Proverbs 30:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.

NIV: those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

NASB: There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness.

CSB: There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth.

NLT: They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.

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

NKJV: There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness.

Several lessons in this passage begin with the translated phrase "there are those." This can also be translated as "there is a generation," and comes from a single Hebrew word. This may have meant the people Agur (Proverbs 30:1) saw in his culture, or mankind at large.

Self-righteous individuals think they are morally and spiritually clean. Yet their self-centered, pretentious attitude makes them filthy in God's sight. The Israelites in Isaiah's day thought adherence to religious ceremonies and sacrifices made them acceptable to God, but they were mistaken. God said they were sinful and loaded down with iniquity (Isaiah 1:4). He commanded: "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause" (Isaiah 1:16–17). He issued an invitation to reasonable thought and repentance (Isaiah 1:18).

The Pharisees in Jesus' day are perhaps the most famous example of self-righteous individuals unwashed from their spiritual filth. Jesus compared them to graves painted on the outside but filled with rot and death (Matthew 23:27). He compared their outward façade to their real hearts, marked by hypocrisy and rebellion against God (Matthew 23:28).

Proverbs 30:5–14 continues the "oracle" attributed to Agur. He begins by praising God's Word as true. He warns against adding to what God says. Agur then prays asking for God's protection from certain spiritual errors. He then begins making wise observations about life and certain kinds of bad behavior. Several comments in this passage include the phrase "there are those," commenting on various common sins. Agur's humility and desire for honesty shine through in this passage of Scripture.

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.