“The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the pronouncement.
The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:”

“Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man;
Neither have I learned wisdom,
Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.”

“Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, or His Son’s name?
Surely you know!”

“Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Do not add to His words
Or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.”

“Two things I asked of You,
Do not refuse me before I die:
Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;”

“Feed me with the food that is my portion,
So that I will not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
And that I will not become impoverished and steal,
And profane the name of my God.”

“Do not slander a slave to his master,
Or he will curse you and you will be found guilty.”

“There is a kind of person who curses his father
And does not bless his mother.
There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes,
Yet is not washed from his filthiness.”

“There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes!
And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.
There is a kind of person whose teeth are like swords
And whose jaws are like knives,”

“To devour the poor from the earth
And the needy from among mankind.”

“The leech has two daughters,
‘Give!’ and ‘Give!’
There are three things that will not be satisfied,
Four that do not say, ‘Enough’:”

“Sheol, the barren womb,
The earth that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, ‘Enough.’”

“The eye that mocks a father
And scorns a mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young vultures will eat it.”

“There are three things that are too wonderful for me,
Four that I do not understand:”

“The way of an eagle in the sky,
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 virgin.”

“This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, ‘I have done no wrong.’”

“Under three things the earth quakes,
And under four, it cannot endure:”

“A slave when he becomes a king,
A fool when he is satisfied with food,
An unloved woman when she gets a husband,
And a female servant when she dispossesses her mistress.”

“Four things are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:”

“The ants are not a strong people,
But they prepare their food in the summer;
The rock hyraxes are not mighty people,
But they make their houses in the rocks;”

“The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in ranks;
The lizard you may grasp with the hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.”

“There are three things that are stately in their march,
Four that are stately when they walk:”

“The lion, which is mighty among animals
And does not retreat from anything,
The strutting rooster, the male goat,
And a king when his army is with him.”

“If you have been foolish in exalting yourself
Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.
For the churning of milk produces butter,
And pressing the nose produces blood,
So the churning of anger produces strife.”

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Context and Meaning

Proverbs 30 is unlike anything before it in the book.
Agur writes with:

• Humility
• Awe
• Observation
• Warnings
• Worship

He uses poetic lists — “three things… four” — to provoke meditation.
His confession is beautiful:

“I do not have the knowledge of the Holy One.”

He is overwhelmed by God’s majesty and man’s smallness.

A key anchor:
Every word of God is pure — don’t add to it.

And another:
Give me neither poverty nor riches — keep me from denying or dishonoring God.

Key Themes:

1. Humility Before God: Agur confesses his smallness and ignorance (v. 2–3).
2. The Majesty of God: Only God commands wind, waters, earth, and heaven (v. 4).
3. The Purity of Scripture: God’s Word is flawless (v. 5–6).
4. Balanced Dependence: Pray for daily bread — not excess (v. 7–9).
5. Generational Arrogance: A warning against dishonoring parents (v. 11, 17).
6. Self-Righteous Blindness: Some think they are clean while still filthy (v. 12).
7. Greed and Appetite: Some hearts never say “Enough” (v. 15–16).
8. Mystery and Wonder: Creation is filled with things beyond human understanding (v. 18–19).
9. Adultery and Self-Deception: Sin that feels no remorse (v. 20).
10. Social Disorder: When roles invert wrongly, chaos follows (v. 21–23).
11. Wisdom in Small Creatures: Ants, hyraxes, locusts, lizards teach wisdom (v. 24–28).
12. Dignity and Authority: Lion, rooster, goat, and king show confidence (v. 29–31).
13. The Danger of Anger and Pride: Strife comes from churning the heart (v. 32–33).

Reflection and Impact

Proverbs 30 is a call to humility, wonder, and dependence on God.

• Only Christ ascends/descends – (v. 4) foreshadows John 3:13 and Ephesians 4:9–10.
• God’s Word is flawless – (v. 5) matches Psalm 12:6; Matthew 5:18.
• Daily bread prayer – (v. 7–9) parallels Matthew 6:11: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
• Do not add to God’s Word – (v. 6) echoes Revelation 22:18.
• Human ignorance vs divine wisdom – (v. 2–3) resembles Romans 11:33.
• Greed never satisfied – (v. 15–16) matches Ecclesiastes 6:7; 1 Timothy 6:9.
• Honor parents – (v. 17) reaffirms Exodus 20:12.
• Wisdom in God’s creation – (v. 24–28) aligns with Job 12:7–10.
• Pride and anger produce strife – (v. 32–33) parallels James 4:1.

Application

• Walk in Humility: Begin where Agur begins — confess your smallness.
• Marvel at God: Let creation lead you into awe and worship.
• Trust Scripture: Hold fast to God’s pure words; never add or subtract.
• Pray for Contentment: Desire neither excess nor lack; ask for daily bread.
• Reject Arrogance: Honor your parents; avoid prideful self-deception.
• Avoid Greed: Recognize the “leech spirit” in your heart and repent.
• Learn from Creation: Even small creatures display God’s wisdom.
• Rule Your Spirit: Pride fuels anger; anger fuels strife.

Closing Thought

Proverbs 30 lifts our eyes beyond ourselves.
Agur’s humility sets the posture for true wisdom —
not in thinking we know,
but in confessing that we don’t,
and seeking the One who does.

“Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”