Proverbs 30:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, "Enough."

NIV: the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

NASB: Sheol, the infertile womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, 'Enough.'

CSB: Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!"

NLT: the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.

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

NKJV: The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water— And the fire never says, “Enough!”

The prior verse mentioned the leech: a life-draining parasite which is never satisfied. Greed never leads to satisfaction—only to greater and greater hunger (Proverbs 30:15). Agur (Proverbs 30:1) now points out four other things which exhibit that same, insatiable nature.

First is sheol, the generic Hebrew term for death or the grave. Each day, thousands of people die. Hebrews 9:27 assures us, "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." It is possible to miss a doctor's appointment or some other appointment, but no one will miss the appointment to die unless he or she is a Christian who is alive at the time of the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). Scripture only ever offers two examples of those who left earth without dying: Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11–12). Judgment, however, is never presented with even a single exemption.

Agur also writes that the barren womb is never satisfied. In most cases, a married woman longs for a child. She wants to become pregnant. Hannah was barren. First Samuel 1:10 says she was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord with weeping. She asked the Lord to take pity on her affliction—her barrenness—and grant her a son (1 Samuel 1:11).

Third, the land seems to never tire of receiving rain. In Agur's context, the land was dry, compared to other places in the world. Whatever rain fell was usually soaked up quickly, and more was often welcomed. Land is never "satisfied" with a certain amount of rain. Eventually, the soil dries and needs to be replenished with moisture. It needs a constant input of rain to remain fertile for crops.

The final comparison is to fire. Once a fire is lit, it will continue to burn so long as there is something to consume. Fires that smolder out simply run out of fuel. Fires which are extinguished are deprived of oxygen: part of their fuel source. A fire can never be "filled" such that it stops burning. It can be "starved," but until then flames will rage, consuming everything in their path.

Each of these images is meant to explain the nature of greed: it is never completed. Greed is never content with what it has; it will always want more and more, forever.

In Proverbs 30:15–31 Agur (Proverbs 30:1) gives several numerical observations. He lists four things which never lead to satisfaction, only increased desire. Another four ideas are said to be "wonderful," here meant in the sense of being hard to grasp. Next are four examples of the dangers of putting people in sudden positions of power. Then, four seemingly humble animals who achieve great tasks. The last is a series of examples showing the "stately" nature of confidence.

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.

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.