish than any man") contrasts with the confidence of other wisdom texts, serving as an important reminder that all human wisdom is limited before God's infinite knowledge. The use of the numerical pattern "three things... and four" (verses 15-31) is a Hebrew poetic technique of gradation that also appears in Amos 1-2, used to observe, with humor and precision, recurring patterns in nature and human behavior, such as the way of an eagle in the sky or the habits of ants. Application for today: recognizing the limits of one's own knowledge and carefully observing the patterns of nature and everyday life are practices that cultivate genuine humility before God.

Fun facts

  • The name "Agur, son of Jakeh," does not appear in any known biblical genealogy, and ancient Jewish commentators speculated that it might be a symbolic title for Solomon, though most modern scholars consider him a distinct, unknown sage.
  • The observation about "four things which are little, yet exceeding wise" — ants, badgers (or rock hyraxes), locusts, and lizards — reflects keen knowledge of animal behavior, and is still cited today in discussions of behavioral biology and insect social organization.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Proverbs 30:1Agur is a name that doesn’t appear anywhere else in the Bible, and scholars aren’t sure who he was — likely a wise man from outside Israel, since the chapter has a more philosophical, questioning tone than the rest of the book. It’s another separate collection within Proverbs, with its own author and style.
  2. Proverbs 30:2Agur begins with unusual humility, openly admitting he doesn’t have full understanding — a contrast with the more confident tone of the rest of the book.
  3. Proverbs 30:3Continues the humble self-description: Agur confesses he hasn’t attained wisdom or sacred knowledge — sets the stage for the rhetorical questions that follow about the limits of human knowledge.
  4. Proverbs 30:4A series of rhetorical questions about things only God could have done — going up to heaven, controlling the wind, the waters, the ends of the earth — reinforces how limited human knowledge is before God’s greatness.
  5. Proverbs 30:5States that every word of God is trustworthy, comparing it to a protective shield for whoever trusts in it — a declaration of confidence that contrasts with the humility admitted in the previous verses.
  6. Proverbs 30:6Warns against adding things to God’s words, because that can expose the person as a liar — a caution about not distorting or inventing beyond what was actually said.
  7. Proverbs 30:7Agur makes a direct request to God, something rare in Proverbs — introduces two specific things he wants before he dies, detailed in the next verse.
  8. Proverbs 30:8Reveals Agur’s request: to be freed from lying, and to receive neither extreme poverty nor extreme wealth, just the necessary provision — a desire for balance, not excess.
  9. Proverbs 30:9Explains the reason for the previous request: too much wealth can lead to forgetting God, and extreme poverty can lead to stealing — balance is seen as spiritual protection.
  10. Proverbs 30:10Warns against slandering a servant in front of their master, because it can backfire on the gossiper, bringing curse and guilt upon themselves.
  11. Proverbs 30:11Begins a list of four types of troubling behavior, starting with whoever mistreats their own parents — lack of filial respect is the first example given.
  12. Proverbs 30:12Continues the list: describes people who consider themselves pure without ever really facing or correcting their own flaws — a criticism of moral self-delusion.
  13. Proverbs 30:13Third example on the list: describes visible arrogance in the eyes, a pride that expresses itself physically through posture and facial expression.
  14. Proverbs 30:14Fourth and most serious example on the list: describes people whose cruelty is compared to teeth as sharp as swords, devouring the poor and needy without mercy.
  15. Proverbs 30:15The leech’s “two daughters” is likely a poetic way of describing the two parts of the animal’s mouth, always sucking for more — “give, give” imitates its ceaseless demand. It opens a numerical proverb, three... and four, a list style Agur uses several times in the chapter.
  16. Proverbs 30:16Continues the numerical list started in verse 15 about things that are never satisfied: adds the grave, the barren womb, dry land, and fire — all examples of something that always wants more.
  17. Proverbs 30:17Describes a harsh consequence for whoever despises their own parents — the image of birds of prey reflects how seriously this lack of respect was viewed in the culture of the time.
  18. Proverbs 30:18Introduces another numerical list from Agur, this time about things that amaze him for being hard to understand — sets the stage for the four comparisons in the next verse.
  19. Proverbs 30:19The first three images — eagle, snake, ship — have something in common: they’re movements that leave no visible trace after passing. The fourth comparison, about the relationship between a man and a woman, suggests something just as mysterious and hard to trace from the outside — more an observational comment than a moral one.
  20. Proverbs 30:20Describes the casual behavior of an adulterous woman, who treats betrayal as simply as eating and wiping her mouth — shows how the conscience can grow numb through repeated wrongdoing.
  21. Proverbs 30:21Introduces yet another numerical list, this time about situations that disturb the natural order of society — situations that the world, according to Agur, has trouble bearing.
  22. Proverbs 30:22First and second examples on the list: a servant taking power and a fool with plenty — describes situations where someone unprepared gains a position or resources they don’t know how to manage.
  23. Proverbs 30:23Third and fourth examples: a rejected woman getting married, and a servant taking her mistress’s place — more situations seen as uncomfortable reversals of the expected social order.
  24. Proverbs 30:24Introduces another numerical list from Agur, this time about small animals that survive well despite their size, through clever behavior rather than strength. It’s praise for practical cleverness, not the abstract wisdom of the rest of the book.
  25. Proverbs 30:25First example on the list of small but wise things: the ants, which despite having no strength prepare for the future by storing food in summer — repeats the example already used in chapter 6.
  26. Proverbs 30:26Second example: the rock badgers, or perhaps rock hyraxes, who make up for their fragility by building homes in safe, protected places, among the rocks.
  27. Proverbs 30:27Third example: the locusts, who, even with no centralized leader, manage to organize collectively and act together efficiently.
  28. Proverbs 30:28Fourth example: the spider, small but able to establish itself even in royal palaces through its own skill, without needing strength or status.
  29. Proverbs 30:29Introduces one last numerical list about walking with dignity and presence — sets the stage for the four examples of impressive-looking creatures that follow in the next verse.
  30. Proverbs 30:30First example: the lion, described as the strongest among animals, who doesn’t back away from anything — a classic symbol of courage and dominance.
  31. Proverbs 30:31Continues the list with the war horse, the goat, and the king — all with an imposing presence that commands respect and can’t easily be ignored or confronted.
  32. Proverbs 30:32Warns that whoever acts arrogantly or plots evil should keep their mouth shut — a gesture of recognizing their own fault before it causes more harm.
  33. Proverbs 30:33Closes the chapter with a practical comparison: just as squeezing milk produces butter and pinching the nose causes bleeding, provoking someone’s anger always generates conflict — a natural law of cause and effect applied to emotions.

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