Proverbs 30:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel: "I am weary, God, but I can prevail.

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

CSB: The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The pronouncement. The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

NLT: The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.

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

NKJV: The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:

The words of this verse have inspired page after page of analysis and debate. Ultimately, the verse is only an introduction; its exact meaning has no practical effect on the rest of the text. Ancient languages such as Hebrew were written without punctuation, lower case letters, or even spaces between characters. As a result, some phrases can be read more than one way. Also, ancient names were phrases or combinations of common words. Usually, context makes the correct meaning clear. In others, there can be more than one reasonable meaning. When the phrase isn't overtly connected to the rest of the text, defining an explicit meaning can be difficult.

Most modern translations render this as a reference to the names Ithiel and Ucal; these may have been students or rivals of Agur. Others split the same Hebrew letters differently, making this an expression of fatigue. Virtually all note the use of a Hebrew word, massā', implying a burden or something of great importance. This "oracle" or "pronouncement" is profoundly serious.

Emotional and mental exhaustion seem to follow Agur's efforts to find God by his own efforts. The natural mind cannot perceive spiritual truth without being enlightened by the Holy Spirit. That makes Agur's exhaustion easy to understand. The apostle Paul writes: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). In 2 Corinthians 4:4 he writes: "The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Proverbs 30:1–4 introduces a new voice in the book of Proverbs. Most interpreters believe this is a reference to a person named Agur, who speaks to Ithiel and Ucal. Others interpret the Hebrew letters as references to personal weariness. The writer begins by proclaiming his own ignorance, seeming to exaggerate for the sake of effect. Agur desires to know God. The verses that follow explain how limited people can come to know the all-powerful Creator. Similar themes are seen in Psalm 8:3–4; Acts 14:15–17; and Acts 17:26–30.

This chapter contains the teachings of Agur, who is only known through this passage. Humility and a sense of one's own limitations are key themes in this section. Agur prays for God's providence and warns about the sins of arrogance, greed, and rebelliousness. He marvels at how the ungodly can sin without care, not realizing their fate. He then notes the way some insignificant animals accomplish great things and comments on the effects of confidence. The chapter ends with a reminder that stirring up anger leads to trouble.

This chapter falls between a collection of Solomon's wise sayings (Proverbs 25—29) and King Lemuel's proverbs (Proverbs 31). Chapter 30 contains the wise sayings of Agur, who is otherwise unknown. He may have been the son of Jakeh. His teachings are called an oracle: a weighty message from God. Humility and warnings about arrogance are recurring themes in this chapter.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.